THE GRENADINES, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES – In the wake of Hurricane Beryl’s devastating impact on July 1, 2024, a groundbreaking mental health initiative called Healing Together was launched across the Grenadine islands of Mayreau, Union Island, and Bequia. Spearheaded by The Hub Collective Inc. and MindTHRIVE Co., and supported by Sol Relief, the initiative tackled a crisis often overlooked during disaster response: the emotional and psychological toll of climate catastrophes.
The Category 4 storm left a trail of destruction, damaging up to 100% of homes in some communities and displacing thousands. While relief efforts focused on food, shelter, and reconstruction, Healing Together zeroed in on the invisible scars—trauma, grief, and acute stress—that lingered beneath the surface.
A Community-Rooted Mental Health Response
Between April and May 2025, the Healing Together pilot program delivered psychological first aid (PFA) training and psychosocial support across the three islands. With an emphasis on trauma-informed, culturally relevant care, the initiative aimed to build emotional resilience and train frontline workers, community leaders, and residents in how to support each other through psychological distress.
According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), vulnerable populations—particularly children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and healthcare workers—experienced heightened mental strain post-Beryl. Many first responders were expected to support others while grappling with their own trauma.
Powerful Turnout and Revealing Trends
The workshops were met with a strong response. Of the 66 registered participants, 88% attended, and notably, 83% were women. Union Island had the highest attendance and requests for individual counselling, while Bequia’s vibrant NGO sector played a key role in outreach and engagement.
Nearly half—49%—of participants sought one-on-one psychological support. Of those, 23 completed intake sessions and 19 continued with ongoing care. These numbers reflect the urgent demand for accessible mental health services in the aftermath of the disaster.
Across the Grenadines, key psychosocial themes emerged: breakdown in trust towards institutions, lingering trauma, stigma around mental health, unstable housing, and eroded traditional support systems. These challenges signal the need for long-term investment in safe, inclusive healing spaces and sustained emotional care.
Recommendations: Toward a Sustainable Mental Health Ecosystem
Building on lessons from the pilot, the Healing Together team proposes a multi-tiered strategy:
Capacity Building: Equip teachers, health workers, faith-based leaders, and NGO staff with trauma-informed mental health training.
Decentralised Support: Empower trusted community figures—elders, volunteers, church leaders—with tools to offer basic psychological support and referrals.
Improved Access and Visibility: Enhance the communication and trust around available mental health services, especially in remote or under-resourced communities.
Targeted Family and Community Models: In places like Bequia, where complex household dynamics emerged as a stressor, implement family-focused therapy programs tailored to local culture.
A pivotal recommendation is the creation of a Grenadines Mental Health Task Force, an inter-island body comprising youth groups, NGOs, and health professionals. The task force would advise on integrating mental health into disaster recovery and long-term community planning.
Scaling Up and Looking Ahead
The second phase of Healing Together is already being planned to include Canouan, where residents and first responders continue to face displacement and unaddressed trauma. Organisers also stress the importance of mental health toolkits in schools, churches, clinics, and community centres to promote emotional resilience from an early age.
By championing community-based, culturally sensitive mental health care, Healing Together underscores a powerful message: emotional recovery is not a luxury—it is essential.
With continued partnerships, funding, and community trust, the initiative is poised to grow—ensuring that no one across the Grenadines is left to heal alone.