Caribbean Bishops have agreed to consider the setting up of a regional trauma response team capable of a quick reaction to the numerous natural disasters which beset the region.
Today’s issue of the Catholic Standard said the possible setting up of team was one of the decisions flowing from the meeting of the Permanent Board of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) which convened January 12-13 in Trinidad.
The Standard said that Guyana’s Bishop Francis Alleyne participated at the forum and is a member of the board.
The proposal for the setting up of the team noted that the regional response to disaster management has largely focused on restoration from a material and infrastructural perspective. “Resolution of the emotional and psychological impact of the traumatic event is, generally not within the scope of their response”, the report said.
The report said that following the passage of Hurricane Tomas in October last year through St Lucia, the Roman Catholic Church not only stood in solidarity through prayers and distribution of relief items but also offered much needed psychosocial support.
In November last year, a cadre of qualified professionals from the Roman Catholic Community came together and offered their expertise in the form of a one-day workshop for clergy and church workers. One of the vital issues highlighted then was the need to train caregivers on how to deal with trauma. A three-day workshop was then held in St Lucia for those counsellors who had dealt directly with persons affected by the hurricane. The facilitators were professional clinical psychologists Sr Julie Peters and Dr Waveney Richards.
Following these seminars a proposal was submitted for the regional trauma response team to be set up. The Standard said it was agreed that a project outline and budget will be presented for the AEC to take a decision. The AEC comprises 19 Roman Catholic Dioceses across the Caribbean and includes French Guiana and Suriname.