Evolution of Counseling in Jamaica: Past, Present, and Future Trends

The launch of cross-cultural research investigating multicultural issues in the United States has forced mental health practitioners to recognize an existing void in the profession. In Western cultures, there is a tendency to apply counseling theories and techniques to populations having diverse backgrounds that are not represented in the mainstream literature. The people of Jamaica are not exempt from this exclusionary oversight that is present in today's research literature (G. J. Palmer, 2009). Regardless of the representation of Jamaica in the mental health services literature, the practice of counseling is now present within that Caribbean country. The introduction of counseling services is limited, with the majority of professionals being employed in the school systems as guidance counselors. Although the majority of counselors are found in Jamaica's public schools, there is also an effort to provide counseling within community settings, such as local churches (Copeland, 1992), and through student affair divisions of colleges and universities. Among the helping professionals are a small number of mental health care providers in private practice. Counseling delivered in this manner faces a multitude of challenges that stem from economic and social constraints. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of counseling services in Jamaica. The evolution of counseling is discussed by reviewing past practices, the present state of counselors in the field, and implications for future trends. This synopsis of Jamaica's development in counseling also has implications for the services provided to Jamaicans now living in the United States. * Historical Overview and State of the Nation: Jamaica Jamaica achieved its political independence from Great Britain in 1962 amid high hopes for growth and development. For large numbers of Jamaicans, the realization of these hopes was possible only by moving to the urban areas, especially the metropolitan area of Kingston, the capital. Many of these individuals were formerly engaged in agricultural activities that added only marginally to the total output of the economy. The late economist W. Arthur Lewis (1954) described them as surplus labor that could be absorbed only in low-wage urban jobs. In 1960, there was considerable room for improvement in citizens' level of education. Only 43% of the high school age population actually attended secondary school and only 2% of individuals between the ages of 20 and 24 years were enrolled in tertiary education. Over the past 5 decades, these percentages have improved to 66% and 6%, respectively, as a result of greater investment in education and an increase in the demand for skilled workers (R. W. Palmer, 2009). When compared with universal access to secondary education in small developing countries such as Singapore and South Korea, these increases have been modest. In addition to the limited availability of skilled workers, strong labor unions have kept labor costs high, placing Jamaica at a competitive disadvantage with other countries in the region. Today, the major share of employment is provided by the service sector, which includes government, wholesale and retail, and financial and tourism services. In the 1970s, the politics of nationalism limited the capacity of employment growth in the private sector as the socialist government sought to capture the economy, which at that time meant control of the bauxite industry. In the process, the strategy scared off needed foreign private capital investment to such a degree that subsequent pro-private-sector governments were unable to stimulate growth beyond the anemic rate of 1% from 1975 to 2005. At the same time during this period, the rate of emigration to the United States rose, draining away valuable skilled labor, including future educators and mental health practitioners. As the economy stagnated, graduation from high school no longer guaranteed a job. …