Organization Profiles

Haitian American Public Health Initiative (HAPHI)
10 Fairway Street, P.O. Box 260386
Mattapan, MA 02126
Tel: 617-298-8076,
Fax: 617-296-1570,
E-mail: jeanmarc.jnbaptiste@haphi.org
Contact: Mr. Jean Marc Jean-Baptiste

Background
Haitian American Public Health Initiative (HAPHI) is a Mattapan-based, non-profit agency founded in 1989. It was born of the efforts of several Haitian-American health care professionals to address the pressing public health issues confronting Boston's Haitian community. HAPHI provides a comprehensive range of prevention education and direct service initiatives to Haitian-Americans from the greater Boston area, and beyond. The agency also serves a number of community residents from other ethnic groups in the Mattapan and Dorchester neighborhoods, particularly African-Americans.
The Haitian community of Massachusetts estimates its size at 75,000. Most of these live in Boston and have arrived over the past three decades. Young men are highly represented in the Haitian-American population, but there is a growing number of families with children as well.

Mission/Goals
Provide members of the Haitian-American community with culturally and linguistically accessible information and services to improve their health and emotional well being.
Specifically, HAPHI's goals are to provide culturally sensitive, factual information to Haitians about the general health, social and cultural issues that shape their lives; cultivate norms that support and encourage healthy behaviors within the community-at-large; and improve access to services and economic opportunities that address the health and social needs of Haitians.

Services
HAPHI is organized into three primary service departments: the Youth Department, HIV Prevention and Service Department, and Family and Community Health Department. HAPHI's core prevention initiatives focus on HIV, substance and tobacco use, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, teen violence, school failure/drop out, domestic violence and prevalent chronic diseases, such as heart disease asthma, diabetes, and some cancers.
Current programs include: Haitian-American Prevention and Education Project, Haitian against Drugs (School Success Program), Sexual Assault Prevention Program for Youth, HIV Services, Extended Counseling (HIV), Haitian Men's Health Project, Media Outreach Program, Haitian Tobacco Prevention Project, Sexual Assault Prevention Program for Adults, Chronic Disease Prevention and Education, Haitian Family Support Program, English As a Second Language (ESL), and the Parenting Education Project.