Cerene Prince, founder of Antigua and Barbuda Holistic Coalition (photo by cpoise.gov.ag)
The Antigua and Barbuda Holistic Coalition, Inc. (ABHC) will open applications for its 2026 Youth Mental Health Care Fund on Wednesday, March 18, providing vouchers to eligible youth and families to help cover the cost of mental health services across the island.
The initiative is part of ABHC’s Youth Mental Health and Holistic Wellness Access Programme (YMHAP), which is grant funding through the Mill Reef Fund.
Cerene Prince, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Founder of ABHC, said the funding marks a significant step in the organisation’s efforts to make youth mental health services financially accessible.
“This grant allows us to expand access to counselling, assessments, emotional-literacy programmes, and parent education, ensuring more children and families in Antigua and Barbuda receive the mental health support they deserve,” Prince said.
The programme will issue vouchers redeemable for individual and group counselling and psychotherapy, psychological and psychiatric evaluations, including assessments for learning disabilities and autism, medication management where clinically indicated, and participation in youth emotional-literacy workshops addressing anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation.
Parent and family education workshops focused on supporting youth mental health at home and in the community are also part of the programme’s offering.
ABHC’s 2026 goal is to extend access to 75 additional youth who would otherwise be unable to afford these services, and to deliver five large-scale workshops reaching approximately 100 participants.
“Our long-term goal is to lower rates of youth psychological crises and reduce youth involvement in the judicial system through early intervention and support,” she said.
Eligibility is open to youth between the ages of six and 25 residing in Antigua and Barbuda who are currently receiving or seeking counselling, psychiatric care, or psychological evaluation.
Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and no documentation of financial hardship is required.
The Citizenship by Investment Programme of Antigua and Barbuda (CIU) has also contributed XCD $5,000 to YMHAP, a donation Prince said pushed the 2026 programme past its initial funding target.
For families without reliable internet access or digital literacy, ABHC has coordinated site-based application support through schools and youth-inclusive organisations and has briefed partner mental health professionals on how to guide their clients through the process.
A step-by-step video guide will also be distributed across ABHC’s social media platforms and to school contacts ahead of launch day.
Prince said the programme is designed to be sustainable and annual, with the funding secured so far providing a foundation for continued delivery.
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This is powerful. Our youths need this badly
can’t even begin to explain how many young people need this. to often their cries go unheard.
We can’t keep ignoring trauma in children.
I’m honestly emotional reading this. So many children in this country are carrying anxiety, trauma, and depression silently while adults dismiss it as “attitude” or “disrespect.” If this programme reaches even a fraction of them, it matters deeply.
Mental health is still taboo in many homes. I hope families don’t let pride or stigma stop them from applying. There’s no shame in seeking help.
This is greatttttttttttttttt
Very timely considering the amount of children that are mentally challenged
Many people are slowly dying of mental illness and they are here with us at work