February 15, 2011
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are writing to inform you of a unique and new opportunity for excellent psychiatrists or graduating
senior psychiatric residents who might be interested in the Dr. Mario Pagenel Global Mental Health
Delivery Fellowship with Partners In Health (PIH), with a placement in Haiti with Partners In
Health’s sister organization, Zanmi Lasante (ZL), in collaboration with the Haitian Ministry of Health
(MSPP). Since the January, 2010 earthquake, the MSPP has prioritized mental health as a central
component of Haiti's effort to rebuild its health care infrastructure and services, with the ultimate goal
of a national mental health plan and decentralized mental health services. This fellowship is offered in
collaboration with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, and
Massachusetts General Hospital.
The fellowship honors Dr. Mario Pagenel, beloved ZL physician and Director for Training and Medical
Education, who perished in Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Dr. Pagenel had a special interest in psychiatry,
mental health, social medicine and health equity.
The Fellowship provides an opportunity for career development in global mental health delivery for
post-graduate psychiatrists. It offers a combined focus on training, research and advocacy. Global
mental health delivery fellows will be based in Haiti for 1-2 years.
PIH, now active in 12 countries, is a Boston-based not-for-profit organization that for more than two
decades has focused on the health of the poor. The site of our oldest and largest program, Haiti has
been the true heart of PIH since its founding. For more than 20 years, PIH and ZL, have been
providing vital health care services in Haiti’s Central Plateau and Artibonite Valley. In 2010, PIH,
through ZL, provided 1.8 million patient visits across 11 hospitals in two of Haiti’s poorest regions.
Following the earthquake, PIH/ZL worked to implement a comprehensive, Haitian-led response to our
patients’ mental health needs, more than tripling the size of our mental health and psychosocial team.
As PIH/ZL has worked to coordinate activities within the context of a broader national response, it has
continued to expand psychosocial support and mental health services in both its existing catchment
areas and also in new ZL-supported settlements in Port-au-Prince, integrating mental health and
psychosocial support with medical and community-based interventions. By September, 2010, the ZL
mental health and psychosocial support team had offered more than 10,000 support services in Portau-
Prince spontaneous settlements alone, including psycho-education, counseling, and individual and
group therapy. PIH/ZL has staffed each of its hospitals in the Central Plateau and Artibonite Valley
with a full complement of Haitian psychologists, social workers and social work assistants, with the
aim of delivering services and developing a comprehensive continuum of care for mental health
needs spanning the community to the hospital. By building capacity through the employment, training
and mobilization of Haitian mental health clinicians, PIH/ZL seeks to develop locally feasible and
sustainable structures for mental health care and, over time, to establish generalizable models for a
system of mental health service delivery to serve Haiti and its people. With the breaking of ground for
construction of a world-class teaching hospital at Mirebalais, there will be a timely opportunity to
develop a model hospital-based, public-sector mental health service.
We are recruiting a board-eligible or board-certified psychiatrist to join us beginning in July, 2011. The
work involves: developing strong productive relationships with our Haitian colleagues to identify core
challenges to quality mental health care and devising collaborative plans for improvement;
accompanying Haitian health care workers (physicians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatric nurses,
social workers, social work assistants and community health workers) in developing their capacity to
implement new program initiatives and quality care interventions in mental health; sharing clinical
expertise at the bedside and through didactic teaching; providing support to efforts related to the
development of a model mental health service at the new hospital at Mirebalais; liaising with the ZL
rehabilitation team; and liaising with the Haitian Ministry of Health. The Fellow will also serve as a
supervisor for future US-based psychiatric resident and medical student experiences in Rwanda with
IMB.
We welcome candidates with interests in:
- Collaborative learning
- Teaching and mentorship
- Specialty interests, for example in consultation-liaison psychiatry, child and adolescent
psychiatry, and emergency psychiatry
- The improvement of healthcare within the public sector
- Community outreach, primary care, and hospital based tertiary care
- Research in global mental health delivery
- Social justice
This is a salaried position with benefits. Partners In Health will provide airfare between Boston and
Haiti as well as living accommodations and meals in Haiti. Applicants must be prepared to commit to
at least 75% time in Haiti over the duration of the fellowship. To facilitate career development in
global mental health, fellows will be eligible to attend a 3-week summer program in Global Health
Effectiveness at Harvard School of Public Health. Fellows will have the opportunity to collaborate in
and develop mentored research and educational projects, and will have the option of participating in
ongoing research efforts. Fellows will have another 3 weeks of time in Boston to develop and refine
global mental health delivery-related skills and knowledge in collaboration with chosen program
mentors.
Some proficiency in Haitian Creole and conversational French is strongly preferred.
Interested applicants should submit a 1-2 page letter describing their experience and interest in
global health/global mental health, and a CV with the names of two references. Application materials
and questions can be addressed to the Fellowship Director. Please share this request for applications
with colleagues, training program directors, or others with an interest in global mental health delivery.
Sincerely,
Giuseppe Raviola, MD
Fellowship Director
Director, Mental Health, Partners In Health
Director, Program in Global Mental Health and Social Change, Department of Global Health and
Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
graviola@pih.org
Father Eddy Eustache, MA
Director, Mental Health and Psychosocial Services
Zanmi Lasante, Haiti
edeustache@yahoo.fr
David Walton, MD
Deputy Chief of Mission
Partners In Health, Haiti
dwalton@pih.org
For more information about:
Dr. Mario Pagenel: http://www.pih.org/haiti/news-entry/pih-and-zanmi-lasante-mourn-the-loss-of-a-leader-in-medical-education/
Zanmi Lasante: http://www.pih.org/pages/haiti/
The PIH/ZL earthquake response: http://www.pih.org/annual-report/entry/annual-report-haiti-earthquake/
PIH/ZL mental health response: http://www.pih.org/six-months/subject/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support
PIH/ZL mental health response, detailed: http://www.standwithhaiti.org/six-months/entry/responding-to-mental-health-needs
One patient’s mental health story: http://www.pih.org/haiti/news-entry/one-year-later-a-hymn-of-hope/
Treating the mind in Haiti: http://www.pih.org/blog/entry/treating-the-mind-in-haiti-a-conversation-with-susan-phillips/
Mirebalais Hospital construction: http://www.pih.org/six-months/subject/mirebalais-teaching-hospital
PIH: http://www.pih.org