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Mental Health Support Services
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Espere Community Counseling Center is dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of people throughout Haiti. Each of our direct services aims to increase hope and strength as our clients work to manage individual and community challenges, raise awareness, and end the stigma surrounding mental health.
At Espere, we welcome all. We believe that all races, ethnicities, ages, religions, genders, sexual orientations, or abilities deserve the opportunity to find hope, unity, and peace of mind.
Our mental health team, comprised of local psychologists and mental health workers, offer a wide range of services to address different mental health needs. These services are offered in Creole, English, or French.
Individual Counseling
Our experienced counselors offer a confidential, supportive environment for children and adults ages 3 and older. The counselors integrate a variety of techniques and tools including play therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and trauma-focused interventions to support people of all ages to manage symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, and other life stressors.
Support Groups
Support groups offer a safe environment where people learn that they are not alone and find strength in both sharing their experiences and learning from others. Each group can be catered to match the needs of the group’s age or social needs.
Our support groups include, but are not limited to:
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Finding Strength Following Trauma - Group members will learn how trauma can affect their physical and mental health and gain support from other survivors of abuse, disasters, and other sources of trauma.
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Relaxation and Stress Management Group - Meet together each week to learn ways to manage the stress in your life and relax.
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Teen/Young Adult Empowerment Groups - Adolescents today are faced with a variety of challenges as they learn to navigate relationships with family and peers while transitioning into adult roles and responsibilities. Past trauma and current hardships can exacerbate these challenges. Our mental health workers provide a psychoeducational program focusing on emotional intelligence and coping skills so they can have tools to manage stress, increase self-esteem, improve relationships, increase life skills, and gain confidence to prepare for the future.
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Strengthening Relationships Group - This group will focus on strategies that you can use to improve relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. Get support from other members as we learn together how to have stronger personal relationships.
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Grief and Loss Support Group - Members will be able to process their own grief and loss experience in a supportive environment while learning how grief can impact many aspects of life. Each member will learn coping skills to manage the challenges they face from their grief experiences.
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"Foreigners in Haiti" Support Group - This group is designed to allow members of the expat community to meet together each week and discuss the successes, challenges, joys, and unique stresses of living and working in Haiti.
Staff Support
As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” We believe that investing in the care and wellbeing of your staff members at your business or organization will allow them to give even more to those you serve and the work you do.
Our counselors can provide mental health and psychosocial support so your staff can better manage the challenges that affect them personally and professionally. This service includes weekly 3-hour visits from one of our mental health professionals who can provide individual and group counseling services.
Hospital/Clinic Support
The link between physical and mental health is inseparable. Symptoms of mental health problems often involve unexplained physical health complaints including headaches, muscle pain, and digestive problems. Research also indicates that mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can develop during a hospital stay, increasing healthcare costs and time the patient remains in the hospital.
Espere can provide mental health services in order to decrease hospital costs and improve patient comprehensive care and recovery. This service includes a weekly 3-hour visit from a mental health professional to provide psychoeducation and counseling for patients in both individual and group settings in addition to support for family members and caregivers.
School Support
Trauma and other mental health problems can greatly impact a child’s ability to succeed in school, including difficulty concentrating, behavioral problems, and changes in school performance. Our team members can teach emotional intelligence and regulation skills as well as other therapeutic techniques to help children succeed. T
his service includes a weekly 3-hour visit from a mental health professional to provide play-based and other expressive therapies in individual and group settings. We do require that your staff participate in a training we will facilitate regarding mental health and the mental health professional’s role prior to working with the children.
Orphanage and Children's Home Support
Espere provides support for children living in orphanages or group homes who are showing signs of mental health problems often related to trauma history, adjustment, and attachment issues. These challenges, when left unaddressed, can lead to academic, social, and behavioral problems at different stages of the child’s and adolescent’s development. Our team members can teach skills that promote healthy coping skills and increased social and emotional intelligence.
This service includes a weekly 3-hour visit from one of our mental health professional to provide play-based and other expressive therapies in individual and group settings. We do require that your staff participate in a training we will facilitate regarding mental health and the mental health professional’s role prior to working with the children.
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Trainings and Workshops
Espere offers seminars and workshops that meets the needs of your group. Each presentation provides a background on the importance of mental health in addition to specific mental health and psychosocial topics that are relevant to the group or organization. Contact us to schedule one of our mental health professionals to be a guest speaker at your school, staff meeting, church, or workshop, too.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
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Introduction to Mental Health and Common Issues in Haiti
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Coping with Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, and other Common Issues in Haiti
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Mental Health and Trauma-Based Care in the Classroom, Orphanage, or Hospital
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Women’s Mental Health and Wellbeing
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Disaster Mental Health and Psychological First Aid
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Strategies to Prevent Vicarious Trauma and Burnout
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Multicultural Communication and Relationships
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Fostering Smooth Transitions (appropriate for orphanage staff and/or young adults leaving orphan care)