The ISSUP Bahamas National Chapter is pleased to announce the appointment of Darnella Gibson as its Youth Representative. Darnella brings a growing body of professional training and a strong commitment to prevention, mental health, substance use, and behavioural addictions. Darnella is a Registered Nurse with specialized training in substance use and prevention care. Her commitment to professional development led her to successfully complete Case Management training in 2022, strengthening her knowledge and skills in supporting individuals through assessment, care coordination, and recovery-focused services.
In 2024, Darnella officially became a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse, expanding her clinical expertise and strengthening her understanding of the relationship between mental health and substance use. Continuing her professional development, she successfully completed Gambling Addiction studies in 2025 and became a Gambling Addiction Specialist, broadening her professional focus to include behavioural addictions and their impact on individuals, families, and communities. Darnella’s professional scope is focused in The Bahamas, where she is committed to contributing to initiatives that address the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities affected by mental health concerns, substance use, and behavioural addictions.
At the heart of Darnella’s professional work is a strong passion for prevention and relapse prevention. Her particular areas of interest include preventing mental illness relapse, substance use relapse, and gambling relapse. She is passionate about promoting early intervention, education, resilience, and supportive approaches that empower individuals to maintain their wellbeing and recovery. In addition to her role as Youth Representative, Darnella is an active member of the Executive Team of ISSUP Bahamas and currently serves as Secretary of ISSUP Bahamas. Through these roles, she contributes to the development and coordination of Chapter initiatives while supporting professional collaboration, communication, and engagement within the substance use workforce.
As Youth Representative, Darnella looks forward to strengthening youth engagement within ISSUP Bahamas and creating opportunities for young people and emerging professionals to participate in education, research, prevention, advocacy, and professional development within the substance use field. She is committed to connecting with young professionals and emerging leaders locally, regionally, and internationally, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing while supporting evidence-based approaches to substance use and behavioural addictions. Darnella’s continued professional development across nursing, mental health, substance use, case management, and gambling addiction reflects her dedication to lifelong learning and her desire to contribute meaningfully to the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities across The Bahamas.
We congratulate Darnella Gibson on her appointment as Youth Representative for ISSUP Bahamas and wish her every success in this new role as she contributes to strengthening youth engagement, prevention, and recovery initiatives within the substance use field.