Joanna takes on TT’s teen gangs

JOANNA EVONNE HEADLEY is the author of Chapter 13 “Trinidad and Tobago” in the book Teen Gangs A Global View. The 14 chapters in the book, which contain information on teen gang activity in Australia, The Bahamas, Great Britain, Honduras, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, have been written by PhD candidates for the Doctorate in Leadership, Education and Counselling at Barry University in Florida. The candidates were specially selected by Dr Maureen P Duffy, an associate professor at Barry and Chair of the Counselling Department. 

A fortnight ago, Joanna, daughter of Stokeley and Monica Headley, came home to present copies of the book to President George Maxwell Richards for his personal library and to Prof Ramesh Deosaran at the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice at University of the West Indies, St Augustine. The 31-year-old graduate of what used to be St Gabriel’s Junior School on Dundonald Street, and Bishop Anstey High School, received the Associate of Arts Degree at Miami Dade, a Bachelor’s in Psychology at Florida International University, a Master of Science Degree in Mental Health Counselling at Nova Southeastern University in Miami, and is currently writing her dissertation for the PhD at Barry University which, she says: “hopefully will be completed by next May.” 

Simultaneously, Joanna holds two jobs, as a therapist at a private institution — the Children’s Psychiatric Centre — where she conducts individual, group and family therapy dealing with problematic children between ages four to 12, in the school environment. She is also a counsellor with the College Reach Out Programme (CROP) for schools of  the North Dade County Consortium, mounted by Barry’s Family Enrichment Centre, where she assists teenagers in achieving their collegiate goals by providing counselling services both in the school and home environment. “These are underprivileged kids and I give them tutoring as well as counselling to help with scholarships. If there are problems at home, I go to visit them in the schools so they are able to talk about family and home. We help to pave the way so that they can get into college as most of them are usually the first child in the household to go to college.” Joanna, who edits and publishes the CROP Monthly Newsletter with another counsellor, recently received an award for her dedication to the students of CROP.

In the infant programme, Joanna loves the fact that she is doing something positive for these youngsters because “my parents have given me so much that if I can help at least one child do better and succeed, that is great.” Concerning the second programme for teens 16-18, she says, “If I have a child who is being abused, I am sometimes called out at night, but these children have a harder time, and being called at midnight is worth it if it helps the teen.” At this time, she does not see herself coming back home as opportunities in her field are very limited in the Caribbean. “People still have a mentality that you try home remedies to solve the problem, or go to the pastor; and feel that if they go to someone on the outside they think you are crazy, whereas in the United States you are not seen as crazy. We still have that stigma. But I will always come back and offer my services and help.”

In completing her chapter on teen gangs in Trinidad and Tobago, Joanna sought help from Prof Ramesh Deosaran, who “gave me a lot of material, also the Commissioner of Police with whom I spent a day and got statistics, and I also went to the Central Statistical Office. I enjoy writing and would like to write again.” She also enjoys working with the children in the two programmes “because you see progress and changes in the kids and see them graduate with success and get scholarships. It is really a wonderful feeling, because these are problem children. Even the younger kids, to see the reaction they have to counselling, is fulfilling. In essence I am happy giving back what my parents gave me by helping these children with what they cannot get at home,” says the already licensed Mental Health Therapist who will qualify to be called a psychologist on completion of her doctorate.