Junction facility to restore smiles and address mental health

WESTERN BUREAU:

Dr Janique Baldwin-Miller, regional psychiatrist at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), says the opening of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness Centre in Junction, St Elizabeth, marks a major step forward in improving access to specialised mental-health care for children and adolescents in the region.

The facility is designed to improve access to psychological interventions for children and adolescents while also providing dental rehabilitation and preventive oral-health services to residents of the parish and surrounding communities.

“Children think, children feel, children experience emotional distress, adverse childhood experiences, loss, and grief,” said Baldwin-Miller, stressing that children experience anxiety, depression, behavioural challenges and other mental health conditions that require interventions tailored to their developmental needs.

She was speaking at the official opening of the Junction-based facility, which features three dedicated office spaces equipped to facilitate psychiatric, psychological, social and occupational interventions for children and adolescents. The centre also provides indoor and outdoor therapeutic spaces to support treatment through activities such as play, creative expression and movement.

Baldwin-Miller said the facility will serve as a safe environment where children can receive professional support, while parents and caregivers are guided in helping them navigate emotional and psychological challenges.

She emphasised that care must extend beyond the individual child to include families, schools and the wider community, particularly through early identification and intervention.

The opening of the facility comes as St Elizabeth continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa. Baldwin-Miller noted that rebuilding communities must involve addressing the emotional and psychological well-being of children alongside the restoration of physical infrastructure.

“We must also attend to the emotional and psychological well-being of our people, especially our children,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Shanelle Dempster-Peart, regional dental surgeon at the SRHA, highlighted the expansion of oral-health services at the Junction Health Centre, including the establishment of a denture-production laboratory that has been described as the first of its kind within a primary-care facility in Jamaica.

The upgraded dental unit now has three chairs, up from two, along with improved waiting areas and patient amenities.

Dempster-Peart said the laboratory will provide a dedicated space for the production of dentures, helping patients regain their smiles while improving access to dental rehabilitation services.

Improve oral health

She also outlined several initiatives through which the SRHA is seeking to improve oral health, including school-based education, screening, prevention and treatment programmes, as well as specialised services for people with intellectual disabilities and patients receiving psychiatric care.

She stressed that oral health must be regarded as an integral part of overall health, noting that dental pain can affect children’s ability to eat, sleep, concentrate and participate fully in school, while tooth loss can undermine adults’ confidence and ability to eat comfortably.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who participated in the official opening of the facilities, welcomed the establishment of the denture-production laboratory and called for three or four additional facilities across Jamaica to expand access to locally produced dentures.

“I want to see some second-chance smiles in an expanded way,” Tufton said, referring to the government’s Second Chance Smiles initiative.

He also urged Jamaicans to prioritise preventive dental care rather than wait until they experience pain before visiting a dentist.

“You mustn’t just go to the dentist when your teeth hurt you,” he said, encouraging people to seek treatment aimed at preserving their natural teeth wherever possible.

Tufton said poor oral health could affect people’s social lives, confidence and employment prospects.

The developments at Junction form part of broader efforts to strengthen community-based healthcare by bringing specialised services closer to residents and addressing physical, psychological and social needs through a more integrated approach.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com