Leadership

Youth at a leadership meeting Tony Kirwin, a trained Counsellor, came to Dominica through Sir. Alicia ICM in 1980 and the 1st Youth Leadership Course was held at Grand Bay in 1980 with nine persons. The second one was held in Thibaud on January 22, 1981. Before every course there was a training of tutors to develop a Cadre of trained volunteers to the leadership Course.

The participants come from many walks of community life including Police Officers, Fire and Ambulance Officers, Nurses, Teachers, Government workers, ministers of Religion, Youth leaders, District Health Workers, Parliamentarians, N.G.O's, Media workers, Association of Disabled People and others.

The Multi- Disciplinary Leadership Course highlights areas such as:

  • The leader's role as an encourager and as a Manager
  • Emotional Development
  • Public Speaking
  • Counselling
  • A Constitution and
  • Programme Planning

Then people saw the need for counselling, the Basic counselling course started.

Youth at a leadership meetingIn addition, many took the more intensive training offered by the Stage Four Options to develop personal and professional skills and qualities. These include Advance Counselling and four advance seminars covering Marital Pathology, The family and Understanding Youth Behaviour. Also offered were experimental workshops on Separation and Loss, Developing Self-Esteem, The Roots of Violence, Attitudes and Values, Public Speaking and Communication and Group Dynamics.

Therapeutic Counselling still continues to help professionals and impacts on the personal development of those who have completed the Youth Division's Counselling Series and those who are involved Community Social Work Practices.

The School Based Leadership Course is done on District levels at assigned Secondary Schools. This Course includes sessions on Communication, Styles of Leadership, and Developing Self-Esteem, Decision Making, Resisting Peer Pressure, Team building, Conflict management and Anger management.