In The Caribbean, Bahamians are the highest paid in the region and ranked among the least productive,  said  Mr. Vaughn Miller, Parliamentary  Secretary in  the  Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. Mr Miller made the statement   during his opening remarks at a staff motivational workshop held at  the Department of Rehabilitative and Welfare Services Department yesterday.

Under the theme, ‘Redefining lives through Rehabilitation’, Mr. Miller focused on how rehabilitation is not only for addicts or athletes, but the nation as a whole, as he focused on attitudes persons posses toward their jobs.

“You can be in conditions that you don’t like, but you still can give it your best, although you may have complaints.”

While Mr. Miller talked to a room filled with representatives from various counseling sectors in the Ministry of Social Services, he also pointed out some harsh realities about gaining employment.

He said, “we seek employment and then when we become employed, we become the chief critics; particularly for pay.”

“Let me remind you, when you signed on the dotted line, nobody had a gun to your head, nobody had a knife to your throat; you knew what you were going to be paid when you signed up,” said the MP.

Mr. Miller spoke to participants of the workshop about the importance of working hard, despite their feelings toward their jobs.

“You have to play a balancing act; when you come to work.  You give it your all. You can be in conditions you don’t like and still give it your best.  Give your country the best you have, be the best you.

“Life is about building people up not breaking people down”, Mr. Miller ended his motivational speech.

Chief Probation Officer for the Department of Rehabilitative and Welfare Services and coordinator for National Parenting, Cheryl Carroll spoke with The Journal about the purposes and services of Rehabilitative and Welfare Services.

Annually Rehab week is celebrated to sensitize the public to the services the department provides.  Such services the department provides are parenting counseling where parents can come in and seek assistance and guidance with raising their children, marriage counseling and personal counseling all these at no charge to the client.

Many of the services rendered through Rehabilitative and Welfare services are generally mandated through the judicial system.

“The department of rehabilitative and welfare services deals  strictly with the courts; persons going to court for child matters and behavioral issues.  Of late, what we’ve been having are more cases of anger management; we have some angry people out there and we deal with that aspect as well.” Mrs. Carroll told The Journal.

The purpose of this week’s workshop is to not only sensitize the public about social services, but to also motivate the staff working in the different areas in Social Services.