By Vanessa Cort
ANOTHER welcome and much-needed initiative taken by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) recently is the appointment of a therapist/counsellor. Armed with a Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, attractive and dynamic, Aliyah Cort has taken up this mantle with vigour and determination.

Although she has only held the position for six months, Aliyah has had no ‘breathing space’. She had been juggling a busy schedule while studying online for her Master’s Degree in Psychology, which she has just successfully completed.

At the time of my writing this article, Aliyah was in a four-day conference on ‘Guyana Mental Health and Well-Being’.

Presenters included Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony; Director of Global Epidemiology Group, Dr Christina Hoven and Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, Honorary Associate Professor, University of Melbourne.
At the conference, Cort gave presentations on ‘Mental health among Guyana’s health providers during the pandemic’ and ‘The Importance of Mental Health and Wellness in Guyana’.

She was enthusiastic and supportive of the conference — the first such to be held in Guyana – commenting: “I think it was a great initiative and holding it in Guyana was good because of the stigma attached to mental illness here.”

Acknowledging the stress that many have felt as a result of COVID-19, she lauded the scheduling of the event: “I think it was perfect timing because of the pandemic and it (the conference) helped to show that anyone can be affected by mental health problems.” She disclosed that the organisers hoped to make it an annual event.

Shortly after her appointment, the therapist/counsellor was responsible for mounting a ‘Trainer-Trainer’ course (where trainees subsequently become trainers) on a variety of topics including mental well-being, empathy, and emotional intelligence for a cross-section of GPF staff.

The four-day course, held at the Officers’ Training Centre, involved two officers from each of the country’s 10 regions. In a follow-up exercise, she is scheduled to visit each region, along with the trainees, and conduct training, which she has already completed in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven.

Amidst all of this activity, she has still found the time to do some one-on-one counselling with individual officers and has nothing but praise for the GPF and her treatment in this male-dominated profession.
“I feel appreciated and I know that they recognise that what I am doing is important because they have to be (mentally) prepared to act in impromptu situations.”

Prior to taking up this position, Cort worked for seven years with Roraima Airways, moving up to shift leader and ground security co-ordinator, responsible for all Dynamic and Eastern Airways flights.
She is accustomed to working under pressure and ‘keeping several balls in the air’. She also found time to attend classes and study for her diploma and degree at the Guyana branch of the American University of Peace Studies.

A firm believer in broadening her knowledge base, Aliyah is currently enrolled in a University of Guyana course on ‘Inclusivity, Equity and Diversity’ and is committed to both her job and her country, saying, “I like the fact that I can make a positive contribution to my country.”

She plans to begin studying for her PhD in Psychology and wants to break the trend of persons studying in this country only to live, work and share their knowledge abroad.

“I want to make a positive impact here,” she stated emphatically. And no doubt this young woman will do just that and prove to be an invaluable contributor to the GPF in its drive to both improve the mental wellness of its staff and educate them on matters of mental health.