Conference Evaluation Report

Transcription

1 4 TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON HAITIAN MENTAL HEALTH It Takes a Village: Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Haitian Children, Adolescents, and Families May 2, 2015 Conference Evaluation Report Office of Research Sonia Suri, Ph.D. Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist 1 Wells Avenue Newton, MA This report is a result of the collaborative efforts of the following individuals: Graduate Students Hillary Scudder, Suji Choe, and Courtney Langenbahn; and Research Assistants Jordan Lawson and Anneke Johnson.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SECTION I: CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS PROFILE Participants Occupations Participants Education Publicity Sources SECTION II: OVERALL CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE Overall Conference Experience SECTION III: MORNING PRESENTATION RATINGS Keynote Address by Dr. Charlene Désir Presentation by Dr. Vanessa Prosper and Dr. Charmain Jackman Presentation by Mr. Henry Milorin and Mrs. Evelyne Milorin Invited Address by Dr. Michel De Graff SECTION IV: MORNING CONCURRENT SESSION RATINGS Attendance at Morning Concurrent Sessions Morning Concurrent Sessions Ratings SECTION V: AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSION RATINGS Attendance at Afternoon Concurrent Sessions Afternoon Concurrent Sessions Ratings SECTION VI: PLANS TO CHANGE CLINICAL PRACTICE SECTION VII: RECOMMENDATION RATINGS SECTION VIII: CONCLUSION

3 INTRODUCTION The 4th Annual Conference on Haitian Mental Health was held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at William James College (WJC). The event was co-sponsored by the Haitian Mental Health (HMH) Network and WJC. The Annual Conference on Haitian Mental Health brings together practitioners, researchers, educators, public health officials, faith-based and spiritual leaders, community advocates, and policymakers whose current work can inform the development of a comprehensive, community-based, and culturally-oriented mental health agenda for Haitians in the Diaspora. The primary aim of the Annual Conference is to provide an intellectually stimulating forum where attendees can engage in a meaningful discourse on the mental health needs of the Haitian community; learn from leading scholars in the field; network with other professionals with a strong interest in, passion for, and commitment to promoting the health and well-being of Haitian immigrants; and exchange knowledge, information, and data on culturally-oriented theoretical inquiries, clinical practices, treatment interventions, research, and policy-based initiatives. In addition to offering cutting-edge plenary sessions, panel presentations, and networking opportunities, the Annual Conference is intended to commemorate Haitian Heritage Month through a series of cultural events and an annual art exhibition that celebrate the rich history, values, and traditions of Haitian culture. To learn more about the HMH Network and its Haiti- and U.S.-based activities, please visit or contact the Network via at HMHnetwork@gmail.com. 3

4 Section I: Conference Participants Profile This section contains information on participants occupation, education, and how they learned about the conference. All the responses are summarized in the pie charts below. The data presented in this Conference Evaluation Report are based on the number of attendees who completed and returned the evaluation form at the end of the conference. 1. Participants Occupations As shown in Figure 1 below, conference participants represented a diverse group of professionals. Social workers (35%) were the most represented group, followed by psychologists (14%) and counselors (11%). Figure 1: Participants Occupations by Percentages (N=37) Social Worker 27% 35% Counselor Psychologist 8% 5% 14% 11% Student Case Manager Other 2. Participants Educational Background The different percentages on the level of education participants reported are shown in Figure 2 below. All participants had a minimum of a Bachelor s degree. The majority of participants obtained a Master s degree (65%). The second largest group had doctoral degrees (22%), including Ph.D. and Psy.D. Figure 2: Highest Level of Participants Educational Attainment (N = 37) 13% 22% PhD/PsyD Masters 65% Bachelors 4

5 3. Publicity Sources A majority of the participants (35%) indicated that they learned about the conference from their work or another organization. Approximately 22% of the participants found out about the conference through . The other category includes types of communication that could not be classified into any of the existing categories (i.e., messages, work/organization, etc.). Figure 3: How Did you Hear About Today s Event? (N = 34) 24% 35% 22% 19% Colleague/Panelist Work/Organization Other 5

6 Section II: Overall Conference Experience This section contains information on the participants ratings of their overall experience. The responses are depicted in Table 1 below, which reports the percentage of ratings from Very Poor to Very Good. The table is divided into multiple sections that participants rated their experience on, including Conference Facilitators, Panels, Content, Materials, Facilities, and Overall Conference Experience. Overall Conference Experience As shown in Table 1, the overall ratings for the conference were high, indicating that participants had a very positive experience. Over 66% of participants in all categories gave the conference the highest rating of Very Good. Moreover, the average of participants overall conference experience was rated 4.86 out of 5. Table 1: Overall Conference Experience Category N Mean Very Poor Poor Fair Good Very Good Facilitators % 0% 0% 22% 78% Panels % 0% 0% 32% 68% Content % 0% 0% 19% 81% Materials % 0% 5% 28% 67% Facilities % 3% 0% 25% 72% Overall Experience % 0% 0% 14% 86% 6

7 Section III: Morning Presentation Ratings This section contains data on participants ratings of the morning presentations. All responses are summarized in tables that report the percentage of ratings from Disagree to. Each table is divided into multiple sections that participants rated their experience on: Description of the Topic Was Accurate, Learning Objectives Were Met, Presenter Was Knowledgeable, Material Was Presented in a Clear Fashion, the Format Was Appropriate for the Audience, and the Presentation Was Helpful for Future Professional Work. 1. Keynote Address by Dr. Charlene Désir: A Critical and Affirming Look at Haitian Families As shown in Table 2, the keynote address by Dr. Charlene Désir received high ratings in all categories. This session received high mean scores in each specific criterion, overall averaging 4.79 out of 5.0. About 86% of the participants strongly agreed that Dr. Désir was knowledgeable, and 100% of the participants agreed that the topic was accurate, the learning objects were met, the material was presented in a clear fashion, and the format was appropriate for the participants. Category N Mean Table 2: Keynote Address by Dr. Charlene Désir Disagree Disagree Neutral Accurate % 0% 0% 20% 80% Learning % 0% 0% 20% 80% Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 14% 86% Material % 0% 0% 20% 80% Format % 0% 0% 20% 80% Helpful % 0% 3% 23% 74% 2. Presentation by Dr. Vanessa Prosper and Dr. Charmain Jackman: Lekòl ak Lakay: How U.S. Schools and Haitian Families Can Work Together to Transform the Educational Lives and Social- Emotional Health of Haitian Students The presentation by Dr. Vanessa Prosper and Dr. Charmain Jackman was rated an overall average of 4.51 out of 5.0. Approximately 96% of the participants agreed and strongly agreed that the presentation by Dr. Prosper and Dr. Jackman was accurate in their presentation. The vast majority (96%) also indicated that the materials presented were clear, and 96% reported that the presentation was helpful for their professional work. Table 3: Presentation by Dr. Vanessa Prosper and Dr. Charmain Jackman Category N Mean Disagree Disagree Neutral 7 Accurate % 4% 0% 33% 63% Learning % 4% 0% 35% 61% Knowledgeable % 4% 0% 27% 69% Material % 4% 0% 42% 54% Format % 3% 4% 35% 58% Helpful % 4% 0% 46% 50%

8 3. Presentation by Mr. Henry Milorin and Mrs. Evelyne Milorin: Changing the Mental Health and Disability Poverty Paradigm Participants found the presentation by Mr. Henry Milorin and Mrs. Evelyne Milorin to be very helpful across a range of areas (see Table 4 below). The majority of the participants (86%) strongly agreed that Mr. and Mrs. Milorin were knowledgeable in their subject area. They received a mean score of 4.78 out of 5.0 on the appropriateness of the presentation format, which suggests that the presentation was fairly easy to follow. Category N Mean Table 4: Presentation by Mr. Henry Milorin and Mrs. Evelyne Milorin Disagree Disagree Neutral Accurate % 0% 0% 17% 83% Learning % 0% 0% 20% 80% Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 14% 86% Material % 0% 0% 20% 80% Format % 0% 0% 22% 78% Helpful % 2% 6% 17% 75% 4. Invited Address by Dr. Michel DeGraff: Linguistics and Mental Health to the Rescue: Restoring Joyful and Dignified Citizenship, Reducing Trauma and Alienation, and Promoting Human Rights for All Children in Haiti The table below summarizes the overall scores on Dr. Michel DeGraff s presentation. His invited address received an average overall score of 4.69 out of 5.0. Participants gave a mean score of 4.81 out of 5.0 for the accuracy of the presentation. All the participants agreed or strongly agreed that Dr. DeGraff was knowledge about the topic, and the majority of the participants (92%) found his invited address to be helpful to their future professional work. Table 5: Invited Address by Dr. Michel DeGraff Category N Mean Disagree Disagree Neutral Accurate % 0% 0% 19% 81% Learning % 0% 0% 31% 69% Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 17% 83% Material % 0% 3% 33% 64% Format % 0% 0% 39% 61% Helpful % 2% 6% 25% 67% 8

9 Section IV: Morning Concurrent Session Ratings This section contains information on participants ratings of the morning concurrent sessions and breakdown of attendance for the sessions. All responses are presented either in a table or a pie chart. The table is divided into multiple sections that participants rated their experience on: Description of the Topic Was Accurate, Learning Objectives Were Met, Presenter Was Knowledgeable, Material Was Presented in a Clear Fashion, Format Was Appropriate for the Audience, and Presentation Was Helpful for Future Professional Work. 1. Attendance Breakdown of Morning Concurrent Sessions The breakdown of attendance for the two concurrent sessions is shown in Figure 4 below. Approximately 58% of the participants attended the session on Engaging Haitian Parents and Families in Care: Challenges and Opportunities, and the rest (42%) took part in the session on Bringing Voices to Silence: Exploring Tools to Promote Racial Justice and Health Equity. Figure 4: Morning Concurrent Session Attendance (N =35) 42% 58% Engaging Haitian Parents and Families in Care: Challenge & Opportunities Bringing Voice to Silence: Exploring Tools to Promote Racial Justice and Health Equity 2. Morning Concurrent Session Ratings Table 6 below demonstrates that 89% of the participants agreed and strongly agreed that the information in the two concurrent sessions was helpful. While a small percentage of the participants (3%) did not perceive the description of the morning concurrent sessions to be accurate, about 94% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that the learning objects were met, that materials were presented in a clear fashion, and that the format of the morning concurrent sessions was appropriate. Category n Mean Table 6: Morning Concurrent Sessions Disagree Disagree Neutral Accurate % 3% 6% 36% 55% Learning % 3% 3% 42% 52% Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 40% 60% Material % 3% 3% 42% 52% Format % 3% 3% 42% 52% Helpful % 9% 3% 36% 52% 9

10 Section V: Afternoon Concurrent Session Ratings This section contains data on the participants ratings of the afternoon concurrent sessions and breakdown of attendance for the sessions. All responses are depicted in either a table or a pie chart. The table is divided into multiple sections that participants rated their experience on: Description of the Topic is Accurate, Learning Objectives Were Met, Presenter Was Knowledgeable, Material Was Presented in a Clear Fashion, Format Was Appropriate for the Audience, and Presentation Was Helpful for Future Professional Work. 1. Attendance Breakdown of Afternoon Concurrent Sessions The figure below illustrates the breakdown of attendance for the afternoon concurrent sessions. The majority of the participants (72%) attended the presentation on Process of Developing Community-Based Psychosocial Programming for Children, Youth and Families in Fonfrede, Haiti. Figure 5: Afternoon Concurrent Session Attendance Breakdown (N=32) 28% 72% Process of Developing Community-Based Psychosocial Programming... in Fonfrede, Haiti MSPP's Haiti Service Learning and Summer Immersion Program: A Reflection 2. Afternoon Concurrent Session Ratings An estimated 78% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the information presented in the two afternoon concurrent sessions was helpful (see Table 7 below). In addition, approximately 92% of the participants believed that the sessions were presented in a clear fashion and that acquired valuable knowledge, which will be helpful in their future professional work. Table 7: Afternoon Concurrent Sessions Category n Mean Disagree Disagree Neutral Accurate % 0% 3% 30% 67% Learning % 0% 6% 36% 58% Knowledgeable % 0% 3% 30% 67% Material % 0% 3% 30% 67% Format % 0% 8% 28% 64% Helpful % 5% 17% 22% 56% 10

11 Section VI: Plans To Change Clinical Practice This section contains information on the participants likeliness to make changes in their practice, system care and/or client care. Plans to Make Changes in Practice After attending the conference, the majority of the participants (76%) stated that they planned to make changes in future practice, system care and/or client care. Figure 6 below shows the breakdown of responses. Figure 6: Plans to Make Changes in Practice, System Care and/or Client Care (N =34) 24% Yes No 76% 11

12 Section VII: Recommendation Ratings This section contains information on the participants likeliness to recommend this conference to others. All the responses are depicted in a bar graph below, which reports the percentages for likeliness to recommend. Likeliness to Recommend the Conference When asked how likely they were to recommend this conference to others, on a scale from one, Least Likely, to ten, Most Likely, the most common response was a rating of ten with 27 responses (73%). The second most common response was 9 with 4 responses (11%). A rating of 8 had 1 response (3%). There were only a total of 5 participants who rated their likeliness to recommend as a 6 or less. A breakdown of all ratings can be seen in Figure 7 below. These results indicate that most participants were inclined to recommend the conference to others. Figure 7: Recommending the Conference to Others (N = 37) Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four How Likely You Are To Recommend Three Two One 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 12

13 Section VIII: Conclusion Conference attendees were a diverse group of highly educated individuals who rated their overall conference experience very positively. Of the morning sessions, the presentations by Dr. Désir and Mr. and Mrs. Milorin received the highest overall ratings. The morning concurrent sessions were rated slightly higher than the afternoon sessions. Most participants left the conference planning to make changes in their clinical practice as a result of the information and knowledge that they acquired during the event. Almost all participants reported that they would recommend the conference to others. 13