Rehabilitation deals with a wide range of problems, impairments and dysfunctional behaviours. The World Health Organization defines rehabilitation as "a progressive, dynamic, goal-oriented and often time-limited process, which enables an individual with an impairment to identify and reach his/her optimal mental, physical, cognitive and/or social functional level. Rehabilitation provides opportunities for the individual, the family and the community to accommodate a limitation or loss of function and aims to facilitate social integration and independence."

As an alternative to incarceration of minors in Anguilla, the Government of Anguilla expanded the Department of Probation to include Zenaida Haven, a rehabilitation facility. This Centre caters primarily to juvenile offenders ages twelve to seventeen. The programme takes a holistic approach as it seeks to rehabilitate the whole individual - the emotional, physical, educational and spiritual functioning of each young person - who enters its doors. For the successful reintegration of the juvenile into his home environment, or back into his community, the rehabilitative process requires that the young person as well as his family members, particularly his caregivers, to cooperate fully with the programme as they keep an open and positive mind.

Zenaida Haven is a structured environment, and each resident receives daily supervision and optimum care is given individually and collectively to ensure positive and productive results. The residents are taught many life skills such as assisting with the dishes following each meal, sweeping, mopping, keeping a tidy living space and attending to his personal laundry. The residents also assist with meal preparation. Though these activities may appear simple, many of the residents who have sojourned at the Centre have left there with a sense of accomplishment having been given those small responsibilities.

During the residents’ sojourn at the Centre, it is very important for them to maintain some connection with their community into which they will be reintegrated. Therefore, efforts are made to allow them to "give back" to their community, thus developing a sense of pride and belongership. The residents are allowed to participate in activities such as clean up campaigns, community service programmes and sharing with the residents at the Tender Loving Care Senior Citizens Home in the Valley. The community therefore plays a vital role in the successful reintegration of the rehabilitated young person. Community members are therefore encouraged to volunteer their time and services in a concerted effort with the Department of Probation to assist in the minimizing of juvenile delinquency.

Each resident at the Centre receives weekly therapeutic counselling and one on one sessions with their Probation Officer and the Correctional Services Counsellor. This assists the resident in dealing effectively with the offending behaviour. Residents are taught coping strategies and other effective problem-solving techniques. Drug counselling is also offered to the residents who may have issues with illegal drug use. Parental counseling is extended to the families of the residents. This helps to prepare the home environment to which the resident will eventually be returned. In addition to family counselling, each resident participates in weekly family visits. These family visits assist in the bonding of the family members.

Included in the structured programme is an element for healthy physical development. The daily meals are prepared from a menu that is put together by a qualified dietician. The residents receive three balanced meals daily and are encouraged to drink plenty of fresh water. To further enhance their physical development, there is an exercise programme that allows the residents to exercise four times per week.

Another component of the programme is the spiritual development of the individual. It is believed that when the spiritual aspect is properly catered to, the other areas of the individual tend to align themselves appropriately. Therefore, residents attend weekly Church services as well as youth developmental programmes. To further encourage their spiritual well being, Bibles are made available for residents to read at their leisure.

In order for the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center - Zenaida Haven - in Anguilla to be effective with its rehabilitative programmes, all parties need to willingly cooperate. This includes the staff, residents, family members, stakeholders and the community at large. In the words of the old African Proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In this instance, it takes the community to assist in the overall rehabilitation of the juvenile to ensure safe reintegration.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News