Together we can.

Known as the ministry of the Sentinels, the Sentinels is a Non-profit Christian Organization under section 501(c) (3) EIN-47-1457414 comprised of a group of mothers concerned about the well-being of not only their children but also of the immigrant youth population in the greater Boston area. As a faith-based organization, the ministry does not discriminate against anyone no matter creed, religions, and gender. 

History:

Ministry Sentinels was founded in 2009 by Mrs. Myrtha Celestin, founder after painfully observing the fall of young people under the hands of the justice system both federal and local; she observed how young men and women subjected themselves to all sorts of destructive behaviors which ultimately will get them in trouble with the system. She also observed the adverse impact on children and youth due to disruption in family functioning, leading to drug abuse and sexual activity as a means of coping.  Based on her observations, she brought a team of other concerned community leaders to brainstorm ways to support the families. They concluded that there are observable differences in the degree of one’s parent’s relationship with their children at home will determine adult future decisions and implications for success and/or failures. Hence, the ministry was created to be a faith-based organization that will serve the local communities in counseling matters without discriminations. 

Mission and Goals:

The Sentinels Ministry mission is to provide access to culturally competent services to immigrant families using a holistic approach that takes into account the spiritual, cultural and emotional aspect of the individuals. Sentinel ministry brings together stakeholders from the community who have a vested interest in seeing individuals fulfilling their God’s given abilities to fully function in their communities. 

Sentinels Ministry goals and objectives are the following:

1. Provide a positive environment that support the family unit in all aspects of raising competent and intelligent children

2. Equip parents with the tools they need to support their children

3. Educate stakeholders about the critical issues their communities face

4. Bring providers from different background to support the emotional well-being of the clients

5. Provide a safe space for clients to meet with other concerned individuals to provide spiritual and emotional support

Organization Structure

Sentinels ministry leadership team is composed of a group of culturally competent individuals who are fully embedded in the community and understand the challenges faced by immigrant parents as they try to navigate their new culture. The ministry is led by a board of directors, and a team of competent individuals who play various roles in the organization. All staff speak various languages and bring various skills to support family transition, especially for immigrants transitioning into their new communities. We bring together professionals in various fields such as marriage and family counseling, group and individual therapy, nursing, community advocacy and social work. We also work with law enforcement officers, other medical professionals, educators in early childhood interventions, youth workers, health and wellness as a way to complement our interventions. (Please see attached list of staff)

The Problem:

Inadequate access to services, and inappropriate identification of treatment of mental health concerns in ethnic minority communities have led to significant disparities in outcomes for youths of Haitian descent. Haitian local community services have been proven inadequate to meet the challenges that people of faith present in the community. Many of them refuse to seek help due to mistrust and fear of being misunderstood. For the past decade, the Haitian community has been categorized among the underserved both professionally and socially in MA. In the last two years there has been an increase in newly arrived Haitian families who have arrived in MA, with various levels of trauma. More often than not, they local churches of every creed and denomination. 

As a result of the pandemic, more than ever before the ministry, as a faith-based community organization, has been at the forefront among the essential care givers, to provide services to everyone from the community. Our services have been proven to be effective in reducing parental stressors, alleviating church demands, reducing teen delinquencies among Haitian adolescents.  

Intervention:

The Ministry of the Sentinels is uniquely positioned itself to address issues of mental health in the Haitian community. As a Faith-Based Community Organization, Sentinels Ministry meets the patients where they are. Our team seeks to understand the psycho-spiritual development that has been neglected and constantly resurfacing among Haitians during counseling and therapy. We work with providers from culturally diverse backgrounds, and rely on various studies that highlight the supernatural belief of many community members when it comes to illness and evil spirit sent by someone who may not like or envy the person. We design interventions that take into consideration the cultural beliefs of families and uniquely address the challenges they face, while taking into consideration their own assets, their individual characteristics (family, cultural, work and school environment.)

The Program uses an innovative and creative intervention approach that focuses on Haitian families’ assets and strengths in addition to their current life stressors. The interventions will surround newly arrived families with a network of support (connecting them to local resources and individuals who care for them) . Such interventions have proven to be helpful in developing strong local relationships, self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-worth. We will also add a few elements such as tutoring, mentoring, advocacy training, development of social skills and community serving to support their full integration.

Our proposed interventions are focusing on building family resiliency and developing capacity known as life options that are critical for the sustenance of the families (academic success for the children, good mental health and marital relationship which is an integral part of overall health and well-being).