The Reservoir: The Future of Behavioral Health in The Palm Beach County Haitian Community

THE RESERVOIR

THE FUTURE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN THE PALM BEACH COUNTY

Haitian Community

BY: FILISE JULES, MAMFT, LMHC, CIC-CSP, CCTP RENEWAL COUNSELING PRACTICE LLC

Haitian immigrants in Palm Beach County have

increased tenfold after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010 and the 7.2 one in 2021. However, earthquakes are just one of many crises that sent thousands of our compatriots to the border. In the process of migrating to a new cultural context, Haitian immigrants, as Sue et al. (2014) put it, face multiple stressors from loss and separation from loved ones and culture of origin to discrimination as they negotiate identity and life transitions here in Palm Beach County.

In general, mental health is considered taboo in Haitian culture. Some Haitian contemporaries struggle to name their symptoms during a mental health assessment; instead, they attribute everything to stress or physical exhaustion. Can we venture out

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to talk about the future of mental health in the Haitian community when it is still in shadow even in the present? We believe it is now more than ever to have such a conversation. We will need to ask ourselves, what does behavioral/mental health look like now in the community? And what will the future bring if we continue with education, motivation, and encouragement? As you read this article, you will notice that behavioral health and mental health will be interchangeably used to mean the same thing. Though behavioral health refers to the overall well-being of an individual, it is viewed in terms of actions mirroring someone’s mental state. According to the American Psychology Association dictionary, mental health is defined as “a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.”

“ Some Haitian contemporaries struggle to name

their symptoms during a mental health assessment; instead, they attribute everything to stress or physical exhaustion.

”

Such a definition makes us ponder about the mental health state of our Haitian community in view of what’s going on at home and abroad. Inside our churches, we have an increasing number of Haitian suffering silently from post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, anxiety, clinical depression, and of course, relational problems. Most find themselves trapped with fear and hopelessness about the future. Possibly they are silent because of stigma, for fear of being singled out, becoming an object of ridicule among peers, being identified as a failure, or most notably as one having no faith in God. Considering what has taken place in Haiti last year, such as earthquakes, political turmoil, violence, famine, deportation, rejection, and mistreatment on the US border, would we not have reason to be worried about our mental health? Some may ask, how is it possible to talk about the future when we are already overwhelmed by what’s going on in the present?

Yes, we can. Without being political, we can start this conversation with our loved ones and then take it to our extended family, church, and community. We need to start checking on one another, providing encouragement and opportunities to share and process our fears. We need to start opening our doors to professional help as we quickly do for medical needs, speaking freely about mental illness like any other illness, and stop pretending or hiding behind the wall of faith to applying God’s words. We need to take care of ourselves like the apostle Paul urged Timothy to take care of himself in 1 Timothy 5:23, “Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion, since you are sick so often.”

While we’re still searching our way to navigate our present issues, it is safe to say that the future of mental health in the Haitian community is promising. As of now, many conversations are going on in different platforms and in our Haitian homes and churches. More culturally competent professionals are available to facilitate such conversations and provide treatment and assistance as needed. In our schools today, more attention has been given to the community’s needs through education and assistance by mental health professionals. We believe more church leaders have been trained or educated on how to guide and redirect those in need to mental health professionals. However, we need to continue to be flexible in patiently engaging our Haitian community to take care of their mental health as God intended.

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Avni Sante Mantal nan mitan Kominote Ayisyen nan Palm Beach County

Imigran ayisyen yo nan Palm Beach County te

ogmante miltipliye anpil apre tranblemanntè 7.0 mayitid la an 2010, e yon lòt 7/2 mayitid la kite pase ane 2021 an. Sepandan, tranblemanntè se jis youn nan anpil kriz ke Ayisyen pas kifè plizyè milye nan yo brave danje pou vinn sou fwontyè a. Nan pwosesis migrasyon nan yon nouvo kontèks kiltirèl, tankou Sue ak lòt ekriven’l yo (2014) di, imigran Ayisyen fè fas a plizyè kalite pwoblèm soti nan pèt ak separasyon ak moun yo renmen, ak kilti orijin yo pou antre nan sibi diskriminasyon pandan y ap negosye idantite ak tranzisyon lavi yo isit la nan Palm Beach County.

An jeneral, sante mantal se pa yon koze ki konsidere kòm tabou nan kilti Ayisyen an, ki vle di se yon koze moun pa pale. Se sak fè li konn difisil anpil pou you granmoun Ayisyen idantifye e pale aklè de sentòm maladi mantal li genyen lè li nan konsiltasyon, li pi fasil pou li di w li gen estrès oswa fatig tan pou li di w li santi li vle pèdi tèt li. Èske nou ka pran risk pou pale de avni sante mantal nan kominote Ayisyen an lè menm nan prezan an se nan kache pou nou pale de li? Nou

kwè se kounye a menm pour nou kòmanse pran tan pou nou gen konvèsasyon konsa. Nap bezwen mande tèt nou, kisa sante ak konpòtman mantal sanble nan kominote a kounye a? E ki sa lavni an pral pote si nou kontinye ak edikasyon, motivasyon, ak ankourajman? Pandan w ap li atik sa a, w ap remake ke nou itilize mo sante mantal ak konpòtman sante kòm si yo te vle di menm bagay. Menm si konpòtman sante an refere a byennèt jeneral yon moun, yo konsidere li an tèm de aksyon ki reflete eta mantal yon moun. Dapre diksyonè Asosyasyon Sikoloji Ameriken an, sante mantal defini kòm “yon eta lespri ki karakterize pa byennèt emosyonèl, bon ajisteman konpòtman, libète kont enkyetid e kont sentòm ki andikape moun, ak yon kapasite pou konstri bon jan relasyon ak moun, epi fè fas ak demann e egjizans lavi a.”

Definisyon sa a fè nou reflechi sou eta sante mantal kominote Ayisyen an lè nap konsidere sa k ap pase lakay e aletranje. Anndan legliz nou yo, nou gen yon kantite ayisyen k ap soufri an silans anba twoub estrès, sezisman, twoma, chagren ak lapenn, enkyetid, mala-

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di depresyon, ak pwoblèm relasyonèl. Pifò gen tèt yo chaje ak laperèz, yo pa gen espwa sou demen pou sa l ka pote. Petèt, yap soufri silans nan mantal yo paske yo pè pou moun pa lonje dwèt sou yo, pou moun ka enkrimine yo epi mete yo sou kote, pou moun pa pase yo nan betiz, pou kanmarad pa gade yo tankou moun ki fini, osinon tankou yon kretyen pi pèdi lafwa nan Bondye. Lè nou konsidere sa ki te fèt ann Ayiti ane pase yo, tankou tranblemanntè, boulvèsman politik, vyolans, grangou, depòtasyon, desepsyon ak move tretman frè Ayisyen nou yo sibi sou fwontyè Etazini, èske nou pa gen rezon pou nou enkyete sou sante mantal nou? Gen moun ki ka mande, ki jan li posib pou pale de lavni lè nou deja akable pa sa k ap pase nan prezan an? Wi nou kapab. San nou fè politik, nou ka kòmanse konvèsasyon sa a ak moun nou renmen yo epi answit pote li nan fanmi lwen nou yo, answit andan legliz no yo, epi kominote a. Nou bezwen kòmanse aprann tcheke youn sou lòt, bay ankourajman ak opòtinite pou nou pataje tout sak fè nou gen laperèz. Nou bezwen kòmanse louvri lespri nou pou nou chache èd pwofesyonèl pou bezwen mental nou, menm jan nou fè l byen vit pou bezwen medical nou yo; nou bezwen pale lib de maladi mantal ki tankou nenpòt lòt maladi, epi sispann pretann oswa kache dèyè miray lafwa nou men pito aplike pawòl Bondye yo. Nou bezwen pran swen tèt nou menm jan apot Pòl te ankouraje Timote pou l pran swen tèt li nan 1 Timote 5:23, “Pa bwè dlo sèlman, men pran yon ti diven pou ede dijesyon w, paske ou malad souvan”.

“

An jeneral, sante mantal se pa yon koze ki konsidere kòm tabou nan kilti Ayisyen an, ki vle di se yon koze moun pa pale. Se sak fè li konn difisil anpil pou you granmoun Ayisyen idantifye e pale aklè de sentòm maladi mantal li genyen lè li nan konsiltasyon, li pi fasil pou li di w li gen estrès oswa fatig tan pou li di w li santi li vle pèdi tèt li.

Pandan n ap toujou chèche fason pou n navige sou pwoblèm nou yo kounye a, li san danje pou nou di ke avni sante mantal nan kominote Ayisyen an pwomètan. Anpil konvèsasyon ap fèt kounye a sou diferan platfòm e anndan salon ak legliz ayisyen nou yo. Gen plis pwofesyonèl kounye a ki konpetan nan kilti Ayisyen an e ki disponib pou non sèlman fasilite konvèsasyon sa yo, men tou pou bay tretman ak asistans jan sa nesesè. Nan lekòl nou yo jodi a, gen pwofesyonèl sante mantal ki la pou bay plis atansyon a bezwen kominote a atravè edikasyon ak asistans. Nou kwè gen anpil lidè legliz ki resevwa fòmasyon pou edike e ankouraje moun ki nan bezwen, pou chache wè yon pwofesyonèl pou sante mantal yo. Nou bezwen rete fleksib e angaje pou nou kontinye motive avèk pasyans kominote ayisyen nou an, pou yo pran swen tèt yo ak sante mantal yo, jan Bondye vle’l la.

REFERENCES

Sue, D. W., Gallardo, M. E., & Neville, H. A. (2014). Case studies in multicultural counseling & therapy. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 9781118487556.

U.S. State Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Quick Facts about Palm Beach County. (2019) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/palmbeachcountyflorida

Kanel, K. (007). A Guide to Crisis Intervention, Third Ed. Tomson Brooks, ISBN 0-495-007765.

American Psychological Association. APA dictionary of psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/mental-health. Accessed on January 24, 2022

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Behavioral health; 2020. https://www.cms.gov/behavioral-health. Accessed on January 24, 2022

Carson, N., Cook, B., and Alegria, M. (2010). Social Determinants of Mental Health Treatment among Haitian, African American, and White Youth in Community Health Centers. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved Social Determinants of Children’s Health, Vol. II; Baltimore Vol. 21, Iss. 2: 32-48.

Good News Translation Today’s English Version, Second Edition. (2020) American Bible Society. www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

The Reservoir is the cultural space for contributors to highlight customs, celebrations, holidays, rituals, recipes, and more. To contribute, send your article ideas to thewell@bewellpbc.org with “The Reservoir” in the subject line.

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