Department of Mental Health Names its 2022-2023 Mental Health Youth Ambassador

#TurksandCaicos, May 16, 2022 – The Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence is pleased to announce the first Mental Health Youth Ambassador in the person of Ms. Nyima Simpson. Ms. Simpson is a 16-year old recent graduate of the British West Indies Collegiate. Since Kindergarten, she has had an intense desire for helping others. She served as part of her student council where her love for community service grew. She also has a background in research, having conducted a drug use survey among a small sample of adolescents within the TCI. Ms. Simpson’s desire is to pursue a career in Psychology which would allow her to provide support to persons suffering from mental or substance use disorders.

As the Mental Health Youth Ambassador, one of Ms. Simpson’s key roles will be to assist the Department in expanding its reach among young Turks and Caicos Islanders as well as to increase awareness of the Department’s services primarily among schools and community youth groups.

The Mental Health Youth Ambassador will also be actively involved in helping to promote mental health events targeted at the youth.

Director of the Department of Mental Health, Dr. Alicia Malcolm, stated that “our main goal here is to increase mental health awareness among the youth of the TCI and to ensure that mental health stigma is erased among future generations.  We also want our young people to know that there are people who are willing to support them should they ever need mental health support.

For anyone interested in being the next Mental Health Youth Ambassador and willing to voluntarily serve in this role, contact the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence on 338-3613 in Grand Turk, and 338-4737 in Providenciales.