Berkley Center

Project Heal | St. Martin de Porres School. (Source: St Martins Belize Youtube channel)

Belize is a predominantly Catholic country, and both SMDP and the local parish are run by Jesuits. People perceive the school and the parish as one, despite funding from both the Ministry of Education and the Jesuits, as the church is located at the school and the students regularly attend Catholic Mass during school days. The parish provides religious and financial support to the school community through programs that fill the resource gaps present in the community while working in partnership with Project HEAL to alleviate community problems.

During my time in Belize City, Molly May and I spent three weeks at St. Martin de Porres School, where we gained insight into the connection between the parish and the school. While I was researching Project HEAL and its impact on the community, Molly focused on how Jesuit values are integrated into the education at SMDP. Over those three weeks, I spoke with, listened to, and observed various members of the community. I learned about life in Belize City, particularly within this community, as well as the work of Project HEAL and how the initiative is perceived by the school.

The South Side, where SMDP and Project Heal are located, is known for elevated crime rates, a strong history of gang violence, and poverty. With Belize City having one of the highest homicide rates in the world and the majority occurring on the South Side, the ripple effects of this violence are evident in children's behavior. Project HEAL plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between community members seeking help and providing access to the resources they need. Many young people in Belize City grapple with mental health and developmental challenges due to firsthand experiences with trauma. A research project, carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), evaluated gang involvement in Belize City and found that gang involvement among youth is highly correlated with having close family members also associated with gangs. Young people in their early adolescent years are more likely to join gangs, leading to a heightened risk of school suspension and expulsion. Most young people who are involved in gangs do not finish primary school and usually drop out in Standard 6 (8th Grade).

Project HEAL’s work is centered around addressing the familial and community needs of the members of the SMDP community. Understanding the domestic contexts of the families in the school’s community is crucial to understanding how the program meets its stated aims and missions. Students are referred to the counseling program after displaying behavioral issues in the classroom, usually related to their home situation. As I learned from my interviews, most households within the community are led by a single parent, typically the mother, and come with a range of domestic issues. Many of the behavioral problems portrayed by students in the counseling program are a reflection of the violence and trauma they experience within their domestic surroundings. This can range from domestic abuse to gun violence, as evidenced by the high incidence of PTSD cases. In one family I interviewed, despite it being a single-parent household, the children still suffered from the effects of their parents' broken marriage. Although separated, the father's abusive tendencies continued to impact the family, even to the point of physically harming one of the children while the mother was at work.

Enhancing Community Well-Being through Strengthened Relationships and Support

Strengthening Relationships via Communication

Communication is at the heart of Project HEAL, and this means that the effectiveness of its methods depends on the collaboration and coordination of all its stakeholders. For such initiatives to succeed, communication among counselors, teachers, parents, and students is essential. When a student is referred for counseling, parental consent is obtained from the parents before any sessions are conducted. Although Project HEAL prefers that the parents come in and discuss the process of counseling in person, the counselors expressed having a hard time bringing them in. They exhaust all forms of communication, including phone calls, text messages, and WhatsApp messages, sometimes to no avail. This means that the student cannot be provided with counseling services even if they need them. Ms. Kia Mortis, one of the two Project HEAL counselors, said that,

This barrier in communication means that children of parents who do not communicate with the counselors for the initial call do not get counseling. For some of the students already in counseling, communication between the counselor and the parent remains a problem from the counselor's perspective. Although they might answer calls and respond to messages from Project HEAL counselors, parents do not inquire about the child without the counselors reaching out to them first. Ms. Stasha Sheppard, a Project HEAL counselor, said, “I've never had parents reach out and ask, ‘How is it going?’ I'm the one to ask and reach out and to ask or to talk or to check-in. And it's not to say that when I check in I don't get feedback, but it's, I am the one making the contact.” (Interview with Stasha Sheppard, Project HEAL Counselor, May 31, 2023);

Parents appear to have a hands-off approach when it comes to counseling, which impedes the child’s progress. However, most parents are satisfied with the communication dynamics between them and the counselor, seeing that they receive weekly updates on the progress of their child. They have become accustomed to the communication pattern whereby Project HEAL reaches out to them first and gives them regular updates. It is expected, though not stated, by Project HEAL that they want parents to reach out to them to inquire about their children’s progress. When parents do not hear from Project HEAL first, they often regard it as a break in communication but have not shown initiative to reach out to the counselors. This was seen from one parent who said, “It's been a while since I get [sic] any feedback from them. I used to get feedback, you know, every week one time. She used to call on me, but I barely hear anything now from her” (interview with Interviewee 3, Project HEAL Parent, May 22, 2023).

The communication between parents and teachers is strained. Both stakeholders are unhappy with the dynamics of their relationship and expressed how it affects the behavior of the child. Parents believe that teachers do not communicate about issues concerning their children as much as they should. Teachers do not respond to the issues being faced by children in the classroom, which exacerbates the behavioral issues of their students, and particularly those in counseling. Parents also feel that their children's voices are not being heard and their concerns are not being addressed. One parent expressed concern:

In contrast, teachers stated that parents do not communicate to follow up with their children. They also described them as having a hands-off approach to their child's learning process.

Project HEAL counselors and the teachers communicate well with one another. Communication concerning the child’s progress is consistent but also limited in detail as Project HEAL counselors strive to maintain the confidentiality of their students. The counselors will also provide the teachers with tips on how they can help the children in the classroom manage their behaviors and create room for them to apply what they are learning in counseling. While keeping each other updated on the progress of the students, the counselors also occasionally check in on the well-being of the teachers, which many have shown appreciation for. One teacher expressed this by saying:

When all the stakeholders communicate with each other, there is evidence that the child’s behavior improves. One example that stands out is that of a child who was drawing sexual content, and the teacher responded by speaking to the child, and then to the child's parents, about it. She also communicated with the counselors who spoke to the child. The parents then took action to limit the child's exposure to sexual content at home. The teacher also noticed that the parents became more conscious of their own language and behavior and that they were teaching their child to do the same. The success stories shared during my interviews, including this one, were the result of community effort, which further emphasizes the importance of communication in the healing process of children.

Ms. Tina Cuellar, Project HEAL's director, observed that communication between the school administration and the initiative has improved since Project HEAL began offering programs at the school. The increase in referrals from the school’s leadership team and their compliance with the implementation of new programs by the initiative shows how SMDP has embraced the work of Project HEAL in their community. The strong communication helps Project HEAL and the school work together well, something I witnessed during my time there. It also helps that the literacy program, which is a Project HEAL initiative at SMDP, is headed by one of the two vice principals at the school. Project HEAL’s director, Ms. Cuellar, described it as such:

Although this communication channel is strong, the local manager of the school, Fr. Andres Vall-Sera, expressed dissatisfaction regarding the communication with Project HEAL. The local manager of SMDP approves of all administrative and financial decisions made at the school. ESJ Fellow Molly May conducted a comprehensive project on the structure of SMDP, which provides more context about the school. During my interview with him, Fr. Andres had limited knowledge of the work of Project HEAL. The reports that were previously shared with former local managers were no longer being shared as consistently as before, creating a knowledge gap regarding the operations of the project. He perceived the lack of communication as resistance from Project HEAL, stating that:

The director of Project HEAL echoed the same grievances regarding communication with the local manager. However, her sentiments were more geared towards how the local manager does not share his goal regarding what he wants for the school, leaving room for misinterpretation. This has also made it difficult for the project to assist in possible future endeavors of the school. When comparing the relationship of the local manager with that of the school administration, she explained, “But Father Andres, it's been challenging. His vision is not clear and it's not shared. So I think trying to figure out where he's at has been hard. And I like clear communication” (interview, May 31, 2023). Overall, communication plays a big role in the success of Project HEAL initiatives, particularly in the effectiveness of the counseling program and the collective contribution of stakeholders toward enhancing the child's improvement. Additionally, effective communication is pivotal in shaping the future trajectory of Project HEAL at SMDP.

Parental Involvement and Understanding Role Responsibilities

Parental involvement and a clear understanding of role responsibilities are crucial elements for the success of Project HEAL counseling initiatives, alongside effective communication. When parents actively engage in their child's education, they show a commitment to their child's learning journey. This commitment has shown a strong correlation with improved academic performance, particularly among SMDP students whose parents are actively involved.

However, parental involvement is a challenge, as voiced by the Project HEAL counselors and SMDP staff members. For the lower division students (Infant I to Standard 2), parents are more likely to be involved in the academic journey of their child. This is seen through communication with the counselors, timely responses to school requests, and even attendance at parent-teacher meetings. In cases where parents are involved, counselors reported great success in the improvement of the child’s behavior. This was because parents would help by intervening and implementing the methods suggested by the counselors, creating a consistent environment of growth and structure around which the child can work on their behavior. Ms. Sheppard stated, “We've had good success because of parents, because of how involved they were. Again, even though I would be the one to call, some would do their best to implement through intervention and do their best to do that,” (interview, May 31, 2023). Parents who were interviewed did not express any concerns regarding their participation in their children’s activities. While parents raised concerns regarding communication from teachers and occasionally from counselors, they did not perceive their own involvement as inadequate. Another factor to consider is that the parents who were interviewed are some of the most involved, as they had to make time in their schedules to come to the school to participate in this research study.

Project HEAL counselors also noted parental involvement differences between the lower and upper divisions, with less involvement at the upper level. When asked about how this correlates with the child’s behavior, Ms. Kia Mortis stated,

The cases of the upper division students were said to be the most “challenging and frustrating” cases for the counselors, because the behavioral issues become more serious as the children advance in age (interview with Stasha Sheppard, Project HEAL Counseling Coordinator, May 31, 2023). Regardless of the severity, parents still do not attend parent-counselor meetings or check in with the counselors. One other challenge was the parents’ honesty regarding domestic circumstances at home.

One Project HEAL counselor emphasized that students with behavioral issues normally experience problems at home, and their parents are not involved in their counseling journey, making it difficult to maintain their progress outside of school. A teacher in the Upper Division echoed these sentiments:

Although teachers and counselors attributed a lack of parental involvement to be a reflection of the domestic circumstances in which the child is living, it could also be a result of the parents' illiteracy. For parents who are not literate, it can be challenging to help their children with homework, which may reduce their involvement in their children's academic life. This can create difficulties for the child in the classroom, potentially affecting their behavior and resulting in the need for counseling. Economic challenges sometimes contribute to levels of parental involvement within the SMDP community. For families from low-income backgrounds, parents often need to devote a significant amount of time to work or job searching, which can limit their availability to engage in their children's daily school activities. A teacher who is also a member of the community said that,

The lack of parental involvement leads to counselors and teachers working together without parental assistance. This often results in slow progress for the child in improving their behavior.

Alongside a lack of parental involvement, Project HEAL counselors face an imbalance in the expectations of improvement by the project’s stakeholders. Project HEAL staff sense that parents expect their children to have greater and faster behavioral improvement from counseling than what the counselors consider possible. One counselor stated:

A child’s life will lack reinforcement if all members of their lives are not working in sync to ensure that their behavioral issues are curbed. This low parent participation has consistently caused some of Project HEAL's mitigation strategies to be ineffective, as shown in prolonged counseling cases that leave other students on the waitlist. One parent echoed this sentiment by emphasizing the need for other parents to get counseling services with their children by saying: “Getting into counseling with their children will only make them and their children better, because probably the same anger you got your children having now, [to heal] from all the hurt” (Interview with Project HEAL Parent 6, June 1, 2023). This supports the counselors’ and teachers’ sentiments that parents need to be more involved in their children’s counseling journey, assuming that parents understand their perceived role and responsibility in this process—a significant expectation for those who may have never encountered counseling before.

Different stakeholders have not openly communicated their expectations to one another as they find the best way to help the children in counseling. Some parents feel that the progress from counseling is slow, while the teachers and counselors believe that parents are not creating the appropriate environment at home for the child to thrive. Although parents described the improvement in their children’s behavior as “slight” and “little by little” in regard to their academic work as influenced by counseling, they expressed satisfaction in regard to their behavioral changes (Interviewee 3, May 22, 2023 and interview with Maria Pena, Project HEAL parent, May 18, 2023). 

Teachers and counselors, however, expressed concerns that parents may have unrealistic expectations for rapid improvements in their child’s behavior, which cannot be achieved without effective coordination among all Project HEAL stakeholders. To address this, Project HEAL has devised a new strategy aimed at setting clear goals for all parties involved—counselors, parents, teachers, and students—at the beginning of each student’s counseling journey to be able to mark progress that is clear for everyone. This will help everyone to maintain and work towards a common goal. However, this does not address the underlying issues facing the St. Martin community which may be contributing to the limited parental involvement. Problems such as parental illiteracy, poverty, domestic abuse, and the need for counseling among parents themselves are prevalent within the community and continue to hinder the progress of children being supported by Project HEAL. If parents and children are struggling with these challenges, the expectation of increased parental involvement, though important, may not be a realistic goal.

Project HEAL's Roles in the SMDP Community

The role of Project HEAL in the community is not clearly defined, meaning that sometimes members of the SMDP community expect more than what the organization can deliver. For instance, the counseling program aims to deal with behavioral issues, but teachers believe that they are also responsible for mitigating any sort of unacceptable behavior, including students not being able to read or displaying poor motor skills. Although Project HEAL aims to foster academic success among students, it is not part of the HEAL mission to teach children the academic material they are supposed to learn in the classroom. The counselor explained that it is part of their work to motivate and encourage students but not to conduct academic instruction with them. However, when students are referred to HEAL counseling for these issues, the counselors still offer help because there are things that the initiative is able to address that the school cannot because of bandwidth and resources.

For instance, Project HEAL does not have the resources to work with children with special needs. However, there is an unspoken expectation within the SMDP community for Project HEAL to assist with children facing cognitive disabilities. The absence of a professional child psychologist at Project HEAL to conduct these assessments creates a barrier for them to fulfill this community need. In one situation, Project HEAL paid $600 for a student to be assessed by a professional for autism. Although they managed to make this happen, the greater challenge arises when they cannot provide sufficient aftercare that meets the needs of the child. Regardless of these limitations, teachers still expressed a desire for Project HEAL to assist with children with special needs.

Part of Project HEAL's role at SMDP is to counsel parents, but not many are aware that this resource is available. The commonly known idea is that Project HEAL works with children. Their services extend to accommodate parents, and in the interviews, other community members emphasized the crucial role of counseling services for parents as integral to improving a child's behavior. This is because parents need to help create the environment the children need in order to improve. Parents who have been in counseling expressed a deep appreciation for it, while those who were unaware of the resource expressed an interest in it. A challenge that exists in adults taking advantage of parental counseling is the time constraint they have since they are at work when the counseling is being offered. One teacher stated,

Holistic Education: Jesuit Values Reflected in the Work of Project HEAL

Although Project HEAL is not a Jesuit organization, its donors are affiliated with the Jesuits, so the influence of Jesuit values on the work of Project HEAL cannot be ignored. By operating at an institution run by Jesuits, we also see the alignment of values between Project HEAL and SMDP, contributing to the effective cooperation between the two groups. One of these values that was shared by many Project HEAL stakeholders and St. Martin community members is the importance of holistic education at the school, especially considering the socioeconomic background of the students, parents, and teachers.

The teachers and parents at St. Martin’s stated that counseling and social-emotional learning are important in the educational journeys of these students. Apart from individual counseling sessions, the Project HEAL counselors conduct Life Skills sessions in the classroom with the students. Their way of “educating the whole person” includes teaching the students listening skills, sexual reproductive health education, and even personal hygiene. Project HEAL believes that educating students goes beyond academics in a way that makes learning enjoyable for the students, and the effects of the values they are imparting to them are not only witnessed in the individual students that go for counseling, but also have a ripple effect within the classroom. For example, the presence of gang-affiliated students at the school is often associated with disruptive behavior, which is sometimes even considered difficult to manage by the teachers. As a way to mitigate potential chaos, the Project HEAL team began offering Life Skills sessions in Standards 5 and 6. A number of the Upper Division teachers expressed their appreciation for this intervention as they saw improvement in their students' etiquette and behavior after participating in the sessions.

Project HEAL also provides educational services to the SMDP community that help address the literacy challenges in the community. In some of their counseling sessions, students receive academic support to help them better understand what they are learning in the classroom. The literacy issues faced by the students stem from their family backgrounds, as some of them have parents who are illiterate, making it difficult for parents to be actively involved in their children’s academic journey. The counseling program offered by Project HEAL helps these students find confidence in their learning journeys and achieve better grades. The initiative incorporates various trauma-informed counseling methods tailored to address the unique circumstances of each individual. Additionally, staff support flexible learning styles to assist with literacy challenges and their impact on child behavior. Counseling sessions are sometimes conducted as educational games catering to each student's different learning styles. This provides them a safe space to feel like children again and learn at their own pace. One teacher described the work of Project HEAL by saying,

Although not directly stated, this is one example of how the work of Project HEAL fosters Jesuit values and identity, like cura personalis (care for the whole person), where they strive to educate while taking into account an individual’s background and circumstances. As mentioned above, Project HEAL does not have a counselor who specializes in children with special needs, but regardless of this fact, they work with some of these students to help them with the challenges they face in the classroom. Teachers in the public school system are not trained to work with children with special needs, and in this context, Project HEAL serves as a springboard for such students by creating an environment where they can catch up academically with their peers through personalized counseling strategies. One student with autism was referred to Project HEAL for counseling due to their autism-induced behavioral issues, and the assigned counselor worked with the student in putting together sentences as a form of speech therapy. In addition to helping the student learn to communicate better in the classroom, the counselor helped improve their efficiency in written work. Project HEAL aims to meet the children where they are and help them to get to the level where they ought to be.

The skills Project HEAL provides are not limited only to children, but are also provided to teachers. Teachers have also adopted the techniques they have learned through Social Emotional Learning (SEL) workshops conducted by the Project HEAL counselors. From effective listening skills to breathing techniques that they have passed down to their students in distress, Project HEAL has managed to educate teachers on how to become more socially intelligent in and out of the classroom. One teacher said,

Finally, Project HEAL helps the students build on their emotional intelligence. Teachers, along with parents and counselors, expressed the importance of navigating feelings and emotions for these children at a young age and how this would help them to become better individuals in the future. With Project HEAL being a unique resource in the community, most of the adults within this community did not get the opportunity to learn how to process their feelings when they were younger. Parents and teachers alike who have children in counseling expressed their gratitude for this resource. One teacher said,

Summarizing Thoughts

Project HEAL counseling has taken great strides in meeting the needs of the community, gaining praise from the individuals I interviewed, but these needs have clearly changed since the program was first implemented. The director of Project HEAL emphasized that if resources were made available, she would like to go back to what they did when they established Project HEAL, which was interviewing stakeholders on what they needed in the community and creating programs that meet those needs.

While everyone I spoke to had grievances to share, I discovered that communication gaps were at the core of many issues within the community. Parents have their own perceptions of what is expected of them, while counselors and teachers seem to disagree with these perceptions. As a result, stakeholders are unhappy with the current situation but have not taken the time to sit down and communicate clearly.

Project HEAL is clearly a crucial part of the SMDP community, providing resources in ways not seen elsewhere locally, making it a vital force in addressing the traumas of poverty, gun violence, and domestic abuse. However, with significant changes over the past five years—including the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Lisa of 2022, which heavily impacted the SMDP community—there has been a major shift in the community's needs and how they are addressed. Although Project HEAL strives to provide support beyond its original scope, these new factors may necessitate a redefinition of their focus, with increased attention to other determinants of the community’s social and emotional well-being.