2014 Conference on Haitian Mental Health

Transcription

1 2014 Conference on Haitian Mental Health May 3rd, 2014 Conference Evaluation Report Office of Research Dr. Sonia Suri, Ph.D. This report is a result of the collaborative efforts of the following: Jordan Lawson (Research Assistant), MSPP s graduate students Hillary Scudder, Renée Marchant, - and our Summer Intern Annelise Cohen.

2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION SECTION I: CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT PROFILES Participant Occupations Participant Education Publicity Sources SECTION II: OVERALL CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE SECTION III: CONFERENCE EVENTS Influences of Lakay and Lòt Bò Dlo Grieving the Losses of the Migration Experience Synergizing Education and Mental Health Work for Healing and Integration Recovering from Social Rejection, Embracing Self-Acceptance Culture Clash and Degrees in the Diaspora/Who Are You? SECTION IV: TAKEAWAY CHANGES TO PRACTICE SECTION V: CONFERENCE EFFECTIVENESS Most Helpful Aspects Least Helpful Aspects SECTION VI: RECOMMENDATION RATING SECTION VII: CONCLUSION

3 Introduction The Third Annual Conference on Haitian Mental Health was held at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) on May 3 rd, The conference was sponsored by MSPP and the Haitian Mental Health Network. The main purpose of the conference was to bring together presenters and attendees in an intellectually engaging forum in order to discuss the theoretical, research, and practice-based inquiries on Haitian and Haitian American mental health. The theme of this year s conference was focused on Haitian identity, migration, and psychosocial adaptation. Following introductory remarks by MSPP President Dr. Nicholas Covino, the program featured a keynote address by Dr. Flore Zephir, concerning the impacts of various influences on ethnic choices of second-generation Haitian immigrants. These opening events were followed by two consecutive presentations. The first, given by Dr. J. Abede Alexandre, addressed the grieving and coping process associated with the disappointments of the migration experience that many Haitian immigrants face. This session transitioned into an address delivered by Dr. Charlene Desir, on synergizing education and mental health in order to promote healing and integration. These presentations were then followed by two break-out sessions. The panels focused on the following topics: 1. Degrees in the Diaspora and Who are you? 2. Culture Clash - How Film Presents Self-Awareness in Caribbean Americans The conference concluded with a presentation given by Dr. Marie Mesidor, concerning social rejection, self-acceptance, and committing to valued actions. This report describes and interprets the results of a survey that was included in the conference information packet, which was distributed to all conference attendees. The survey and detailed results are available upon request. They have not been included in the report in the interest of keeping it informative but brief. A total of 92 people attended the conference, of which 69 (75%) participants responded to the conference evaluation survey. 2

4 Section I: Conference Participant Profiles This section contains detailed participant profile information, including participant occupation, education, and ways in which respondents found out about this event. All responses are depicted in pie charts with corresponding percentages and mean score breakdowns. 1. Participant Occupation Conference participants encompassed a broad range of professional roles, all of which interface and work with the Haitian population. Clinicians were the largest professional group in attendance (51%), with this group including mental health and medical professionals. There was a fairly even distribution across the remaining groups, with teachers, attorneys, school counselors, and students all in attendance. Please see Figure 1 below for a detailed breakdown. Participant Occupation 51% 9% 9% 13% 18% Teacher Counselor Attorney Student Clinician Figure 1: Participant Occupation 2. Participant Education An overwhelming majority of respondents had graduate degrees (80%), with this group including those with a master s, doctoral, or Juris Doctorate degree. Specifically, respondents with a master s degree were by and far the largest group (45%). In all, the education level of respondents varied considerably. Please see Figure 2 below for a breakdown of participant education level. 3

5 Participant Education Level 3% 12% 17% 45% 23% Doctorate Masters JD Bachelors High School Figure 2: Participant Education Level 3. Publicity Sources The majority of respondents cited MSPP when asked to report on how they heard about the conference (43%); this includes newspaper ads, s, brochures, and other forms of communication sent out by the school. A significant number of respondents learned about the conference from the Haitian Mental Health Network (27%) or from a colleague within their own organization (21%). How Did You Hear About the Conference? 2% 7% 21% 27% Knowledge of Event HMH Network MSPP CPCS MCCE 43% Colleague Figure 3: Publicity Sources 4

6 Section II: Overall Conference Experience 1. Conference Evaluation The overall conference was rated very favorably, with 85% of participants giving the experience a rating of Very Good. Furthermore, participants signified a high level of satisfaction with each aspect of the conference. Please see Table 1 below for a further breakdown of participant scores. Table 1 Overall Conference Evaluation Category N Mean Very Poor Poor Fair Good Very Good Facilitators % 0% 0% 21% 79% Content % 0% 0% 20% 80% Facilities % 0% 0% 21% 79% Panels % 0% 2% 23% 75% Materials % 0% 2% 33% 65% Overall Experience % 0% 0% 15% 85% 5

7 Section III: Conference Events 1. Influences of Lakay and Lòt Bò Dlo The Influences of Lakay and Lòt Bò Dlo on the Ethnic Choices of Second-Generation Haitian Immigrants presentation was very well received, with each criterion receiving a mean score of 4.4 or higher. Many respondents indicated that they strongly agreed with category statements, such as the presenter was knowledgeable and learning objectives were met. Only 2% of the respondents reported that the format was not appropriate, and the material was not clearly presented. Table 2 below provides a detailed breakdown of mean scores and respondent ratings across each criterion. Table 2 Influences of Lakay and Lòt Bò Dlo on the Ethnic Choices of Second-Generation Haitian Immigrants Category N Mean Neither Nor Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 5% 18% 77% Description Accurate % 0% 3% 38% 59% Learning Objectives Met % 0% 8% 35% 57% Material Presented Clearly % 2% 2% 39% 57% Format Appropriate % 2% 4% 37% 57% Helpful for Professional Work % 2% 7% 38% 53% 2. Grieving the Losses and Coping with the Disappointments of the Migration Experience As depicted in Table 3, respondents indicated a high level of satisfaction with this presentation; with each criterion receiving a mean score higher than 4.6. Many participants expressed strong agreement with the following positive category statements: Learning objectives were met, helpful for professional work and material was presented clearly. Please review Table 3 below for a more detailed description. 6

8 Table 3 Grieving the Losses and Coping with the Disappointments of the Migration Experience Category N Mean Neither Nor Learning Objectives Met % 0% 2% 16% 82% Helpful for Professional Work % 0% 0% 21% 79% Description Accurate % 0% 0% 26% 74% Material Presented Clearly % 0% 0% 28% 72% Format Appropriate % 0% 5% 27% 68% Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 3% 31% 66% 3. Synergizing Education and Mental Health Work for Healing and Integration Table 4 below provides a breakdown of mean scores and respondent ratings for each category of the presentation. Mean scores were consistently high across categories, and a large majority of respondents strongly agreed with positive statements about the conference experience. Table 4 Synergizing Education and Mental Health Work for Healing and Integration Category N Mean Neither Nor Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 9% 91% Format Appropriate % 0% 2% 10% 88% Helpful for Professional Work % 0% 0% 15% 85% Material Presented Clearly % 0% 0% 18% 82% Description Accurate % 0% 0% 22% 78% Learning Objectives Met % 0% 2% 21% 77% 7

9 4. Recovering from Social Rejection, Embracing Self-Acceptance and Committing to Valued Actions Table 5 illustrates respondents generally positive attitude toward the presentation. Mean scores for each category criterion were quite high and participants generally agreed with the positive statements attached to the conference. Table 5 Recovering from Social Rejection, Embracing Self-Acceptance and Committing to Valued Actions Category N Mean Neither Nor Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 0% 31% 69% Format Appropriate % 0% 4% 33% 63% Description Accurate % 0% 4% 35% 61% Learning Objectives Met % 0% 8% 31% 61% Material Presented Clearly % 0% 4% 38% 58% Helpful for Professional Work % 0% 6% 38% 56% 5. Break-Out Sessions: Culture Clash and Degrees in the Diaspora/Who Are You? Attendance Breakdown As depicted in Figure 4, the majority of respondents attended Culture Clash (60%); however, the split between respondents was fairly even, with a significant amount of participants (40%) attending Degrees in the Diaspora/Who are You? 8

10 Attendance Breakdown Culture Clash 40% 60% Degrees in the Diaspora/Who are You Figure 4: Attendance Breakdown 6. Degrees in the Diaspora and Who Are You? Many respondents agreed with the positive category statements, indicating a high level of satisfaction with the panel experience. Additionally, mean scores for each conference category were 4.15 or higher. Please see Table 6 below for a more detailed breakdown. Table 6 "Degrees in the Diaspora" and "Who Are You?" Category N Mean Neither Nor Format Appropriate % 0% 0% 44% 56% Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 8% 36% 56% Material Presented Clearly % 0% 4% 44% 52% Learning Objectives Met % 0% 4% 48% 48% Helpful for Professional Work % 0% 8% 52% 40% Description Accurate % 0% 8% 50% 42% 9

11 7. Culture Clash How Film Presents Self-Awareness in Caribbean Americans The Culture Clash presentation was well received by the majority of respondents, as indicated by the high ratings this presentation received. Mean scores across all categories were 4.0 or higher. Also, the majority of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with various aspects of the conference, such as the presenter, materials/handouts and content. Please see Table 7 for a more detailed breakdown of participant ratings. Table 7 "Culture Clash" - How Film Presents Self-Awareness in Caribbean Americans Category N Mean Neither Nor Presenter Knowledgeable % 0% 14% 32% 54% Material Presented Clearly % 0% 11% 37% 52% Format Appropriate % 0% 5% 45% 50% Description Accurate % 0% 6% 47% 47% Learning Objectives Met % 0% 11% 49% 40% Helpful for Professional Work % 3% 8% 53% 36% 10

12 Section IV: Takeaway Changes to Practice 1. Plan to Make Changes to Practice An overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) indicated that they planned on making changes to their practice as a result of the conference experience, suggesting that the conference had a strong impact on respondents. Please see Figure 5 below for a detailed breakdown. Plan to Make Changes to Practice 3% 10% Yes No No Response 87% Figure 5: Plan to Make Changes 2. Changes to Practice When asked to describe one change they plan to make in their practice or interaction with Haitian clients, respondents answered in a multitude of ways. Many respondents indicated making specific changes such as reinforcing the positive, focusing on migration issues, or improving cultural sensitivity. One respondent indicated a plan to embrace more consciously the significance of the multigenerational Trainee identity. Figure 6 below provides a visual breakdown of these findings. Panel 1 also provides additional samples of respondent answers. 11

13 Changes to Practice Reinforce Positive Haitian Culture Focus on Migration and Integration Experience Increase Cultural Sensitivity Culturally Sensitive Assessments More Patience/Sympathy/Openness Educate Others Provide More Resources Incorporate Role of Loss Figure 6: Changes Planned to Make to One s Practice Panel 1: Integrate Content into Practice More knowledge in regards to Haitian culture to help better my practice Increase attunement to experience of negative prejudice Incorporate a clinical psychologist to all interdisciplinary teams Awareness of the structure of the Haitian family and the possible etiology of acting out Become more involved in working with different organizations that promote a positive approach in Haitian s mental and social health in the diaspora Integration of family into the intervention Be more sensitive and understanding of the Haitian experience in America 12

14 1. Most Helpful Aspects Section V: Conference Effectiveness The majority of respondents (18) mentioned the conference presentations as the most helpful aspect of the conference. This coincides with the consistently high ratings given to each presentation (see Tables 1-7 above). Along with this, many other aspects of the conference were cited as being most helpful, especially aspects pertaining to specific conference content, such as Haitian History, and Haitian Identity Development. Please see Figure 7 below for a more detailed breakdown. Most Helpful Aspects Presentations History of Haitian Migration and Experience Haitian Identity Development How to Connect in Therapy Difference between Education and Edukasyon Learning about Haitian Culture Influence on Parenting Role of Loss Q&A Discussion Figure 7: Most Helpful Aspects 2. Least Helpful Aspects Few respondents voiced serious concerns when asked to report on the least helpful aspects of the conference. However, there were some issues reported, with the major one being lack of time. A significant number of respondents (8) indicated a desire for the conference to be longer, voicing that some aspects of the conference felt rushed. One person indicated that they did not understand the content that was presented in Creole, making it difficult for non-haitian providers to understand what was going on. Figure 8 below gives a more detailed breakdown of participant responses. 13

15 Least Helpful Aspects Lack of Time Repetitive Content Presenters Leave Early Saturday Is Inconvenient Content In Creole Number of Responses Figure 8: Least Helpful Aspects 14

16 3. Recommendation Rating Section VI: Recommendation Rating Participants were asked how likely were they to recommend this conference to others in the future on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being very unlikely and a rating of 10 being extremely likely. Forty participants (or 61% of total respondents) gave a score of 9, indicating that they would be very likely to recommend this conference to others in the future. Overall, most of the responses fell on the upper half of the scale. Figure 9 provides additional details on participant ratings. How Likely to Recommend the Conference Ten Nine Eight Seven Rating Six Five Four Three Two One Number of Responses Figure 9: Will You Recommend this Conference to Others in the Future? 15

17 Section VII: Conclusion The results of the survey indicate that the 2014 Conference on Haitian Mental Health was a successful forum that facilitated learning and professional growth for participants. Given that the survey ratings indicate an overall positive conference experience, it is likely that several aspects from this year s panels will be replicated in future conferences. The following discussion will examine specific areas of the conference experience, discuss individual successes, and also highlight possible ways in which the conference experience could be improved upon moving forward. 1. Successes In review, all of the presentations received considerably high mean score ratings across all criteria, indicating overall respondent satisfaction with the conference experience. The Synergizing Education and Mental Health Work for Healing and Integration presentation received the highest ratings across all criteria. Such a positive reception could be due to a variety of factors. However, it should be noted that Dr. Charlene Desir did an excellent job leading and facilitating an informative, professionally appropriate discussion around the integration of education and mental health services. The preponderance of high recommendation ratings and the wide variety of conference features that were named as the most helpful aspects of the conference indicate high level of quality across conference panels. It is important to note that the least helpful aspect named was not related to conference content but rather involved a hope for more time. This indicates that respondents thoroughly enjoyed the conference, and would have liked to spend more time interacting with the presenters and fellow participants. 2. Opportunities for Improvement Some responses seemed to indicate wanting more in-depth content, with six respondents stating they already knew the basics that were presented in the panels. This should be taken into account for future events by potentially reviewing content before the panels to ensure adequate information is available for attendees. There was also a call for more time for the event, which could indicate that a longer or two-day conference may be worthwhile. 3. Conclusion Based on the results from this survey, it is apparent that the 2014 Conference on Haitian Mental Health was an enjoyable and informative experience for its attendees. The vast number of high ratings indicates strong individual quality of events, and the varied list of helpful aspects emphasizes the conference s overall success. The results from individual panels presented in this report may be analyzed further to determine which specific sessions should be repeated or revised for future presentations. In closing, it would be of great benefit for the results of the conference evaluation survey to be carefully considered by organizers of future conferences held by MSPP. Utilizing and making changes based on survey data will ensure that future conferences continue to provide the best possible experience for attendees and thus the greatest possible positive impact on the populations they serve. 16