Mental health services

Mental health is equally as important as physical health, with everyone urged to pay attention to their emotional and psychological needs, seeking help and treatment when needed.

The Cayman Islands has a number of mental health and counselling services available for residents to access.

This is a round-up of some of the services provided by the Health Services Authority (HSA) and facilities which come under the auspices of the Department of Counselling Services (DCS):

Alex’s Place

Cayman Islands Hospital
95 Hospital Rd.
George Town
t: 244-7856

Launched in 2023 in partnership with the Alex Panton Foundation and Ministry of Health & Wellness, Alex’s Place – the HSA’s adolescent mental health hub – is a comfortable and youth friendly centre that complements Accident & Emergency. It provides trauma-informed care and support to children and adolescents (ages 10 to 20) experiencing mental health issues. The multi-disciplinary team consists of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, paediatric/ adolescent mental health nurses, social workers, and occupational therapists who deliver evidence-based care focused on crisis response in the management of mental health-related risks and community outreach services. Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-ins and referrals are welcome.

Behavioural Health (inpatient)

Cayman Islands Hospital
95 Hospital Rd.
George Town
t: 949-8600

HSA’s Behavioural Health Department offers the most integrated and largest range of inpatient and outpatient mental health services in the Cayman Islands. The 11-bed inpatient facility provides 24-hour specialised medical treatment for acutely ill patients with severe mental health needs.

Behavioural Health Clinic (outpatient)

3rd floor at Smith Road Medical Centre
150 Smith Road
t: 244-2530

The facility’s team of experts includes specialists in psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, psychology, ABA/ behaviour therapy, mental health nurses, clinical social workers and other clinicians who are trained to help children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with complex mental health needs. They offer a variety of outpatient services including crisis intervention, consultation and liaison services, forensic services, community outreach, public education, and research. Interventions are offered for depression, anxiety, trauma and a range of other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. They also offer assessment and acute intervention for child protection cases as well as psychological, neuropsychiatric and psychiatric consultation, and medication management. Open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Behavioural Health Day Centre

65 Smith Road (former Light of the World building across from Pines Drive)
t: 244-2555

The HSA’s day centre provides a supportive learning environment, clinical assistance and social support for patients having on-going difficulties with community adjustment and interpersonal relations. The day care programme offers continuing treatment while enabling a patient to live in the community. Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Caribbean Haven Residential Centre

2409 Bodden Town Rd,
Breakers
t: 947-9992
e: [email protected]

Caribbean Haven Residential Centre is a branch of the Department of Counselling Services, which also includes The Counselling Centre and the Family Resource Centre. Caribbean Haven Residential Centre offers gender specific detoxification and residential treatment services to men and women older than 18, who are legally resident in the Cayman Islands and are struggling to overcome addiction to mind altering substances. Treatment includes structure and support from a team of experienced professionals. Individuals may self-refer to this programme, or they may be referred by a medical or mental health professional, or the legal system. Persons seeking services typically begin with a five- to seven-day detoxification in the nonmedical Withdrawal Management Unit, and must first complete a phone screening with Caribbean Haven Residential Centre to determine eligibility for this service. As the detoxification programme takes place in a non-medical facility, certain conditions or substance-use may require a referral to a medical or mental health professional for clearance prior to admission. During detoxification, assessments will be completed to determine further treatment recommendations, either in the residential treatment programme, or with community-based services at The Counselling Centre. Length of stay in residential treatment is based on individual need, although the average is three to six months.

The Counselling Centre

2nd Floor, Apollo House West,
87 Mary Street George Town
t: 949-8789
e: [email protected]

The Counselling Centre offers individual and group therapeutic services to anyone in the Cayman Islands experiencing mental health or emotional well-being difficulties. The therapists and counsellors can provide support in areas such as anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, grief, and couples counselling. They also facilitate groups to address anxiety (adults and young people), relationship enhancement, recovery from alcohol and substance misuse, and run trauma-informed yoga peer groups. Persons can phone or email the facility and arrange to meet with an intake and assessment officer who will be able to discuss options for treatment.

The Family Resource Centre

2nd Floor, Apollo House West
87 Mary Street George Town
t: 949-0006
w: dcs.gov.ky/frc

The Family Resource Centre provides services and programmes aimed at developing healthy family relationships, including parenting programmes to support families and strengthen parenting capacity, young parent services, parent coaching to help address individualised parenting concerns and accomplish family goals, and various parenting workshops/information sessions. The facility also leads several international public awareness campaigns, including Honouring Women Month, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, antibullying Stood Up campaign, and International Men’s Day. Legal Befrienders also offers free legal advice as a walk-in clinic on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Poinciana

The new long-term mental health facility, named Poinciana, is in progress. Located in East End, the much-anticipated facility is set to enhance the suite of mental health services that already exist on-island. The 15-acre property will be the first of its kind in Cayman, and among other benefits, will mean that patients currently being treated overseas, will be able to remain on-island. Private practices There is also a number of private practices that offer mental health and counselling services.