By Samantha Simon
The Antigua and Barbuda Association of Mental Health Counsellors Inc (ABAMHC) has been officially launched, with hopes to assist in transforming the local Mental Health Care fraternity.
This association was founded in 2020 by four outstanding female counsellors practicing in Antigua — Dr Sonya Ford, T’Mira Looby, Alaina Gomes, and Holly Christopher — who are now designated the Founders of ABAMHC.
After identifying the existing gaps within the mental health counselling field, they set forward to bridge those gaps and in 2021 they held a consultation with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment.
They then proceeded to hold consultations with local mental health practitioners in 2022, before finally holding consultations with the CEO and President of the International Association for Counselling in 2023.
After ensuring that the mission, vision and goal of the association aligned with existing bodies of the same field across the region, they pushed forward with the long-awaited implementation journey.
The association hopes to advance the development of quality local mental health practices by upholding ethical practice standards and providing continued education and licensure opportunities for practitioners.
The executive of the association has drafted a Mental Health Counselling Services and Licensure Act, outlining recommendations for how mental health counselling should be ethically practiced and governed in Antigua and Barbuda, while also stipulating requirements for licensure.
They are now working towards directing mental health practitioners to certified courses and workshops to assist in the development of their professional practice, with hopes of the association being able to offer such courses and potentially licensure in the future, which would make Antigua and Barbuda the third country in the region capable of doing so.
The association also hopes to be able to engage in data collection, research and reporting on mental health within Antigua and Barbuda, and create documentation to assist with tailoring practices to the region.
Interested mental health practitioners can join the association through their website (https://abamhc.org), and gain access to numerous resources to assist in their work and professional development.
Those interested in being a member of their board or subcommittees can indicate their interest to do so as well. Members who qualify will be included as part of their directory of Mental Health professionals that will be made available to the public.