The Services We Provide...

1. Outreach: Telephone requests for outreach assistance to deal with persons living on the streets, creating social problems, and persons with mental disorders are documented at CUMI with what assistance can be given or referred to PEMT (Psychiatric Emergency Maintenance Team c/o Cornwall Regional Hospital Psychiatric department 518 – 4108) &/or the Care Centre 971-3312 c/o Poor Relief Office. The PEMT ambulance with the mental health officer’s team responds to community needs.
Referrals: to the CUMI Day Centre for rehabilitation are made by the doctors at the psychiatric department or the community health centre’s.

2. The CUMI Rehabilitation Day Center: Opening hours -
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, located at Rectory Drive, Brandon Hill, Montego Bay (less than one mile from the town center).

During the day, clients are provided with two nutritious meals (breakfast and lunch), clothing and other essentials for personal care. The facility accommodates activities of daily living skills, social and vocational therapeutic rehabilitation programs to maintain stability to prepare clients to return to the community and seek employment.

The St. James Mental Health Officer (MHO) and nursing staff conduct clinical services for all clients/patients from any of the clinics located across the St. James community, by appointment at the Cornwall Regional Hospital psychiatric clinic, Type 5, Adelphi, Flanker, Maroon Town, Cambridge, Mt. Pelier, Granville and Glendevon Health Centre’s.

Within the limits of available resources, CUMI also provides family and public education on mental illness. All eligible clients are referred to the Poor Relief department [social benefit office] of St. James for processing in order to receive entitlements (such as Poor Relief/PATH, and application for Food for the Poor Housing units where appropriate). These services are aimed at completing social needs. The nature of the illness and the availability of resources determine the length of treatment.
CUMI's clients consist of: The ratio of male to female: 9 to 5

CUMI works to insure that all eligible clients receive their entitlements (such as Poor Relief/PATH, and application for Food for the Poor Housing units where appropriate).

3. Night Shelter:[refuge of Hope] is operated by the St. James Parish Council/ Poor Relief Department. Open from 4:00pm-6:00am seven nights per week providing supervision, dormitory and independent housing facilities, evening meals, medication and social activities such as: games, music, and occasional visiting groups. For light entertainment, TV and radio are provided.
The facility accommodates approximately 19 – 30 clients nightly.

4. Intermediate Care:Because of a lack of long term care facilities in Western Jamaica, fully rehabilitated ex-street persons who have no placement are given the option of the Day Center and Night Shelter services while attending work, and seeking independent housing solutions.

5. In 1996 CUMI commenced the children's program with the support of Jamaica Money Market Broker’s. The services target children who are abandoned as a result of parent(s) living with mental illness and are unable to provide care and protection.
The structure provides foster mother care using the Family Court and the Children's Services as part of the referral source. For those eligible candidates education, healthcare, family life provision and any other basic requirement for normal development are included.
The programme involves the services of a psychologist, speech pathologist and other professionals so as to provide a wholistic service.

Recently, the programme has embarked on a pilot project working with a local primary school in identifying children with special needs and learning difficulties. CUMI has engaged a children’s programme coordinator to liaison between the schools, the various professionals and to ensure the full implementation of the programme tools and desired results.

This approach aims to alleviate child suffering, illiteracy and prevent a future adult population of mentally ill and street people.
Presently, there are 32 children participating in the care and fostering programme and twelve children from the primary school participating in the pilot project.

Thanks to the sponsors, Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) and supporters such as the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) also the willing staff and professionals.