Home Features Anxiety diagnosis led Cilandell Glen into a life of addressing adolescent...
By Lakhram Bhagirat
“My passion for mental health started in 2015 after a family member was diagnosed with anxiety. I had firsthand experience of how mental health issues affect not only the individuals that are experiencing the issue but also how it affects that individual’s relatives, family members and friends. This fueled my passion to create awareness and provide support to adolescents, young adults and their family members who are affected by mental health,” young Cilandell Glen says.
Glen is an advocate, a trained peer educator with the Ministry of Health- Adolescent Health Guyana, and For the Children Sake Foundation and Artistes in Direct Support.
She is currently employed as the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator within the Adolescent Health Department at the Ministry where she contributes to the development and implementation of programs to address Adolescent Health across Guyana. She has successfully implemented projects such as Secondary School Health Clubs, Youth Friendly Services, Adolescent Antenatal support groups for adolescent mothers and Adolescent Antenatal Clinics.
The young leader has also organised several community outreaches which are focused on providing youths with accurate information about social and health issues affecting adolescents. Glen, during her years at the Ministry of Health, has facilitated various sessions on sexual and reproductive health, family planning, teenage pregnancy reduction, mental health, substance misuse at the local health facilities, schools and community groups.
She utilizes her skills as a Social Worker to provide counselling and support on family planning, mental health issues, substance misuse to adolescent and young adults at the local health facilities and schools. She has a passion for adolescent pregnancy reduction and would have contributed and supported WHO/PAHO, UNICEF and UNFPA on various initiatives that seek to address adolescent pregnancy in Guyana.
Glen is passionate about education and over the years she has stive to aptly qualify herself. She attended the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School before moving to Academy of Precious Ones where she completed her CXC exams. Upon completion, she started the University of Guyana where she did a Diploma in Public Management followed by a Diploma in Social Work then a Degree in the same field. In 2018, she received a Chevening Scholarship Award to complete her Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom.
She is currently completing a Masters in Social Work at the University of Guyana after which she plans to pursue a Decorate in Public Health.
“I want to be able to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to improve their mental health and wellness. During this period of exploration, my vision for Desert Flower Guyana was birthed, and I began the journey of equipping and empowering myself with the knowledge, tools and skills needed to create the change in the area of mental health in Guyana. More specifically, in the area of children and adolescent mental health.
“My preparation included but was not limited to academic pursuit such as completed short course in Counselling, problem management plus, peer education but also voluntarism. I would have volunteered with NGO such as Rotaract Club of Georgetown, For the Children Sake Foundation, completed workshops at various Orphanages, NGOs and Faith-Based Organizations. Moreover, I would have completed practicum attachments at organisations such as Phoenix Recovery and St Ann’s Girls Home,” Glen says.
The young advocate recently began providing psychosocial support to children and adolescents that have been affected with mental health illness issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is being done through her recently formed organisation ‘Desert Flower Guyana’. While Desert Flower is already active on social media, October is set as the official launch month since it coincides with World Mental Health Day.
Desert Flower – Guyana is a mental health initiative/organization that aims to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, raise awareness, break down stigma and increase access to treatment by empowering individuals (children, adolescents and families) with the tools and skills needed to develop healthy mental health and manage mental health illness.
Further Desert Flower strives to promote a friendly, and stigma-free environment for children and adolescent who are dealing with and affected by mental health issues to share and received the treatment needed. Through an integrative approach, Glen strives to grow healthy minds by promoting and advocating for overall health and wellness while providing an opportunity for every child and adolescent to talk about their mental health. One of Desert Flower’s primary objective is to ensure that no one is afraid to speak about mental health and mental illnesses.
Glen chose to work with adolescents and young adults because she wants to provide them with an avenue to be empowered and freely express their feelings since those opportunities were limited during her time as a youth.
“My first career choice was to become a teacher since a teacher is that individual who has a significant impact on a child or adolescent life. A teacher is one individual who moulds and shapes us into the adult we will become. However, after my exposure as a volunteer at Artistes in Direct Support, a Non – Governmental Organization I was inspired to embrace the helping profession.
“During my time as a volunteer at Artistes in Direct Support (AIDS) my life was transformed. I was elated over the impact that the Director Ms Desiree Edghill, volunteers and myself made in the lives of adolescents and young adults across Guyana. The behaviour change made were significant, and to date, it still has a lasting impact on many individuals including myself,” the 32-year-old said.
The focus for her is now to create tangible ways to further support the younger population in identifying and addressing mental health issues.
