SOCIAL WORK

Respecting Diversity through Joint Social Action

May 10, 2023 8:00

WELCOME REMARKS

Dr. Vincent Palacio, President, University of Belize

INTRODUCTION TO ZONES OF REGULATION

Azalia Larrieu, MSW, CCTS-I

YOUTH AND MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION

Fermin Olivera, MSW

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

Eleanor Bennett, PNP

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Lisa Johnson, MBBS, DM

PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE - EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION

2:15 p.m.

Dr. Charles Lee Johnson

Moderator

Dr. Kendra Flores Carter Maternal Health Specialist

Dr. Cecilio Eck

Pediatrician

Dr. Carol Babb Director, Peace Works Belize

Ashley Rocke Pastor

Hon. Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

Minister of Human Development, Indigenous People’s Affairs

AZALIA LARRIEU, MSW, CCTS-I

Azalia Gongora Larrieu is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Belize with the Ministry of Health and a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist with Trauma Institute International. She has proudly been a dedicated educator for more than 8 years at the University of Belize, lecturing in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Social Work Department, and currently, the Academic Chair of the Social Work Department. She has provided clinical and administrative supervision to social work students, interns, and professionals. Continuing to advocate for others she is currently the Vice-President of the Mental Health Association. Her passion lies in helping people see themselves at their full potential and helping them to get there.

Azalia completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Western Kentucky University, in the United States of America. She has a broad range of clinical experience working with individuals and groups across the lifespan. She uses a variety of modalities and therapeutic techniques to help her clients maintain a healthy and positive functioning.

Her accomplishments supersede her, as she has had experience in working with Victim Advocates in the execution of Kentucky’s Victims Assistance Academy. She was a trainer and presenter, focusing on Trauma Informed Practice.

Her past experience working with the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA), Bowling Green, Trial Office, providing alternative sentencing, has prepared her to understand better the effects of drugs and alcohol on individuals and families.

Her true passion continues to be her home country, Belize, where she has planned and executed Social Work Conferences, including training on Vicarious Trauma. She is the founder of META Belize dedicated to offering continued education and counselling in the field of Clinical Social Work and Mental Health. Azalia continues to work along with the Ministry of Public Service in Belize via the Employee Assistance Program, and the Department of Human Services in Belize.

FERMIN OLIVERA, MSW

Education: Fermin obtained a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Northeastern State University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a focus in clinical social work (Counselling) from the University of Oklahoma.

Work: Fermin has worked in the social sector both in Belize and in the U.S.A. for over thirty-five years as a social worker—in Belize his work focused on residential/ custodial care for children in conflict with the law and was the Director of the Community Rehabilitation Department in the Ministry of Human Development for many years until his departure in 2009. While at the University of Belize (UB) since August 2010, he collaborated and published work in the areas of HIV (Prevalence and Patterns of HIV/AIDS Risk Factors in Recovering Addicts: Empirical evidence for Intervention strategies) and in drug use (Prevalence and pattern of drug use among 3rd Form students at secondary schools in Belize City).

As a lecturer, he teaches a broad range of courses within the social work program with a preference for practice courses, policy and social work, and the law. His community service is primarily done with agencies that focus on child welfare, undertaking a variety of roles from supporting program evaluation, and providing training for institutional capacity building to providing direct counselling services to underprivileged families and especially children.

At UB Fermin has held several administrative roles, Coordinator and Chair at the department level on several occasions and served on several committees, team leader for the 1st and only program review conducted to date, and is currently a member of the current program review team and member of the review team for the Criminal Justice and Criminology Program being developed by the Faculty of Business.

ELEANOR BENNETT, PNP

For approximately 10 years, Mrs. Eleanor Bennett headed the National Mental Health Program of Belize. In that role, she worked for the advancement of community mental health and paid special attention to the integration of mental health into primary health care and suicide prevention. She also coordinated the training and supervision of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs) in 2018-2020 and implemented an auditing system for some aspects of the work of the PNPs. Mrs. Bennett holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Policy and Services from the New University of Lisbon and nursing credentials from the Bliss School of Nursing.

In 2018, She was honoured with a long-service award by the Ministry of the Public Service for 25 years of serving the People of Belize as a Registered Nurse, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, and Nursing administrator for Mental Health. Her service continues as the Registrar for the Nurses and Midwives Council of Belize. She continues to contribute to the development of mental health, in Belize and other Caribbean countries as a policy consultant. Mrs. Bennett also lectures at tertiary institutions in Belize including the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Belize.