Christine Delmas-Durandis – 1st Secretary

B.S in Biology, M.S in Clinical Mental Health Counceling.

Born in Brooklyn, NY Christine was raised by her mother in Port-au- Prince, Haiti where most of her schooling was done. In 2005 when Haiti was once again rocked by political unrest, Christine decided to come back to the United States to pursue her education. She enrolled at State University of New York of Stonybrook where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology. While completing her undergraduate studies, Christine worked as a French and Haitian Creole medical interpreter. It was during that time that she uncovered her love and ability for languages and came to appreciate the need for translators and interpreters alike especially in the medical field where clear patient/provider communication and understanding is vital. Coincidently Christine also realized that much of the confusion the patients experienced even when procedures were carefully explained in their native language was, in some cases, primarily due to a lack of education. A big supporter of education for all, Christine believes that access to education yields stronger and efficient communities. This conviction led her to join the Board of Directors of House of New Vision and Hope with the goal to help the organization achieve its mission to bring tuition-free education to the children of Haiti.
Recently Christine has broadened her desire to help her community by pursuing her education in Mental Health Counseling. Christine explains “Any talk of mental health or disease is very taboo within the Haitian community, and as a result many who could benefit from treatment often fail to seek professional help, especially when they risk being misunderstood by a provider of different ethnic background. I would like to help change the narrative surrounding mental health care in our community by normalizing the process.”
Christine is a wife and mother of three currently living in South Florida.