The Tribune

THE University of The Bahamas said it would offer a master’s programme in mental health and school counselling, “areas where there is a clear and present need”.

“Recognising the pressing need for qualified mental health professionals, the University of The Bahamas (UB) is actively contributing to this crucial fight as The Bahamas is taking a significant step towards addressing mental health and psychosocial issues,” UB said in a statement. “The aim is to produce highly skilled mental health and school counselling professionals to offer comprehensive care and treatment. Graduates will be able to work in diverse settings, including hospitals, mental health treatment facilities and schools.

Programme coordinator Dr Detra Bethell reportedly said: “University of The Bahamas is dedicated to nation building and meeting the needs of The Bahamas. One objective of the recent Mental Health Bill 2022 is to ‘facilitate the provision of comprehensive mental health care and treatment in each community throughout The Bahamas’. The university has heard this need and has developed a programme to facilitate the training of qualified mental health professionals who are equipped to provide comprehensive, evidenced-based, culturally relevant mental health care across the country.”

Dr Thalia Micklewhite, dean of the College of Social and Education Studies at UB, added: “With the increase in mental health issues in populations across the world since COVID and [Hurricane] Dorian in our own Bahamaland, the need for trained mental health counsellors has increased exponentially. Having been integrally involved in the approval of the programme, I know that it is of the highest standards and will have experienced and skilled facilitators to produce the finest graduates.”

“More importantly, I am delighted that the University of The Bahamas has embraced and delivered on the challenge to meet the pressing educational needs of the country. We will produce highly skilled school counsellors for our children and mental health counsellors for the overall well-being of the nation.”

UB said the counselling programmes follow rigorous international standards and guidelines of the US-based Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programmes (CACREP).

“As it pursues its national development mandate, UB has been developing academic programmes to increase capacity in many sectors; counselling is one of them,” UB’s press statement said.

“Students will be engaged in intellectual discourse and innovative content delivery. A cohort model will foster strong relationships among students to support their academic growth and professional development. They will also benefit from highly qualified and experienced faculty with backgrounds in aligned areas.”