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General History of the Center for Haitian Studies, Health and Human Services, Inc: The Center for Haitian
Studies (CHS) is a duly registered non-profit, tax-exempt health and social service organization founded in 1988 for
the purpose of serving the disenfranchised populations of Little Haiti/Little River in Miami, Florida. In keeping with
its mission, CHS provides a wide range of services to members of the population including health education, health
services free of charge to indigents, psychosocial counseling, case management, home-delivered meals, food bank,
direct financial assistance and transportation. Other services provided by the Center for Haitian Studies to the general
population include crime prevention, literacy, case management, cultural adaptation and counseling services for new
immigrants who arrived in Florida after 1994.
Over the past seventeen year, CHS has received more than twenty million dollars in grants from various federal, state
and local entities such as the Centers for Disease Control, Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Community
Development Block Grant, HOPWA, the University of Miami Area Health Education, the Health Foundation of South
Florida, the Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation and the Dade Community Foundation. As early as of 1989, the
Center for Haitian Studies was renown as the main provider of HIV/AIDS-related services to Haitian Americans living
in Dade County and has become a unique resource center for the provision of direct support services to the
underserved population of Little Haiti/Little River affected by HIV/AIDS.
As the AIDS epidemic took its toll on the multi-ethnic community of South Florida, a high rate of HIV infection was
observed among Haitians living in Dade County. Confusion about the cause of this increased number of cases among
Haitians led scientists and the general public to consider "being Haitian" as a risk factor in contracting and transmitting
HIV. Due to this systematic blame on their nationality, Haitians reacted by perceiving AIDS as a conspiracy against
them as unwanted immigrants in the United States. CHS' community roots created a place for the agency as one that
could be trusted by Haitian Americans who felt stigmatized elsewhere. During this period, the Center laid the
foundation of what has become the only nationally known counseling program successful in working with Haitian
Americans affected by HIV/AIDS. Providers in other cities with large populations of Haitians, including
Port-au-Prince, New York, Boston and Montreal, have unsuccessfully attempted to provide these types of services to
Haitians.
Given the stigma associated with AIDS in the Haitian population, CHS' growing caseload of clients receiving services
is an outstanding accomplishment in the history of the agency. During a visit of the National AIDS Committee to the
Center in 1996, a number of CHS clients communicated eloquently to the White House delegation their frustration, the
pain they endure dealing with HIV and the lack of resources available to them in the community. They discussed the
deficiencies in the system and made suggestions about changes they would like to see. The fact that CHS' Haitian
American clients openly discuss their HIV status with other clients and with counselors is considered to be a major
milestone in the goal of the Center to improve the conditions of those affected by HIV in the Haitian community.
CHS's staff experience in providing services to the target population of Haitian Americans: All CHS staff who
are involved in program planning or who have direct contact with clients are sensitive to Haitian culture and values,
particularly to the history of the Haitian community with respect to HIV. CHS board and staff members are
experienced in the provision of counseling, case management, health, research and educational services. They have a
full understanding of issues related to Haitian beliefs and risk practices impacting on HIV transmission. Staff
members having direct contact with clients and the public are fluent in both English and Creole. The proposed project
will be implemented under the supervision and the technical assistance of a team with extensive experience of
providing services to the target population. Based on past and current successful experiences of CHS in providing
services to the target population of HIV/AIDS clients, effective management of this project is guaranteed. The Center
for Haitian Studies is renown for its fiscal integrity and its managerial capacity to implement the proposed project.
Capabilities of CHS to respond to the special needs of the target population: The clientele served by the Center
includes members of the multi-ethnic populations of Miami-Dade County affected by chronic illnesses and by
infectious diseases. CHS currently serves clients who a) have extremely limited access to most services offered by
state, federal and local government entities because of lack of information or unacculturation and language barriers;
and b) live in pockets of Little Haiti not readily accessible by public transportation.
Studies (CHS) is a duly registered non-profit, tax-exempt health and social service organization founded in 1988 for
the purpose of serving the disenfranchised populations of Little Haiti/Little River in Miami, Florida. In keeping with
its mission, CHS provides a wide range of services to members of the population including health education, health
services free of charge to indigents, psychosocial counseling, case management, home-delivered meals, food bank,
direct financial assistance and transportation. Other services provided by the Center for Haitian Studies to the general
population include crime prevention, literacy, case management, cultural adaptation and counseling services for new
immigrants who arrived in Florida after 1994.
Over the past seventeen year, CHS has received more than twenty million dollars in grants from various federal, state
and local entities such as the Centers for Disease Control, Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Community
Development Block Grant, HOPWA, the University of Miami Area Health Education, the Health Foundation of South
Florida, the Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation and the Dade Community Foundation. As early as of 1989, the
Center for Haitian Studies was renown as the main provider of HIV/AIDS-related services to Haitian Americans living
in Dade County and has become a unique resource center for the provision of direct support services to the
underserved population of Little Haiti/Little River affected by HIV/AIDS.
As the AIDS epidemic took its toll on the multi-ethnic community of South Florida, a high rate of HIV infection was
observed among Haitians living in Dade County. Confusion about the cause of this increased number of cases among
Haitians led scientists and the general public to consider "being Haitian" as a risk factor in contracting and transmitting
HIV. Due to this systematic blame on their nationality, Haitians reacted by perceiving AIDS as a conspiracy against
them as unwanted immigrants in the United States. CHS' community roots created a place for the agency as one that
could be trusted by Haitian Americans who felt stigmatized elsewhere. During this period, the Center laid the
foundation of what has become the only nationally known counseling program successful in working with Haitian
Americans affected by HIV/AIDS. Providers in other cities with large populations of Haitians, including
Port-au-Prince, New York, Boston and Montreal, have unsuccessfully attempted to provide these types of services to
Haitians.
Given the stigma associated with AIDS in the Haitian population, CHS' growing caseload of clients receiving services
is an outstanding accomplishment in the history of the agency. During a visit of the National AIDS Committee to the
Center in 1996, a number of CHS clients communicated eloquently to the White House delegation their frustration, the
pain they endure dealing with HIV and the lack of resources available to them in the community. They discussed the
deficiencies in the system and made suggestions about changes they would like to see. The fact that CHS' Haitian
American clients openly discuss their HIV status with other clients and with counselors is considered to be a major
milestone in the goal of the Center to improve the conditions of those affected by HIV in the Haitian community.
CHS's staff experience in providing services to the target population of Haitian Americans: All CHS staff who
are involved in program planning or who have direct contact with clients are sensitive to Haitian culture and values,
particularly to the history of the Haitian community with respect to HIV. CHS board and staff members are
experienced in the provision of counseling, case management, health, research and educational services. They have a
full understanding of issues related to Haitian beliefs and risk practices impacting on HIV transmission. Staff
members having direct contact with clients and the public are fluent in both English and Creole. The proposed project
will be implemented under the supervision and the technical assistance of a team with extensive experience of
providing services to the target population. Based on past and current successful experiences of CHS in providing
services to the target population of HIV/AIDS clients, effective management of this project is guaranteed. The Center
for Haitian Studies is renown for its fiscal integrity and its managerial capacity to implement the proposed project.
Capabilities of CHS to respond to the special needs of the target population: The clientele served by the Center
includes members of the multi-ethnic populations of Miami-Dade County affected by chronic illnesses and by
infectious diseases. CHS currently serves clients who a) have extremely limited access to most services offered by
state, federal and local government entities because of lack of information or unacculturation and language barriers;
and b) live in pockets of Little Haiti not readily accessible by public transportation.
| Center for Haitian Studies, Health and Human Services, Inc. 8260 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33138 Tel: 305 757-9555 Fax: 305 756-8023 * www.centerforhaitianstudies.org CHS is a private non-profit Communiy-based Organization. An equal opportunity employer. Area of Critical Need Facility approved by the Florida Medical Board |
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| © 2010 Center for Haitian Studies, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed and maintained by Romuald Blanchard |
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