Boston Haitian community mobilizes support for their families in Haiti

The Haitian-American community all over the United states is mobilizing to support their loved ones back in Haiti in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake that hit last week. Boston’s Haitian community has likewise risen to the occasion through forming among other things the Boston-Haiti Health Support Team; and the Association of Haitian Women (AFAB) and Dorchester People for Peace have organized a training session for public health personnel thinking of going to Haiti or offerign sycho-social support to Haitian-American families here — Hayat Imam.

Hayat Imam is a Board member of Grassroots International and a member of Dorchester People for Peace. 

Boston-Haiti Health Support Team Presents:   Haiti January 2010: Post-Disaster Relief  And  Rehabilitation

Collaborative Goals and Objectives:   *Access to Information on the Ground  *Understanding Psychological Responses  (Short and long term)
*Identifying Vulnerable Groups
*Building Community Resources

Speaker:   Champika K. Soysa, PhD Associate Professor in Psychology Worcester State College   Saturday: January 23, 2010 Time: 2 PM-4 PM Great Hall,Codman Square Health Center 637 Washington Street Dorchester, MA   Dr. Soysa’s research and clinical interests focus on collective trauma in response to war and natural disaster. In spring 2005, Worcester State College contributed her services to the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka and the World Health Organization (WHO), to develop community workshops following the Asian tsunami of 2004. Dr. Soysa trained public health workers, mid-wives, social workers, teachers, and local government officials about psychological responses to disaster and the need for community-based psychosocial interventions.   For more information please call Boston Haiti Health Support Team at: 617-287-0096 or 857-234-1679 Boston-Haiti Health Support Team goals are: Respond to immediate and support immediate and long-term health needs of Haiti, support families affected in Haiti or in the greater Boston community, provide interdisciplinary training, reach out to individuals and service providers, and provide linguistics and cross-cultural training.