Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. March
17, 2020—Recognising the
science associated with post trauma stress related to the COVID-19
pandemic, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has taken the
additional step of establishing a special operational unit within its
regional UWI COVID-19 Task Force.

The University notes that its students
and staff are already showing evidence of extreme stress, driven by
the radical, transformational and unprecedented actions within the
teaching, learning and living culture of the institution. To provide
support in addressing these concerns, experts in the disciplines of
psychology and psychiatry have been added to the Task Force.

Commenting on the need for the expanded
team, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles stated, “This
development is consistent with global best practice which shows that
lasting and damaging consequences can be associated with such
deep-rooted disruption that creates unimaginable insecurity in some.
The mental aspects are as important as the material and social
dimension.”

The four new experts on the Task Force
are Professor Wendel Abel, Professor of Mental Health Policy,
Consultant Psychiatrist/Public Health, and Head of the Department of
Community Health & Psychiatry at The UWI Mona Campus; Dr. Katija
Khan, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in Clinical Psychology in
the Department of Clinical Medical Sciences at The UWI St. Augustine
Campus; Mrs. Ceceile Minott, trained Counsellor, Director of the
Consortium for Social Development & Research at The UWI Open
Campus and Head of its Caribbean Child Development Centre; and
Professor Donna-Maria B. Maynard, Professor of Psychology, Clinical &
Counselling Psychology and Registered Psychologist at The UWI Cave
Hill Campus. Together they will function as a new Pyscho-Social unit
within the Task Force, and will interact with campus management teams
to help extend counselling services to students and staff,
predominantly via distance counselling.

The unit will also have a major role to
play in society to help bring calm and expert guidance to affected
populations on ways to cope with the pandemic. Professor Clive
Landis, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the UWI COVID-19 Task
Force noted, “We are witnessing a number of anxiety-related
behaviours in our communities, which is only natural, but we must
guard against negative reactions on an individual and on a societal
level towards those who are sick or isolated by this disease.”
Emphasizing the wider regional community response, he said, “It is
our sense of Caribbean solidarity and community that will get us
through this.”

The new Task Force members will also have
visible roles in public discourse including an upcoming
Vice-Chancellor’s Forum scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020. This
third forum to be hosted since the COVID-19 risk emanated, is themed
Sickness, Science, and
Sovereignty: Caribbean Unity or Plurality.
A panel of medical and social scientists will explore the
implementation of various national policies across the region in
dealing with the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

Two previous Vice-Chancellor’s forums
were held on January 30 and March 9 respectively, themed Demystifying
the Coronavirus (COVID-19) andPartnering in the
Caribbean’s Response. These
conversations are part of the regional University’s response to the
threat of COVID-19. Recorded broadcasts of these forums are available
for viewing on UWItv’s cable
channels and website www.uwitv.org.

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