TCI News
TCI: Helping Our Youth – A Crash Course in Psychological First Aid
#Providenciales, November 21, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – A call to change our perception towards mental health and offer support – With all that is happening in the news and being seen on social media, it is 
evident that supporting positive mental health should be a priority on every Nation’s agenda. Of course, issues such as communicable diseases, emergency medical care, cancer and other physical illnesses should also be seen as priorities, however, it is irrefutable how much emotional trauma can be directly correlated to an individual’s lack of good mental health. We are not simply speaking here of those clinically diagnosable mental conditions, but also highlighting very basic psychological concerns that our fellow man may be battling. Unfortunately, when a person’s mental health needs are not addressed it can at times result in tragic outcomes for the individual and others around them.
Young people are most vulnerable to maladaptive behaviours due to lack of positive mental health practices. This is evident not only in the Americas but also in United Kingdom Overseas Territories and yes even here in our beautiful by nature islands. Journalists in the Cayman Islands during the month of July 2018, released articles highlighting increased juvenile crime in the territory. These findings have reportedly been linked to lack of positive mental health practices. Hence the need to stress the importance of practicing psychological first aid at an early age, and for adults and professionals in youth professions to employ mindfulness at all times.
Why the need for psychological first aid?
It is customary to put a dressing on a cut or ingest antibiotics to treat an infection, right? In fact, these practices are so customary that one’s common sense may be brought into question if such techniques are not applied when necessary. So why isn’t the same true of our mental health? We are expected to just “get over” psychological wounds — when as anyone who’s ever experienced rejection or agonized over a failure knows only too well, emotional injuries can be just as crippling as physical ones. We therefore need to learn how to practice psychological first aid.
How can I practice psychological first aid with my children?
- Acknowledge their emotions, with keen attention to those which may result in negative thoughts/behaviours such as embarrassment, pain, guilt etc.
- Help them to rewire their initial reactions to failure (defense mechanism)
- Monitor and guard their self-esteem. Help them to not criticize and condemn themselves.
- Help them to find positive activities that will deter negative thoughts and produce positive ones
- Find meaning in loss
- Help them not to ruminate or linger in negative feelings.
Practicing emotional hygiene takes a little time and effort, but it will seriously elevate your entire quality of life.
Understanding the role, we play. Are we barriers to persons seeking help?
How many times have you or someone that you know insisted that a friend was “being bipolar” because they were moody, or maybe you labelled someone as depressed because they cried or (in your opinion) overreacted to a situation. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? The sad reality is that, yes, a lot of people will be able to say that they have heard these sorts of things being said on a daily basis. The use of mental illnesses as an adjective to 
describe certain emotions and sentiments has simply become a large component of our colloquial language. What is disturbing though is that many of us go further in labelling persons as “crazy” or “insane” and offer little to no encouragement to help channel individuals into appropriate mental health services. As a result of these types of statements or actions, many persons shy away from or are reluctant in seeking help because of how they think they may be viewed or labelled.
It is time for us to look at mental health from a different perspective. We must change the negative view that currently prevails about persons with mental health issues and seek ways to support better practices for our current and future generations.
Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, 649-338-3613 Grand Turk or 649-338-4737 Providenciales.
Press Release: TCIG
Turks and Caicos, October 28, 2025 – We are closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica, and our thoughts and prayers are with our regional neighbours for their safety and well-being
We are now entering a critical period as Hurricane Melissa advances towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. Current projections indicate that Hurricane Melissa will begin to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands around midday tomorrow, Wednesday, 29th October.
This morning, Her Excellency the Governor and the Hon. Premier chaired a State of Preparedness Meeting. All Government agencies and critical services are mobilised. The safety and protection of every person across our Islands remains our highest priority. Our emergency response teams are prepared and the TCI Regiment is deployed across each of our Islands to support community readiness and immediate response. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are on active duty, with additional officers in North Caicos, Salt Cay, South Caicos and Grand Turk.
At this time, the hurricane is moving north-northeast. The country is expected to experience tropical storm conditions, heavy rainfall and
significant storm surge. The storm surge poses a serious concern for low-lying coastal areas especially along our western and southern coastlines, which may result in coastal flooding. Based on the most current weather projections and anticipated impacts for the Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Executive have agreed the following actions:
1. Evacuation Advisories
Residents in specific low-lying and flood-prone coastal areas are likely to experience significant storm surge of 2-4 feet with accompanying rainfall. Strong advice is now place for residents in these areas to relocate to designated shelters which will be open from 4pm this afternoon. These areas include:
Middle Caicos
- Conch Bar Nearest Shelter: The Community Centre
North Caicos
- Sandy Point Nearest Shelter : Sandy Point Community Centre
- Whitby Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
- Bottle Creek Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
Providenciales
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- Chalk Sound Nearest Shelter Enid Capron Primary School
- Five Cays Nearest Shelter: Enid Capron Primary School
- Discovery Bay Nearest Shelter: All Saints Church, Leeward Highway
- Juba Sound Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
- Long Bay Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
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South Caicos
- Cockburn Harbour Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
- Old Airport Road Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
Should an evacuation order become necessary, it will be issued following the 6:00 PM Advisory this evening from the TCI National Weather Service.
2. Activation of Emergency Operations Centre
The National Emergency Operations Centre in Providenciales and all Islands Emergency Operations Centres will be activated at 4:00 PM today.
3. Shelters Access
Shelters across all Islands will open today at 4:00 PM to receive members of the public.
4. Shelter-in-Place
A Strong Shelter-in-Place Advisory is in place for all islands, commencing at 10:00 PM tonight. This will be in place until the all clear has been issued.
This means that from 10:00 PM tonight, all residents should be off the road, in a safe location, either at home or a designated shelter.
Please note that this position may be revised following the 6:00 PM Advisory from the TCI National Weather Service, depending on updated storm projections.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) has confirmed that all airports remain fully operational for today. They will advise the public about ongoing operations dependent on the weather impacts.
In times such as this, the role of commercial entities extends beyond business – it becomes a vital part of the community’s resilience. All retailers and service providers are urged to uphold their humanitarian responsibilities by maintaining fair pricing and ensuring essential goods and services remain accessible to all.
Residents and visitors are reminded to adhere strictly to all official advisories and evacuation orders as they are issued. Avoid unnecessary movement, secure your property, and ensure that you and your family are prepared with essential supplies. Stay prepared and stay safe.
Turks and Caicos, October 24, 2025 – Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey delivered an impassioned address to male students at Clement Howell High School, calling on them to recognize their power, seize their potential, and “awaken the sleeping giants” within.
In a message that blended humility, faith, and personal experience, the Commissioner reminded the boys that the decisions they make today will shape their future.“The choices you make today determine who you become tomorrow,” he said.
Bailey, who revealed he was the first in his family to attend high school, urged the students to embrace education and discipline as tools of
transformation.“Knowledge is power. If you want to be a real man, you need to read,” he told them. “Remember your potential — if others can do it, so can you. Some of you are sleeping giants waiting to be awakened.”
He emphasized that circumstances of birth do not dictate destiny, challenging the young men to carry self-respect, faith, and moral conviction wherever they go. “Self-respect is key; respect yourself, respect others, and respect God,” he said. “The circumstances you were born into do not define who you are.”
The Commissioner also spoke about resilience, advising that true strength often lies in restraint.
“There will be challenges, and people may try to impede your development — but rise above negativity. Sometimes, strength means walking away,” he said. “Some of you are sleeping lions; it’s time to awaken that instinct and rediscover your true potential.”
In closing, Commissioner Bailey delivered a stirring challenge:
“Each morning, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you were created by God and are capable of great exploits. You are a possibility with potential. Step forward with confidence — this is your country, your islands. Be the best version of yourself.”
Following his speech, the Commissioner engaged the students in open dialogue, answering questions and listening to their perspectives on issues affecting young men in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
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