In October 2019, Casa Del Carmen was awarded a $35,000 grant from Thomas Jefferson University and the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity (P-CHE) to fund this initiative.
Families and individuals who benefit from Casa Del Carmen Family Service Center, a ministry of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS), will receive a boost thanks to a new initiative that will address the health and social needs of the Latino Community living in North Philadelphia.
The program, Recupera Su Felicidad (Recover Your Happiness), was made possible through a grant from Thomas Jefferson University and the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity (P-CHE). It seeks to improve access to quality mental health services through information, referral services, and educational workshops at Casa Del Carmen and neighboring Catholic parishes.
Ms. Camille Crane, MA, Administrator at Casa Del Carmen Family Service Center said, “This initiative will help address the upstream factors contributing to the Latino communities health needs— specifically the lack of culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate mental health educational materials and lack of access to quality mental health care which are seen as the root causes of health disparities for the Latino community. We are thrilled to be able to directly impact some of the health inequity challenges faced in our community.”
Since the beginning of January, approximately 8,000 informational postcards have been distributed to area parishes that have a significant number of Latino parishioners. In addition, dedicated staff from CSS have also distributed postcards to those who access both on and offsite supportive services.
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Editor’s Note: For over 60 years, Casa Del Carmen Family Service Center, located in the Philadelphia’s Hunting Park section, has assisted the Latino population of North Philadelphia. Founded in 1954 to serve the growing number of Latino immigrants settling in North Philadelphia, services have expanded to meet the changing composition and needs of the city’s Latinos and other immigrant and refugee communities. Casa Del Carmen offers a coordination of culturally and linguistically competent services guided by a Two-Generation approach to well-being where families receive the supports needed to move forward with their lives. Casa Del Carmen Preschool Academy provides the highest standard of education for young learners in a safe and caring educational environment. For more information on services offered, please call 267-331-2500.
Catholic Social Services (CSS) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia offers community-based and residential programs and services to support men, women and children in need as an expression of the charitable works of our local Church throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. To learn more about CSS programs that serve a wide variety of human needs, please visit http://cssphiladelphia.org/.
