Mental Health Specialist will be hired to provide support to police officers in Antigua and Barbuda.

The cry for psychological care has been very loud, especially from Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney.

On Thursday, Chief of Staff in the Prime Ministers’ Office Lionel “Max” Hurst told reporters at the weekly Cabinet press briefing that prison officers will not be included but arrangements will be made to cater to their mental needs later.

“As you know more than 700 men and women make up the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and some of their duties can be taxing. Remember they too have wives, husbands, children, and families. Later on, we will address psychologists for the prisoners. They are intended to be for the police only,” Hurst said.

Meanwhile, given the isolation and disconnect that the students and the teachers experienced, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, which was so very significant, the Minister of Education also requested that four additional School Counselors be deployed in the education system.

The Cabinet agreed with the Minister and mandated that this intervention is addressed immediately.

“Their duties will be primarily focused on assisting teachers in what has been a rather difficult period coming out of Covid. Many teachers have appealed for that kind of service. The government has gone out of its way to bring on board these counselors,” Hurst added.