– US Psychotherapist completes fruitful stint in Guyana, focused on tackling Mental Health issues

WHEN Melinda Blaise was presented with the opportunity to work at the Mental Health Unit in Guyana, she knew it would have allowed her to give yeoman service while helping to tackle the issue of suicide.

Born and raised in the United States of America, Blaise is a clinically trained psychotherapist with a Master’s Degree. She is also certified as a training and staff development manager and facilitator.

“I’ve worked in human services with survivors of trauma including domestic violence, rape/ sexual assault and child abuse. My professional background also includes conducting workshops and training sessions across the U.S. and in various countries overseas, in support of capacity building to prevent trauma and abuse of persons at risk,” Blaise said as she gave the Pepperpot Magazine a sneak peek into her professional life.
Trained to identify mental illness and to develop mental health awareness, self-care and coping strategies, she was an ideal candidate to work as a Mental Health Officer at the Public Health Ministry in Guyana under the U.S Peace Corps Programme.

In 2017, in her capacity as a U.S Peace Corps Response Volunteer, she arrived in Guyana to work with the Public Health Ministry. “Peace Corps Response sends experienced professionals to undertake short-term, high-impact service assignments in communities around the world. Bringing valuable skills and experiences to projects in places where they are needed most,” she explained.

Cognisant of the fact that Mental Illness, is a primary concern for Guyana, particularly as it relates to suicide, the U.S trained psychotherapist was excited to lend her expertise.
“I was intrigued by the issue, its impact and was excited to bring a certain expertise and to support efforts in any way that I could through my work. You can ask anyone that I have worked with here in Guyana and other parts of the world, how passionate I am about this subject and making sure that we educate the masses in order to equip them with the tools necessary to deal with the effects,” Blaise posited.

MORE TIME
Originally, when she came to Guyana in 2017, the Peace Corps Volunteer was slated to return after completing a period of six months but she chose to extend her stay in order to serve longer and make a bigger impact.
Her mission was to promote mental wellbeing and simultaneously prevent mental disorders while offering care and enhance recovery. Importantly too, Blaise was tasked with promoting the human rights of persons with mental disorders, to reduce morbidity, disability, and mortality in its citizens.

Earlier this month, Blaise returned to the U.S pleased with the contributions she has made to Guyana while working on a number of programmes.

“I worked with so many programmes. However, a big part of my focus was working with the Health Promotions team at the Mental Health Unit, to train and provide capacity building for various professionals from medical practitioners, to teachers, law enforcement officials on strategies for health promotion and disease prevention techniques on mental illness and suicide,” she told the Sunday Pepperpot while looking back on her stint here.
Based on her analysis, the psychotherapist said there has been a “huge shift” in the conversations around mental illness and suicide in Guyana over the last year and she was pleased to be a part of the process.

“While both of these issues are still highly stigmatised and some people are afraid to talk about it, the fact that the Ministry of Public Health and other organisations are bringing this topic to the forefront is showing its citizens that it’s okay.
“The more we’ve normalised this sensitive subject, the more individuals have begun to seek out services and feel less threatened by the issue for themselves, families, friends, neighbours and/or co-workers. I saw a great deal of this in my work in and around Guyana. And this was in all corners from schools to clinics to businesses and religious institutions,” Blaise explained.

NATIONWIDE WORK
While she has travelled to all 10 regions of Guyana bringing awareness and strategies and education on mental health issues, she admitted that there is much work left to be done.
“There is still so much more work to do in the country as it relates to Mental Health, Mental Illness and Suicide. Issues related to stigma, misunderstandings of what Mental Illness is and how we preserve Mental Health needs to continue to be tackled,” she posited.
More mental health practitioners ought to be trained, she added, while making a call for more resources to be pumped into all regions to tackle mental health issues.

“What the country is doing thus far is a great start. And there are several initiatives which include the self -harm surveillance programme, health and promotion or outreach and direct counselling. Having the opportunity to be a part of that start-up process is providing a great learning tool for the unit to move forward on strategies and implementation, which includes training more folks -specifically health professionals and other relevant folks through the WHO-sponsored mhGAP programme to deal with mental health issues at a community level,” she further noted.

ENJOYING THE NEW CULTURE
Just as she enjoyed working in Guyana so did she enjoy living here. The rich diverse Guyanese culture, the Guyanese dialect – though she never quite mastered speaking it, and the natural wonders of the country will forever remain cherished memories. Asked whether she sees herself returning to Guyana, Blaise responded in the positive.
“Although I was lucky enough to visit every region, I didn’t get a chance to climb any of your famous mountains. And I wouldn’t mind coming back to do that. In addition to wanting to hike up Mountain Roraima, I met some good people along the way and it would be great to reconnect and see how everyone grows and evolve. Oh and where else am I gonna get egg balls, salara and pone? So I kinda have no choice!” she said.
But for now, her memories will suffice.

“Two of my most cherished moments, one was the first time travelling along the Barima-Waini River as I headed to the villages of Manwarin, Waramuri and Kumaka. I was part of a team to meet with members of those communities in Moruca. And my job was to share my work and to provide updates on services of the Mental Health Unit. That part went very well, however, I was struck by the immense beauty of the region. If you’ve ever travelled along that river or visited that area you know the beauty of which I speak of… the black water with its reflection of the sky meeting as if it were one, it is incredible.

“My second favourite memory was getting to tour Orinduik Falls with loved ones visiting me from overseas. The opportunity to see this particular falls and to swim in its waters was heavenly. This has to be my favourite spot in all of Guyana!”

Thankful for the experienced she gained, Blaise expressed her gratitude to the U.S. Peace Corps and the Public Health Ministry for providing her with such a remarkable opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.