The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work conducted eight major training workshops in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Here are some highlights!

Biopsychosocial Training Workshop

The Social Work Unit partnered with the Child Guidance Clinic of the Ministry of Health to conduct an intensive two-day training workshop from March 6-7, 2008 at the Medallion Hall Hotel, under the theme WORKING WITH CHILDREN & FAMILIES: EFFECTIVE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL ASSESSMENT. The workshop, which was sponsored by UNICEF, sought to address the gaps which exist in the training of students in child and adolescent mental health issues. The workshop provided training to a group of over 100 participants which included guidance counsellors, mental health workers and UWI social work and psychology students. Keynote speakers included noted Child Psychologist Dr. Pauline Milbourn, Director of the Early Childhood Commission, Professor Maureen-Samms-Vaughan, and Psychologist Dr. Barry Davidson. Participant agencies included the Child Development Agency, (CDA), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education’s Guidance and Counselling Unit and several Teachers’ Colleges and schools.

Social Assessment Training in the Caribbean

The Commonwealth Youth Caribbean Centre based in Guyana invited the Department to train their youth directors across the Caribbean in the Social Assessment Methodology. Social Assessment is a highly participatory form of social research which is focused on social policy/programme development and implementation. Dr. Heather Ricketts and Mr. Sean Ffrench, lecturers in the Department have so far conducted three Social Assessment Training workshops in Antigua in February, Dominica in March and Barbados in July 2008. Plans are in place for a fourth workshop to be held in Jamaica later this year.

UWI/MOH/Johns Hopkins Adolescent Reproductive Health Training Workshop

The Sociology Unit in partnership with the JA-STYLE project within the Ministry of Health conducted a four-day Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) training workshop at the Mona Visitors Lodge June 23-26, 2008. The workshop was supported by USAID and the UWI-Johns Hopkins Partnership on Population and Reproductive Health. The Workshop provided information and intensive training to a group of 48 reproductive health professionals, youth counsellors and youth development officers drawn from agencies across the island.

Participants agencies included the four Regional Authorities of the Ministry of Health, the Child Development Agency (CDA), the National Youth Service, the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD), The Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Social Development Commission, The National Parent Teachers Association, The National Family Planning Board, The Women’s Centre of Jamaica, Children First, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Parents of Inner City Kids, and several other Non-Governmental Organisations. Participants learned new approaches to deal with the health problems which affect adolescents, the environmental issues which have an impact on adolescent development, the trends in adolescent sexuality and childbearing, the implications of adolescent pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the existing adolescent health interventions across the island and the global and local policy framework.

The workshop also included two field trips to the Adolescent Reproductive Health Care Centre at the Mandeville Health Centre and the Family Planning Association of Jamaica’s St. Ann’s Bay Family Planning Clinic. Participants were able to tour the facilities and learn about the programmes being offered to teens and young adults. The Department of Sociology and Social Work was pleased with the positive feedback from participants who reported that the information and training received could be readily applied and would enhance their ability to meet the needs of the youth they served.

CARICOM Demographic Analysis Training Workshop

The Demography section of the Sociology Unit has for the third year been asked by CARICOM to train statisticians from the Caribbean region in Demographic Analysis Techniques. Head of the Demography Unit, Professor Uche, and Sharon Priestly, lecturer in the section, recently completed a 7 week training workshop in Trinidad during the period June-July 2008. This 3rd training workshop, which was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank and the CARICOM secretariat, trained 20 middle-level and senior officials from National Statistical Offices from 18 CARICOM countries.

Dynamic Trainers’ Workshop and the Human Resource Development Speakers’ Forum

The HRD Graduate Programmes Unit hosted a successful Dynamic Training Workshop in January 2008. This workshop featured presentations by Mr. Wilny Audain of the Learning Circle in the United States and Mrs. Gillian Chambers a local training consultant. The training workshop also included a three-session practical workshop led by local training guru Mrs. Myrtle Weir. Approximately 32 persons participated in the training workshop. This event was held in tandem with the acclaimed annual Speakers’ Forum. This year, the Forum was titled Training: Does Culture Matter? and it took the form of a panel discussion that involved Ms. N’Sombi Jaja, Consultant, Quality Management Consultancy Company Ltd; Mr. Carvell McLeary, Senior Director, HRD & Administration, NMIA Airports Authority of Jamaica; Mr. Henry Reid, Human Resources Director - Central Caribbean, First Caribbean International Bank, Mrs. Myrtle Weir, Consultant, Myrtle A. Weir & Associates, Mr. Clement Branche, Head of the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work and Ms. Sophia Morgan, lecturer in the Department.

Counselling Seminar for Human Resource Development Practitioners

The HRD Unit hosted two seminar series in July 2008; the first on Counselling for HRD Practitioners and the second on personal development and soft skills for HRD students and alumni. The focus of the Counselling workshops is on counselling employees who live with HIV/AIDS, their relatives and co-workers. This workshop is being sponsored jointly with the HRD Alumni Association and the Ministry of Health. Twenty-five persons were trained in this workshop.