Jerine Singh stunned, humbled by national honour

So when she received a call last week from the Office of the Prime Minister that she would be among this year's honourees at the traditional National Honours and Awards ceremony on Heroes’ Day in October, Singh was in complete disbelief for the next couple of days.

"I asked the lady who recommended me. All now I don't know who recommended me. I was really taken aback because I never see myself being one of those… It's never anything you would say I aspire to achieve,” said Singh, the paramedical director, medical services branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), in an exclusive interview with Old Harbour News.

“I am excited. I feel very humbled because I never know in doing what I love, I never thought of it that one day there would be a recognition. I give all thanks and praise to God, because this is something that I know is from God,” added the Nightingale Grove resident, the third person from the community to receive such a major national award after the late Theophilus Campbell and deceased police officer Kenneth Small.

Confirmation would eventually come in writing that her 21 years of dedicated service as a psychologist and counsellor in the country's penal institutions and police constabulary is worthy of a Badge of Honour for meritorious contribution to the public service. 

For sure an unforgettable occasion awaits this devout Baptist Christian when she sets foot on the lawns of King's House to deservedly receive this cherished national accolade so well earned.

Being recognized by the state was the very least on Singh's mind, however.

“As a Christian I believe that my life was ordered by God,” she said during a conversation that went back to the genesis of a remarkable journey.

The journey

Her journey started in 1998 after much prodding and encouragement by close friends, who recognized she had this innate gift of being able to help and inspire people to believe in themselves. A stay-at-home mom at the time with two children nearing adulthood, Singh decided to return to school and further her education. By the time she completed her degree in psychology the correctional service offered her a job.

“The prison was my mission field. Every prisoner that I counseled with I tried to say something about their soul because that is what is eternal,” the 60-year-old veteran said.
“Yes I counseled from the discipline but I have to counsel from the Holy Spirit. Because sometimes I get some cases, is only God can give me direction on how to go with this one now.

“In my third year practicum I was placed in the prison. So anywhere the psychiatrist goes the medical social worker would work in those facilities. So I actually worked inside the prison, not in an office. When I did my third year practicum in the prison the person who supervised me said he can't make me leave, they have to offer me a job'.”

Almost a decade later Singh moved over to the JCF, a move that happened out of sheer coincidence after listening to distressed officers pouring out their hearts because of various traumatic experiences.

“That was when I learnt that the police didn't have a mental health team,” she said.

Both Singh, along with noted psychiatrist Dr George Leveridge, were subsequently instrumental in establishing a mental health unit in the JCF which has been a tremendous success to date.

“Sometimes people don't look at what is prevented they only look at what has happened.  Even when we were having these homicide suicides a lot (in the JCF) people don't understand that had it not been for certain interventions we would have had more.

“People are of the opinion that is only when you are 'mad, sick head no good' you need mental intervention. But what we are trying to show them is that if you are stressed to the point where your stress level is so high it is interfering with your functioning, you are mentally unwell,” she explained.

The unit, she said, is being strengthened with more trained psychologists and psychiatrists coming on board soon. Mental health screening is also being standardized, while programmes on emotional intelligence and personal development have been ramped up in the last couple of years.

Christian faith

Amongst her church family Singh is known as the songbird, her beautiful soprano voice piercing the heart and soothing the souls of adherents of the faith on Sundays. It's another special gift that perhaps many outside of her church family did not know about or yet to witness.

Without her church family and firm faith in Jesus Christ, she believes she would not have been able to touch so many lives throughout her successful career.

As for her sterling contribution serving her country, Singh said her greatest accomplishment is the positive life-changing transformation made by those her intervention would have touched.

“Everywhere I go in Jamaica and they (ex-convicts) see me they said 'a wi mada dis!’ Sometimes I don't even remember some of them because there are so many, but they would tell me of their story as to what I did for them,” said Singh.

“When I can meet somebody that I did an intervention with and changes took place in their life… that is satisfaction for me.”