15/11/2024
SSDF and USAID Conference Discusses Trauma Informed Care and Develops Strategies for Effective Referrals to Support Youth
By USAID’
On November 5, 2024, USAID’s Youth Resilience, Inclusion, and Empowerment (Y-RIE) program and the Saint Lucia Social Development (SSDF) held a conference on the practice of risk and trauma-informed care, coordination and referrals among agencies that support youth.
Between August and October, 2024, USAID Y-RIE trained 75 professionals who work with youth across Saint Lucia, delivering 60 hours of intensive training on topics such as positive youth development, trauma-informed care, referral systems, and the public health approach to violence prevention and risk reduction. Ten officials from the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment and NGOs were also trained as training facilitators to expand these skills within their organizations. The training helped participants learn practical ways to provide better care, reduce risks, and build safer environments for youth in high-risk, violence-impacted communities.
The conference marked the final step in the capacity building process and gave participants a platform to share insights, and map referral pathways. The event also provided the opportunity to build a stronger network to support Saint Lucia’s youth by promoting teamwork, knowledge exchange, and finding practical solutions to their unique challenges.
At the closing, Tarik Weeks, Research Fellow at the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security at the University of the West Indies and lead researcher for an assessment of Saint Lucia’s referral
services, brought invaluable insights into how Saint Lucia can strengthen its referral networks and create more resilient support systems for its youth and communities.
Jonathan Chalon, USAID Y-RIE Program Manager, remarked: “By empowering youth service providers with trauma-informed care and risk reduction skills, this initiative strengthens the foundation for safer, more supportive communities across the island. We are proud to see the impact of this training and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners and participants.”
The training, practical sessions and conference, mark a major milestone in addressing the pressing needs of vulnerable youth and will help professionals provide meaningful support and create safer environments for youth through better referral systems and trauma-responsive approaches. These efforts will contribute to updating the current directory of youth services and advocate for the development of an automated directory. To support this initiative, a volunteer steering committee has been established to explore the update and creation of the automated directory. This reflects USAID’s and the Government of Saint Lucia's enduring commitment to supporting youth well- being.
USAID’s Y-RIE Program was formally launched in Saint Lucia in February 2023. This coordination with SSDF enhances the development and sustained impact of youth-focused initiatives led by Y-RIE in partnership with the Government of Saint Lucia and local organizations. This work builds on an existing partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and Equity and the SSDF for the Community ReEntry Program (C-REP) launched in June 2024. The Y-RIE program also implemented the Ignite Activity in collaboration with the National Enrichment and Learning Unit (NELU) which offered risk reduction, job placement, entrepreneurship training and startup support, technical and life skills training for youth in Anse la Raye and Gros Islet. In partnership with the Ubuntu Movement, Y-RIE supported an after-school activity for youth in Vieux Fort and a summer school activity benefited youth in Castries, through a partnership with Uplift Saint Lucia.
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