Six Years of Let’s Unpack It: Into the Community, With Purpose
- Chelsea Jordan
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
By Chelsea Jordan • January 30, 2026
For six years, Let’s Unpack It (LUI) has been doing the quiet, consistent, and courageous work of showing up. Showing up in communities and classrooms. Showing up in policy spaces and advocacy rooms. Showing up for young people navigating systems that were not always built with them in mind. From empowering young minds and creating accessible resources, to supporting policy reform and dismantling stigma, LUI has remained rooted in one truth: mental health thrives in community.
2025 stood out as a year where we moved beyond conversation and into connection, beyond intention and into action. This set up a good foundation for the work we are embarking on in 2026, under the theme “Into the Community.”
Centring Youth Voices Where It Matters Most
At the heart of LUI’s work has always been the belief that youth voices matter. Not symbolically, but meaningfully. That belief came to life through our youth forum, Suicide Prevention: A Conversation with Caribbean Youth, where 30 young people and mental health and psychosocial support professionals came together to share lived experiences, identify gaps, and shape solutions. Those conversations did not end in the room; they are now being compiled into a report intended to inform policy and practice across the region.
As Ruth Hosein-Ramcharran, Content Creation Assistant, powerfully reflects, “Let’s Unpack It remains steadfast in amplifying youth voices and dismantling the barriers surrounding mental health. LUI has evolved into a global leader and a true voice for change, proving that youth-led advocacy can turn mental health from a silent struggle into a lived reality.”
Engaging Communities and Influencing Systems
That same commitment to centring youth perspectives guided LUI’s continued engagement with governments and regional partners. Throughout 2025, youth forums were held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (Barbados), PAHO, Ross University School of Medicine, Healthy Caribbean Coalition, Healthy Caribbean Youth, and UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area. These spaces created opportunities for young people to engage directly with decision-makers on mental health priorities, access to services, and the reform of systems that affect their wellbeing.
Reflecting on this reach, Viridian Llewellyn, Outreach Intern, shares,“When I think about Let's Unpack It and I try to define what it is, and what it means to me, it's a challenge to truly find the right words. However, I find myself coming back to 'Community' because over the years, and even in 2025, LUI has been able to reach so thoroughly into the Caribbean communities to exact powerful change at a level where even policies have now been shaped furthering the betterment of mental health initiatives.”
Policy and legislative reform remained a key focus of LUI’s work. In Barbados, LUI supported and contributed to national consultations on draft mental health legislation alongside Healthy Caribbean Youth, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and the National Mental Health Commission. Regionally, LUI continued advocacy through the Caribbean Regional Coalition for the Decriminalisation of Suicide. Globally, Caribbean youth perspectives were carried forward through contributions to advocacy efforts leading up to the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, in partnership with the Global Mental Health Action Network.
As Founder and President, David Johnson notes, “The success of our work so far has been grounded in collaboration, meaningful youth engagement, and an empathetic, people-centred approach.”
Building Knowledge, Creating Safe Spaces
That people-centred approach also shaped LUI’s work in education and mental health literacy. In 2025, the Empowering Young Minds Mental Health Literacy Programme reached young people across camps and communities, while safe spaces were facilitated for students at the Barbados Community College. LUI also hosted the Balance Bay at the CARIFESTA XV Youth Village, engaging hundreds of young people in accessible, culturally grounded conversations about wellbeing. Through these efforts alone, over 900 young people were reached this year.
LUI’s growth has not only been about reach, but about presence. As Kayode Clarke-Knight, Administrative Assistant (Internal), reflects: “I've loved watching LUI evolve from a primarily digital space to being present and active in physical communities as well. LUI is brimming with talented, focused, driven people working to make a difference in their societies. I'm excited to continue using that drive to affect positive change in the Caribbean region.”
Strengthening Youth-Led Infrastructure and Emergency Response
Alongside in-person engagement, LUI continued to strengthen youth-led regional infrastructure. The work of the LUI/UNICEF National Youth Mental Health Focal Points Network and the reach of youngcaribbeanminds.com ensured that young people across the Caribbean had access to trusted, youth-friendly mental health information, particularly during emergencies such as Hurricane Beryl and Hurricane Melissa. LUI also continued to bridge mental health with emerging priorities, including climate change, emergencies, workplaces, schools, and the commercial determinants of mental health, reinforcing that wellbeing cannot be treated in isolation.
This work extended into global advocacy spaces, with LUI representing Caribbean youth perspectives at the World Health Assembly, the Caribbean–Canada Leaders Dialogue, and other UN-aligned convenings. Whether at the community level or the global stage, the mission remained the same: to ensure young people are heard, supported, and equipped.
Looking Ahead: Into the Community, Into the Future
Looking ahead, Ruth shares her hope for what comes next: “Looking ahead, I believe that LUI, alongside its partners, will change the game by scaling our impact and making youth-friendly mental health resources a standard part of Caribbean culture and policy.”
And Viridian echoes that vision: “That crowning achievement to be able to connect minds across the Caribbean centred on a common goal has been a sight to behold and to take part in, and so my only hope for the future is that we are able to continue with such initiatives, expanding further in how we represent, and bringing even more change to more countries!”
David concludes, “As we take our work 'into the community' this year, my hope is that we will reach thousands more young people to build their knowledge about mental health, strengthen their coping skills, and connect them with hope-building, lifesaving mental health resources.”
Six years of Let’s Unpack It represents more than time. It represents trust built, conversations started, systems challenged, and communities strengthened. As we step into the next chapter, we do so energised by what lies ahead, committed to deepening impact, scaling what works, and translating youth insight into lasting systems change.
We are excited to continue building together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chelsea Jordan is the VP of Operations at Let's Unpack It. She is a 27-year-old mental health advocate, educator, and environmentalist, passionate about creating meaningful change at the intersection of mental health, climate justice, and youth empowerment. Whether in the classroom, community, or international conference rooms, Chelsea Jordan remains steadfast in her goal: to inspire young people to rise, lead, and care, for themselves, each other, and the planet we all call home.
We could all use a little help and support sometimes. If you're going through a rough patch or need to get connected with a mental health resource, visit our YoungCaribbeanMinds.com digital mental health hub here. You can also find some other resources compiled by Let's Unpack It here. Help is just one click or one phone call away.
© 2026 Let’s Unpack It #IntoTheCommunity
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