Our Mission
We serve children, teachers, families, and communities across Trinidad and Tobago by building emotional resilience, strengthening relationships, and supporting healing from trauma.
Learn About Our Projects →
The People Behind the Mission
Who We Are
The Samaritan Movement is a Trinidad and Tobago-based initiative commissioned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Port of Spain, bringing together a dedicated core team and a community of expert voices committed to healing, research, and resilience.
Core Team
Rev. Dr. Gerard McGlone, S.J., PhD
Head of the Samaritan Movement
Darrion M. Narine, MA
Executive Director
Lliana Riddess-Rodney
Programme Manager
Darendra Boodram
Programme Coordinator
Expert Community Voices
Karen Moore, Ph.D.
Clinical Child Psychologist
Sr. Arlene Greenidge
Social Work and Care Homes
Anna Maria Garcia Brooks
Business Executive & Episcopal Delegate
Dr. Karene-Anne Nathaniel-De Caires
Social Work Lecturer
Dr. Shaun Liverpool
Child Psychologist
Barbara King
Parenting Expert
Randolph Boodhoo
Educator & Entrepreneur
Matthew Batson
Clinical Psychologist & Humanitarian
Taresa Best Downes
Demographer & Policy Consultant
Delta Wright
Ph.D. Researcher
Maurice Inniss
Educator
Dionne Brewster-Phillip
Researcher & Ph.D. Candidate
Sherry Ann Celestine
School Principal
The Challenge
The Problem We Address
Trinidad and Tobago faces an escalating youth and family mental health emergency, marked by rising trauma, anxiety, self-harm, and emotional distress among children and adolescents.
Many schools, families, and communities lack accessible, culturally appropriate support systems, and existing mental health resources are insufficient relative to the depth of need.
Who It Affects
Primary and secondary school students, teachers, parents, caregivers, and neighbourhoods across varied socioeconomic contexts.
Educator Training
Providing trauma-informed training for educators and caregivers to foster supportive learning environments.
Peer Support
Providing peer-to-peer support workshops for students to build emotional resilience together.
TRINI Toolkits
Developing culturally-relevant resource guides for schools and families, rooted in local context.
Community Engagement
Engaging communities through listening, research, and evidence-guided programming.
Faith Partnerships
Partnering with faith communities and local mental health partners for holistic support.
Training Programmes
First Aid for Mental Health
12-Hour Programme
Mental Health First Aid
Equip yourself to recognise, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges in those around you.
Learn more →8-Hour Programme
Suicide First Aid
Learn to recognise the warning signs of suicide and provide compassionate, life-saving support to someone in crisis.
Learn more →Programmes
Key Projects
Discover the strategic initiatives we are deploying across communities to foster healing and resilience.
Faith Communities as First Responders
When the parish becomes a place of healing.
Read more →Spiritual & Mental Wellness Retreats
A space to breathe, reflect, and begin healing.
Read more →Groundbreaking Parenting Initiative
Lifting Trini voices to solve Trini problems.
Read more →Archbishop's Prayer Breakfast
Bringing national conversations to the table.
Read more →Impact & Results
Measurable Impact
Teachers completing trauma-informed workshops showed 92% retention of mental wellness knowledge and practices after six months.
Qualitative Change
Communities report stronger capacities to respond with care, teachers feel more empowered, and families experience greater emotional support structures.
Context
These results are early and evolving — building a foundation for scalable community mental health support in T&T.
Why Invest & Partner With Us
- Unique combination of faith-integrated care and evidence-based psychology
- Grounded in thorough local research and community voices
- Growing track record of pilot impact and scalable toolkits
- Strong networks with schools, faith communities, researchers, and caregivers
In the News
The Samaritan Movement in the News
Stories and coverage about our work building emotional resilience across Trinidad and Tobago.
New Training Programme Equips Communities to Respond to Mental Health Emergencies
TTT News reported on a new mental health first-aid training programme led by the Samaritan Movement, aimed at equipping teachers, priests, pastoral workers, and community leaders to recognise early warning signs and respond to mental health emergencies. The programme is being driven through the Catholic Church’s parish network as professional psychiatric resources remain stretched.
The Samaritan Movement — Part I
This Guardian opinion piece highlights the Samaritan Movement as a national trauma-response initiative rooted in the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan and developed through the Catholic Commission for Social Justice. It presents the Movement’s work in schools, children’s homes, research, training, and national advocacy as part of a whole-of-society response to trauma in Trinidad and Tobago.
Archbishop Gordon Praises Government’s Crackdown on Alcohol, Road Indiscipline
Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon welcomed stronger national measures around road discipline, alcohol, marijuana, and gambling, while using the moment to call for similar urgency in protecting children from harmful digital content, pornography, and social media exposure. Speaking during the Samaritan Movement’s launch, he connected the need for national discipline with the growing crisis of youth mental health, self-harm, and emotional distress.
Get Involved
Join the Movement
This is more than an organization — it is an act of care for a community in need. Partner with us to scale our impact.