24 May, 2026
NEW JERSEY — May 24, 2026 — Lakay Accès Santé Inc. (LAS) today launched its Mental Health & Wellness Session Series with an inaugural virtual workshop titled Stress & Anxiety: Navigating Life in a New Country. Thirty community members joined the Zoom session, delivered in Haitian Creole with bilingual slides (English and Haitian Creole) by Dr. Davia Titus-Thomas, DNP, PMHNP-BC, APN, RN-BC, MD, founder of Peace of Mind Mental Health and Wellness LLC.
The session addressed a pressing public health need. Research shows that 64% of U.S. immigrants report high daily stress, immigrants are up to twice as likely to develop anxiety disorders, and 40% of Haitian immigrants screen positive for depression or anxiety within five years of arrival — yet immigrants seek professional help at disproportionately lower rates.
Participants received evidence-based coping tools, warning-sign recognition, and a curated bilingual resource list including SAMHSA, Crisis Text Line, and community mental health centers in Essex and Union Counties.
You left your home not because you gave up, but because you believed in something better. You are not just surviving. You are becoming.
— Dr. Davia Titus-Thomas, DNP, PMHNP-BC — Session 1 closing
This series is a partnership between LAS and Peace of Mind Mental Health and Wellness LLC, designed to deliver culturally competent, stigma-reducing mental health education to immigrant and Haitian diaspora communities in New Jersey. Sessions are held every 4th Sunday from 3:00 to 4:30 PM, live on Zoom, in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.
Future sessions will be announced. Community members with follow-up questions are encouraged to reach out to LAS directly at (908) 620-5053 or lfrancois@lakayaccessante.org.
Lakay Accès Santé Inc. is a New Jersey-based community health organization dedicated to improving health access, literacy, and equity for Haitian and immigrant communities through bilingual education, navigation services, and strategic provider partnerships.
Media Contact: info@lakayaccessante.org · (908) 620-5053 · lakayaccessante.org
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