(CNS): The opening of the long-awaited long-term residential mental health facility in the East End has been delayed for a further three months. Although she said less than two months ago that the project would finish in June, Health Minister Sabrina Turner has now said the facility won’t open until September.
However, the health ministry has finally recruited a director for the Poinciana Residential Mental Health Facility on a 15-acre site in High Rock. According to a press release, the process of hiring more staff for the facility is also underway.
In January of this year, local psychiatrist Dr. Marc Lockhart resigned as chairman of the Mental Health Commission due to project delays and what he described as the ministry’s inaction in getting the facility ready and operational. Despite his public and detailed critiques outlining the issues that needed to be addressed, the ministry continues to experience delays.
In April, Turner told an audience at a political meeting in George Town that he had received confirmation of the completion date from the project manager. We will finally bring this to the finish line, he said, saying the opening date would be in June. But nearly four years after the project kicked off, the delays continue.
In a recent ministry update, officials said so Marcia Amoy Mullings-Thompson will be in Poinciana starting next Monday, July 10th. When she was hired, Mullings-Thompson was the managing director of Bellevue Hospital in Jamaica, the largest psychiatric institution in the Caribbean.
She held the position of Regional Mental Health Officer for the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) in Jamaica from May 2005 until briefly moving to the Jamaican Ministry of Health to act as National Coordinator for Mental Health, responsible for the assistance with monitoring and auditing, policy development and legislative reviews. However, she was seconded to Bellevue for two years, where she had overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the hospital, which has over 500 patients and 600 staff members.
Along with his master’s degree, Mullings-Thompson is a trainer of trainers in several areas including disaster-related psychological trauma, mental health support and crisis intervention, psychosocial support and psychological first aid, human rights and ethical issues in Mental Health, PAHO/ WHO mhGap Intervention, PAHO/WHO Problem Management Plus Intervention.
Ministry of Health and Welfare chief executive Nellie Pouchie said she was aware of the interest in the state of the facility. “The recruitment process for this post has been rigorous and we are confident that based on Ms. Mullings-Thompson’s extensive and rich experience and qualifications, she is suitably prepared to take on the role of director and lead the management and administration of the Poinciana Residential Mental Health Facility. We look forward to working with her as we seek to engage the facility and address mental health needs in our community.”
Mullings-Thompson said he would take accountability to the ministry and residents very seriously.
This facility is not meant to stand on its own, but rather to help improve the full range of mental health services that already exist on the island,” she said. “I look forward to developing strong and meaningful relationships in not only with these providers, but also with advocates and civil society organizations who have the pulse of the community.
Announcements for Clinical Director, Facility Manager, Finance and Business Director, Human Resources Manager and Program Manager are now on Cayman Islands Governments job posting site.
With the director in charge and directly involved in assembling the leadership team, support services, scheduling, processes and overall facility management, ministries focus on the commissioning and occupancy of the continuing facility,” he said. said Pouchie.
Minister Turner said: “Mental health and well-being continue to be a priority for my ministry, not just with regards to this facility, but holistically in strengthening and improving national capacity and access to health services. mental health, promotion and prevention.
While completion of the facility remains the responsibility of the Department of Public Works, our Department team continues to work diligently to mitigate delays related to staffing, impending handover and impending occupancy of the facility. It has been a long road, but we continue to make positive strides and I am confident the finish line is fast approaching to prepare the facility to receive its first residents, added Turner.
According to the PWD project management team for Poinciana, the main facilities including the administration, workshop and canteen building are now in the final stage of building inspection, but some items have not yet been cleared . The cottages and perimeter security system are nearing completion and expected delivery in September.
Officials said they will continue to keep the public informed about the status of ongoing inspections and the facility’s handover.
#Mental #Health #Facility #Project #Delayed #Cayman #Islands #Stock #News
Image Source : caymannewsservice.com