The Ministry of Social Transformation is seeking approval to employ five additional counsellors in the next budget year amid heavy caseloads, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Friday.

The request also highlights the need for counselling support for staff who assist people facing difficult circumstances, Merchant told the post-Cabinet media briefing.

He said the ministry wanted a counsellor who could work with existing counsellors and other employees within the Social Transformation Division to help them manage the emotional demands of their duties.

“Due to the large level of cases that they’re working on, they too need a listening ear,” Merchant said.

He explained that support was needed both for people accessing the division’s services and for the professionals providing that assistance.

“The counsellors too themselves need individuals they can speak to,” he said, linking that support to maintaining their mental

health

so they can carry out their work.

Merchant presented the additional positions as a request for Cabinet’s approval for the next budget year. He did not announce that recruitment had been authorised.

The update came as he outlined Cabinet discussions on child protection and measures addressing crime and violence in Antigua and Barbuda.

No figures were provided on the division’s current staffing, the number of cases being handled or the cost of the requested posts. Merchant also did not specify whether the counsellor supporting staff would be included among the five additional positions.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Social Transformation Ministry seeks five additional counsellors.