Establishment of the Teenage Centre

The mental health situation across the Caribbean is dire. Caroline Rodrigues, director of the Mission Locale, notes that the number of young people facing specific and often complex circumstances is growing. The main challenge lies in being able to refer these young people to a support worker, a support service or a care pathway.
Established in Guadeloupe five years ago, the Public Mental Health Establishment (EPSM) is a healthcare institution dedicated to the management, treatment and prevention of all forms of mental health disorders. It provides a comprehensive range of psychiatric care services to meet the needs of the population, including young people through the Maison des Adolescents. It will bring to Saint Martin what already exists in Guadeloupe. It is an ambitious project and requires resources, but by working through a system of partnerships, progress can be made. 

A listening ear for 11–25-year-olds

The Maison des Adolescents is a physical centre that offers unconditional and free support to all young people aged 11 to 25 who are struggling with personal issues or facing any kind of difficulty. They can come along without an adult and remain anonymous if they wish; the main thing is that they are able to express themselves, talk and voice all their questions, doubts and problems. Their families can also be welcomed to receive a listening ear, information and guidance.
What makes this scheme unique is the pooling of expertise. The MDA coordinates a network of professionals specialising in adolescent issues, currently drawn from 26 different partner organisations, all of which contribute staff. It is involved in the health, education and support of young people and also ensures the prevention and detection of high-risk situations, as well as providing expert assessment of complex cases.
Its mission is to provide support based on a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary understanding of the situation of the young person and/or their family.

A dedicated team in Saint-Martin 

The financial foundation is provided by the ARS (Regional Health Agency), but implementation relies on the involvement of various partners. For Ida Jhigaï, this agreement with the Mission Locale represents the first step towards the regional network she wishes to develop across the Northern Islands.
The MDA does not provide psychiatric care directly, but it acts as a genuine gateway to child and adolescent psychiatry. Its role is to identify cases of psychological distress at an early stage and refer young people to the appropriate specialists.
Two permanent staff members have already been recruited: an experienced special needs teacher and an assistant. Their first task will be to meet with local stakeholders, before beginning work in schools from the start of the new term in September to carry out an initial assessment of cases requiring support.
A doctor will also be available on a part-time basis every fortnight, and three child and adolescent psychiatrists will now hold regular consultation hours in Saint-Martin. In the medium term, a part-time psychologist is expected to join the team. The main challenge, however, remains the recruitment of healthcare professionals. The EPSM wishes to prioritise residents of Saint-Martin or people who have been living in the area for a long time.
Free tele-expertise is already available to private practitioners to enable them to monitor patients, and numerous projects are already in the pipeline: the installation of a telemedicine booth, a day hospital to screen for psychological disorders, and training sessions led by Professor Bernard Angeville, a psychiatrist specialising in addiction medicine.
Pending the identification of suitable premises to establish the Maison des Adolescents on a permanent basis, it will be housed in Quartier d’Orléans on the premises of ALEFPA, with whom the EPSM is also signing an agreement.