Haitian American Psychiatric Association's Tribute To Bishop Guy Sansaricq
On Sunday 8/22/2021, the Haitian American Psychiatric Association (HAPA) members paid tribute to Bishop Guy Sansaricq via an educational network: Radio Soleil. Bishop Sansaricq lived a life that exemplified kindness, inspiration and leadership. He was an outstanding Servant of God who achieved far more than the average. He contributed in innumerable ways to multiple Haitian organizations and communities.
As a member of numerous boards, he helped identify cultural, religious and moral values to inspire all ages. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, he volunteered many hours to lead a mental health forum with the HAPA members to spread awareness on mental health issues related to Covid-19 to the Haitian community. For many years, he has organized several seminars to talk about the virtue of compassion and the importance of solidarity. He provided an example of what one caring individual can do for mankind.
Adlai Stevenson once commented about a man and his contributions “It is not the years in a life that counts; it is the life in the years.”
While good men die, their contributions do not. Bishop Sansaricq left us a legacy which will remain for generations to come. May he rest in peace in God’s hands!
Marie Daniella Charles-Belzie, MD
HAPA Past President
Community Services by HAPA members: 2021
Devastating Earthquake in Haiti
On August 14, 2021, a catastrophic magnitude 7.2 earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in the southern part of Haiti. More than 12,000 people have been severely injured. Family members and rescue teams are looking for several missing persons presumed trapped under the rubble.
This has been quite an unfortunate year for Haiti which has been struck by so many tragic events: the Covid-19 pandemic, a rampant insecurity, the assassination of the president, and countless natural disasters. It is hard to understand this misfortune which has brought heartache to all Haitians.
This is an urgency for the Haitian American Psychiatric Association as these natural disasters will bring more medical and mental health issues to people living in a nation already affected by psychological, social, and economic instabilities. The size of the task is enormous but the collective goodness of the HAPA members will bring all of us into action.
Let’s continue to work closely with our sister agencies and use our creative minds to help our Haitian brothers and sisters.
Dr. Daniella Charles-Belzie, past president of HAPA carrying donated medications to be sent to Haiti
Medications donated to HAPA and received by Dr Belzie will be sent to Haiti.
Roger Belzie, Daniella Belzie and Marie Paule Chery preparing boxes of medications to be shipped to Haiti.
Dr. Louis Belzie accepting medications from a pharmacist
Dr Chery, Dr Belzie, and Dr Daniella Charles-Belzie
Dr. Daniella Charles-Belzie, past president of HAPA with boxes of medications donated by pharmacists
HAPA presentation at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association
HAPA presentation at the 2020 annual scientific program of AMHE (Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad)
Louis Belzie, MD MPH
The Impact of Dementia on Families
Alzheimer Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 5 million American have either clinical AD or mild cognitive impairment due to AD. The number is expected to grow to 15 million by 2050, and with it, the costs and consequences of managing dementia as the American population ages. These challenges are exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic that is currently straining health systems, which puts individuals with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) at risk. Most people with a dementing illness will be cared for at home by a family member, who may experience a variety of physical, emotional, financial, and social burdens associated with the caregiving role. This presentation aims to (a) examine the physical and psychological effects of providing care to a family member with a dementing illness, and (b) discuss several approaches to caregiver intervention designed to reduce the negative impact of this challenging role during a time of crisis.
HAPA weekly radio Presentations - 2021
Live Presentations on Psychiatric Illness & Mental Health: every Sunday from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
If you have a question during the presentation, please call Radio Soleil at 516-231-1898
Date Presenter Topic
Jan 03, 2021 Panel Discussion Depression, Personality, Substance use, Covid and Children, PTSD, Schizophrenia
Jan 10, 2021 Dr. Frantz Moise Anxiety Disorder and Covid-19
Jan 17, 2021 Dr. Dimitry Francois Alcohol use Disorder
Jan 24, 2021 Panel Discussion Covid vaccine
Jan 31, 2021 Dr. Guitel St-Victor Sexual Harassment
Feb 14, 2021 Dr. Lesly Francois Psychiatric Symptoms in Covid-19
Feb 21, 2021 Dr. Constantin Canal OCD
Feb 28, 2021 Dr. Bordes Laurent ADHD
Mar 07, 2021 Dr. Dimitry Francois Suicide (part 1)
Mar 14, 2021 Dr. Daniella Charles Belzie Suicide (part 2)
Mar 21, 2021 Dr. Roosevelt Clerisme Personality Disorder
Apr 04, 2021 Dr. Dimitry Francois Legal Marijuana and K2
Apr 11, 2021 Dr. Lesly Francois Mental illness and Violence
Apr 18, 2021 Dr. Pierre Jean-Noel Autism Spectrum Disorder
Apr 25, 2021 Dr. Louis Belzie TelePsychiatry during the Covid-19 pandemic
May 02, 2021 Dr. Guitel St-Victor Women illness and mental health
May 09, 2021 Dr. Dimitry Francois Cannabis: Truth vs. Fiction
May 16, 2021 Dr. Daniella Charles Belzie Some thoughts regarding Dr. Fauci’s address to the APA annual meeting
May 23, 2021 Dr. Roosevelt Clerisme Suicide Prevention
Aug 22, 2021 Panel Discussion The legacy of Bishop Guy Sansaricq
Aug 29, 2021 Dr. Leyla Jean-Baptiste Anorexia Nervosa
Sep 19, 2021 Panel Discussion Haitian Mental Health Forum
Sep 26, 2021 Dr. Leyla Jean-Baptiste Anorexia Nervosa
Oct 03, 2021 Dr. Daniella Charles Belzie Bullying Prevention
Oct 10, 2021 Dr Dimitry Francois Substance Use Disorder
10-17-2021 Dr. Bordes Laurent Comorbidities: psychiatric & medical illnesses
10-24-2021 Dr. Leyla Jean-Baptiste Domestic Violence
10-31-2021 Dr. Roosevelt Clerisme Schizophrenia
11-07-2021 Dr. Frantz Moise Anxiety Disorder
11-14-2021 Dr. Louis Belzie Dementia of Alzheimer
11-21-2021 Dr. Emile Jean-Baptiste Covid-19 Pandemic/Vaccination
11-28-2021 Dr. Dimitry Francois Suicide
12-19-2021 Dr. Emile Jean-Baptiste Covid: The Omicron variant (HAPA and AMHE)
12-26-2021 Dr. Roosevelt Clerisme The Importance of Adequate Mental Health in the Community
COVID-19 in HAITI
As you know, several cities in our beloved country are now plagued with the deadly corona virus. The impact of this pandemic will have a lasting and disastrous effects on our brothers and sisters. We, at the Haitian American Psychiatric Association, are doing our best to support our countrymen.
We have established a GoFundMe account to collect donations that we will send to an accredited agency in Haiti. We recently provided important information about COVID-19 during a presentation at Tele-Solidarite. This event was hosted by Bishop Sansaricq.
Haitian American Psychiatric Association / SUNY Downstate Project
Members of the Haitian American Psychiatric Association are lecturing the child and adolescent psychiatry fellows at the SUNY Downstate child psychiatry fellowship program as an introduction to the project theme: Advocacy and Outreach to Diverse Cultural Communities. The child fellows recently attended presentations delivered by our president Dr. Daniella Charles Belzie and our secretary Dr. Dimitry Francois. The lectures were very informative according to the child fellows. Other HAPA members will participate in the project.
Three members of the Haitian American Psychiatric Association pictured with the staff of SUNY Downstate Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship.
Advocacy and Outreach to Diverse Cultural Communities
An Educational Project of the Haitian American Psychiatric Association (HAPA) with SUNY Downstate
Director: Marie Charles-Belzie, MD
Day/Time: Tuesdays at 10, March 3, 10 and 17 and site visits on two additional half days coinciding with the NYCCC rotations
Location: KCHC R6044
Goals and Objectives
KNOWLEDGE
Fellows will gain knowledge and experience regarding advocacy and outreach to diverse cultural communities in alliance with the Principle VIII: Advocacy and Equity (Justice) from the AACAP Code of Ethics excerpted below. This will be achieved through didactics, reading, and experiential learning through field visits to churches, schools and speaking on health fairs or radio shows. They will focus specifically on the engaging the Caribbean community. The course will also enhance knowledge on systems of care, the cultural impact on treatment, and immigration factors on treatment.
Principle VIII: Advocacy and Equity (Justice): Child and adolescent psychiatrists support the principle that competent mental health care and a full array of services should be available for all children, adolescents, and their families, and support efforts to improve access to care at the individual, local community, and national levels. In research and scholarly settings, the burden of risk on subjects should not fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations, e.g., on the poor versus the wealthy, on children versus adults, on minorities, the physically handicapped or intellectually limited. Thus, protections for these populations must be in place and observed. While protections for children must be considered, however, so must potential benefits. Thus, research involving children is justified, as is true with other populations, if the results are likely to yield benefits for youth. Child and adolescent psychiatrists support and advocate for research that could benefit all youth, in unrestricted fashion, while simultaneously assuring that exploitation cannot and will not occur. While child and adolescent psychiatrists, acting alone, are not likely to resolve culturally entrenched problems of injustice, the practitioner should strive to minimize injustices to which an individual child or adolescent might be exposed Further, the practitioner is urged and encouraged to advocate for provision of appropriate care and services for all youths. (AACAP Code of Ethics, 2014)
ATTITUDE
Fellows will develop a greater understanding of communicating with professional from different fields and hone their collaboration skills
Contact Sites may include: Beraca Church, Schools, Dr. Belami’s Office (Advocacy leader in Brooklyn), PS 189 and Berthe G Faustin
Contacts may include: Pierre Jean-Noel MD, Roosevelt Clerisme MD, Louis Belzie MD, Mark Bibby, Dimitry Francois MD, Jacques Vital-Herne MD, and James Lubin MD
Education
Psychiatric presentations to active members during general assembly meetings.
Radio Program
Weekly interactive radio programs to educate the Haitian community about mental health.
Health Fair
Working in partnership with other organizations, HAPA delivers health fairs to the community.
Topics for the newsletter
Members will submit articles for HAPA e-newsletter
Meetings calendars will appear here
Calendars for executive committee meetings
Calendars for general assembly meetings
Schedule of health fairs
Dates of fundraising galas
HAPA Gallery
