Hispanic Health Council

The Hispanic Health Council (HHC) is a community-based organization founded in 1978 to serve the Puerto Rican population in Connecticut. The organization is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.[1]

The organization expanded its focus from its initial Puerto Rican community emphasis to address broader public health issues including family structure challenges, emergency department utilization patterns, sterilization rates, and crisis intervention services.[2] The Hispanic Health Council operates using a collaborative approach that combines academic research with community action, involving community participants in project implementation.[3] This model has resulted in various programs including health education, minority recruitment into health professions, and professional training initiatives.[4]

Programs and Services

The Hispanic Health Council operates several programs targeting the Hispanic community:

  • Community-Based Participatory Research: Conducts research with Yale and UConn. Work recognized by WHO and UNICEF.
  • Direct Services:
    • Family Wellness Center: Integrated care addressing physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, social, and environmental health.
    • Compassion Center: Mental health and behavioral support with local health partners.
    • Community Nutrition Center: Nutrition and physical activity programs; recognized by White House under Michelle Obama.
    • Maternal & Child Health Services: Prenatal and postnatal support via doulas, community health workers, home visits, and clinics, partnering with hospitals and WIC.
    • Migrant Health Clinics: Healthcare for farmworkers and mobile communities with UConn partnership.
    • Health Protection & Education Center: Disease prevention outreach and addiction/mental health support with case management and employment services.
    • Welcome Center: ESL, legal support, and resources for immigrants and refugees.
    • Youth Services: Academic support, leadership development, and cultural programming including Extended Learning and "Bridge to Success" programs.

Operations

The Hispanic Health Council applies research findings to develop prevention, intervention, and community education programs. The organization provides services to Connecticut's Hispanic community with focus areas including maternal and child care, family nutrition, risk reduction, youth development, substance use disorder treatment, and HIV/AIDS services.[5]

The organization's research approach originated from an "action research" model that connected academic research with community advocacy. A 1977 National Institute of Mental Health-funded project involved data collection through life histories, ethnographic neighborhood studies, interviews with residents and service providers, and a random sample survey of 153 households in two Puerto Rican communities. The research staff was composed primarily of Hispanic community members, with La Casa de Puerto Rico serving as the grantee organization to maintain community control over the research process.[4]

In 2023, the Hispanic Health Council opened a Family Wellness and Cultural Center in Hartford, Connecticut, expanding its local family support services.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ "Hispanic Health Council educates and addresses growing problems in community". fox61.com. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  2. ^ Singer, Merrill (March 1995). "Beyond the Ivory Tower: Critical Praxis in Medical Anthropology". Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 9 (1): 80–106. doi:10.1525/maq.1995.9.1.02a00060. JSTOR 648559. PMID 7697554.
  3. ^ DeJesus, Jeannette B. (27 April 2007). "The Hispanic Health Council — Nonprofits". Hartford business. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b Schensul, Stephen L. (1982). "Introduction: The Hispanic Health Council". Urban Anthropology. 11 (11): 1–8. JSTOR 40552962 – via JSTOR.
  5. ^ Lynch, Alyson (5 March 2018). "Latino Commission on AIDS and Hispanic Health Network Join Compassion & Choices' Campaign to Pass Medical Aid in Dying". Compassion & Choices. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  6. ^ Courant, Deidre Montague | Hartford (2022-10-25). "Hartford Hispanic Health Council's new center to bring services to help change lives, a 'dream come true'". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  7. ^ Cruz, Joan. "Family Wellness Center". Hispanic Health Council. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  • Hispanic Health Council
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