The Samaritan Movement, a national initiative

The Samaritan Movement is working towards building resilient children, families, and nation. The story begins not in an office or policy room, but in a classroom where a child quietly whispered, “No one listens. No one cares.”

That moment of truth, repeated across schools and homes, revealed a deep wound at the heart of Trinidad and Tobago’s youth: too many children were carrying fear and pain alone, with the most vulnerable left to suffer on the margins of society. Their cries echo through time.

In 2022, the Archdiocese of Port of Spain responded by commissioning a new ministry, now called the Samaritan Movement, through its Catholic Commission for Social Justice.

What began as a small volunteer ministry in trauma services has quickly grown into a national initiative—one that listens first to those cries on the ground, then acts with evidence-based compassion to transform schools, families, and communities into safe, healing spaces.

The research behind the Movement

After three years of comprehensive research across Trinidad and Tobago’s Catholic communities, a sobering reality emerged: the levels of trauma affecting our children and families far exceed the current capacity of available mental health resources.

Under the guidance of Fr Gerard ‘Jerry’ McGlone SJ, a Research Fellow of Georgetown University, and supported by Shirley Tappin, former Head of Human Resources for the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, and Darrion Narine, Programme Manager, the team entered school communities asking three strategic questions: “What are you seeing? What are your needs? What do you think the solutions are?”.

The findings were stark. While the Archdiocese had been addressing mental health challenges through various commissions, communities, and extraordinary initiatives long before this movement began, the scale of trauma that pastoral “first responders” saw and reported was overwhelming.

All of these heroes said they needed more help. So, a more coordinated, research-informed, and culturally rooted response was envisioned and born.

Initially, the focus was on three discerned priorities: Children’s Care Homes, Roman Catholic schools, and setting up a resource and referral centre.

Working across all domains, several concerning patterns became real: 40 per cent of primary and secondary school students engaged by the team reported experiencing self-harm thoughts and behaviours—a statistic that demanded immediate attention and sensitive care.

“The Archdiocese has been doing tremendous, if not heroic, work through entities like the Suburban Vicariate Mental Health Initiative, the Living Water, The Eternal Light Community, and the various Commissions on youth and family services,” explains Fr Jerry. “But what our data shows is that the mental wellness capacities are insufficient in relation to the depth and magnitude of the reality faced by Trinidad and Tobago today.”

The Movement quickly saw the need to be more strategic, scalable and sustainable in the face of these realities and has now expanded by including Community Outreach Officer Matthew Pierre, Communications Lead Dominique Heffes-Doon, and Randolph Boodhoo, a Literacy and Numeracy Specialist.

Community as family: reclaiming ‘The Village’

As the country celebrates Republic Day, the Samaritan Movement demonstrates that true national strength begins with communities that function as extended families.

Central to the approach is the concept of “community as family”—recognising that healing happens not in isolation but through authentic relationships and collective support.

This philosophy drives their methodology, bringing together a Parenting Committee and Research Team, comprised of both internationally based and local postgraduate and PhD level researchers to ensure that local voices determine local solutions.

As a nation shaped by colonial wounds, Trinidad and Tobago carries patterns of pain and violence that pass from one generation to the next, making it crucial for the Samaritan Movement to break the silence around these painful legacies and create new personal, family patterns based on nurturing, healing, and helping every child thrive.

The “community as family” model becomes especially important here, offering an alternative to pain and mistrust by building networks of care that show healthy relationships, mutual support, and collective healing are both possible and necessary for building the strong communities our nation needs. This model utilises the theological underpinnings of Paul Tillich who said, “The first duty of love is to listen.”

Proven impact and expansion

The Movement’s pilot programme in four Catholic primary schools has already demonstrated impact, reaching over 120 faculty and staff through workshops and training sessions. More significantly, the initiative has engaged directly with 45 students in both primary and secondary schools and 24 parents, filming these interactions to develop culturally relevant student, community and parenting programming that speaks to local experiences and solutions.

Following the success of its pilot phase, the Samaritan Movement is expanding its evidence-based trauma-informed programming into South Trinidad, bringing hope and healing resources to Catholic school communities across the southern region.

The Samaritan Movement interventions have proven impact. An exciting development is the creation of practical Trini toolkits—”field manuals” that grow directly out of workshops with local teachers and caregivers.

These evolving guides are built on ongoing research and designed specifically for Trinbagonian educators, ensuring the solutions come from, and speak to, local experiences.

The results are already proven: teachers who completed the workshop series showed over 50 per cent better retention of trauma-informed knowledge, six months after the initial training, while reports of schools and communities doing better and feeling more empowered are the new hallmarks of success.

Education as solution

Responding to insights emerging from ongoing conversations, the Samaritan Movement has incorporated a Literacy and Numeracy consultant who, alongside a team of almost nine retired guidance officers now will enter vulnerable schools to assess the educational needs of at-risk children.

This educational focus arose directly from community voices recognising that education is one of the fastest pathways out of poverty.

During a workshop at Penal Rock Road RC, a teacher captured this piece of community wisdom, observing, “Parents need to see that maybe one way of breaking the intergenerational trauma is getting their children educated. Showing them this is the safest path out of poverty.”

Connecting existing resources

Rather than creating parallel structures, the Samaritan Movement focuses on highlighting and connecting the extensive wisdom and resources already present within T&T’s Catholic community.

This strategic approach amplifies the substantial work being undertaken by Archdiocese commissions and community-centred ecclesial communities while strengthening coordination and effectiveness.

A recent new archdiocesan mental health plan springs from a new level of communication and collaboration where Mental Health First Aid and Suicide First Aid programming is being piloted.

The initiative builds upon existing mental health efforts across vicariates, commissions, parishes and ecclesial communities highlighting an existing referral/resource network that amplifies impact without duplicating services. This approach maximises our collective efforts that we need for a coordinated response to our national challenges. This is encapsulated in the Movement’s motto: “Together, We Heal!”

Mission rooted in Gospel values

The Movement’s mission aligns directly with Catholic social justice principles of integral human development and the preferential option for the poor and most vulnerable.

Drawing inspiration from the parable of the Good Samaritan and the woman at the well, the initiative challenges communities to stop, listen, and provide practical support to those experiencing abuse, violence, crime and trauma in all of its forms.

This Gospel-centred approach ensures that mental wellness initiatives remain integrated with spiritual formation rather than operating as separate secular programmes.

Research from across the globe indicates that when these services are integrated with an active faith life and spiritual practices, healing happens faster, and it lasts for a lifetime.

Building Caribbean research capacity

Beyond immediate service delivery, the Samaritan Movement contributes to groundbreaking Caribbean research capacity in mental health and wellness. The three-year study represents one of the most comprehensive examinations of trauma in religious communities undertaken in the region while highlighting local and regional scholars, generating data that informs not just local programming but puts our needs on the international scene and creates a broader understanding of mental health challenges in Caribbean contexts.

This research foundation ensures that interventions are evidence-based rather than assumption-driven, increasing effectiveness while building credibility within local and international professional medical and mental health circles.

A call to engagement

In a nation where violence, crime and mental health challenges often produce fear isolation and remain hidden and stigmatised, the Samaritan Movement offers reason to hope.

The initiative offers insights into real stories and wisdom from our communities. For parents and teachers feeling overwhelmed by daily mental health challenges, the Movement provides hope and practical tools through informative social media content.

We need your help, your wisdom, and your story. Follow along on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook channels @SamaritanMovement.