Looking for the kind of intervention as would effectively respond to the numerous social ills besetting the community? In addition to the services offered by public-funded facilities, there is PATOIS Professional Behaviourial Services (PPBS).
Located at Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, and founded and driven by Mental Health Consultant Ingrid Goodman and a staff of professional social workers, PATOIS focuses on a number of areas. These include depression, stress management, anger management, post-traumatic stress, domestic violence, youth self-esteem, and substance abuse.
PATOIS has been providing community mental health services since 2011, operating under the motto: “We heal together for Growth.”
Hundreds have already undergone and are benefitting from these therapeutic interventions that have served to put their lives back together again. The service may be accessed individually or through group therapy. Just recently some 47 women benefitted from Group Therapy training programmes in Self Esteem conducted in villages along the East Coast Demerara and graduated with certificates.

Emergency Shelter Programmes
Another burgeoning programme initiated by PATOIS and is fast catching on is “Women’s Refuge Emergency Shelter,” a 90-day “crisis response” for single women who are homeless. It comes with a three-month precursor, referred to as the “Screening Period” during which the women are screened to determine their suitability for admission to the Shelter.
Areas and competencies tested include their strength perspective – coping skills, mental health, skills that lead to employment, money management skills, and others. That process is to determine the magnitude of the applicant’s crisis and whether they are suited for the programme.
Once a person gets into the programme, they are on their way to being placed on what is called the 90-days after care programme and will each work along with a case manager. Additionally, the mother is allowed to have to three very young children with her, provided that she cannot find anyone who is willing to keep them. Qualification for the temporary shelter will afford them meals and transportation and the shelter will assist them wherever possible with finding permanent accommodation.
On completion of this programme, participants may be introduced to another level – Entrepreneurship – which effectively involves them managing their own small businesses.
The Shelter provides accommodation for a maximum of 12 occupants. Persons can be drawn from among the ranks of women who are affected by mental illnesses, domestic violence, alcohol and other drugs, those who have suicide ideation, and whose children are in state-run institutions due to abuse, abandonment or neglect and are without housing or other resources.
Cases are referred to PATOIS from the Ministry of Social Protection’s Childcare and Protection Agency and/or via the Family Court.
Additionally the Women’s Refuge Shelter is involved in training in:

• Ethical standards training in the Workplace
• Research and Development
• Capacity Building
• Programnme Development
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Education and Training
• Personal and Professional Development

The most recent Intervention embarked upon with attendant counselling, Goodman said, involves Domestic Violence (of a 16-weeks’ duration); Suicide (12 weeks) and Sexual Abuse/Rape Survivors’ intervention. The response, she claims, is heartening and the level of interest shown is high, noting that these clients attend sessions once per week, and not one has ever been absent so far.
Goodman says delivering these programmes cost money and the Women’s Refuge Programme at this time is cash-strapped. She is hopeful that the programme can have the blessings and financial support from the Ministry of Social Protection.
“If you empower an individual through behavior change, you empower a family. If you empower a family, you empower a community, if you empower a community, you empower a nation – our nation, Guyana.”