Overview
In Haiti, evidence-based therapists are greatly outnumbered by spiritual leaders. Due to barriers such as cost, stigma, and transportation, mental health patients often turn to the abundant Vodou priests as opposed to psychiatrists or psychologists. Our aim is to fill the gap between mental health needs and resources by training these highly revered Vodou priests to deliver evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in addition to their traditional Vodou practices.
For the past two years, CAMH’s Office of Transformative Global Health has partnered with Haiti’s main care providers: Vodou leaders. Our primary goal was to build mental health capacity by blending evidence-based therapy with Vodou practice.
As the project comes to a close, our team is launching an Indiegogo campaign on July 4 to drive a lasting impact and to ensure our Vodou partners have the necessary resources to continue forward. With the funds raised, we plan to create a culturally relevant educational film to train Vodou leaders on evidence-based mental health therapy. Our goal is to equip the Vodou community with the proper knowledge and skills so that they can sustain this blended therapy for generations.
To purchase tickets to events, learn more about the project, or donate to the cause, click here.
“In my view, this project is a dream come true. It brings together key elements for success: culture, community and wellbeing. It opens up new avenues in approaching mental health issues in Haiti by providing additional tools to central yet marginalized health care providers in the country. It acknowledges the healing power of Vodou as a cultural phenomenon and its legitimacy as an institution.
I’m so pleased to see Canada involved with such important and positive work in Haiti.”
– Dr. Eric Pierre, Honorary Consul of Haiti in Toronto, Canada
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To learn more about the upcoming campaign and program, please contact us at bestofbothworlds@camh.ca or through the form below:
Best of Both Worlds Campaign 