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We started a blog to collect the news and updates we receive. It's at http://blog.haitianconnection.org

Haitian Connection’s Long Term Response to the Earthquake and its Psychological Aftermath is to establish a Mental Health Program in Jeremie

The catastrophe which hit Haiti more than two weeks ago only underscores the need for trained mental health counselors on the ground, particularly in the months and years to come as people resettle, tally their losses and readjust themselves to a new, and most likely much more difficult, reality. Psychological relief aid cannot be done in the same was as other disaster relief. It requires a consistent and long-term presence on the ground. As a result we have added an additional and urgent objective, to our project – the training of local people in trauma and grief intervention. The immigration from Port-au-Prince back to the rural areas is already underway, officially sponsored by the government but also undertaken by families and individuals who know there is nothing for them in PAP. In the week following the earthquake 3,000 people had already in Jeremie and more will come. It is imperative that a resource base be established in these rural areas as soon as possible.

Our objectives are:

• Mental health training in psychological first aid
• Mental health training in depression, anxiety and substance abuse
• Development of a cadre of community mental health workers at each of three sites – Jeremie, Dekade, Gatineau.
• Development of a mobile group of community mental health workers who can travel in to the more remote mountain regions.
• Development and evaluation of culturally appropriate mental health assessment tools.
• Development and evaluation of culturally appropriate mental health intervention strategies.
• Specific focus on children and trauma.

We are currently looking for funding of this project. If you are able to assist us financially, or by giving us frequent flyers miles of know others who might be interested, please contact Renate Schneider at haitianconnection@gmail.com