Spotlight Staff

Meet Fabienne Eliacin, one of PPAL’s family support specialists, a fluent speaker in both English and Haitian Creole, and our Emergency Department (ED)/ Crisis Specialist.

Fabienne first learned about PPAL by taking one of our virtual Active Parenting of Teens classes. She’s been with us since! Fabienne, whose own daughter lives with mental health challenges, feels “a call” to help families whose children are struggling with mental health. When she was able to connect with other families, Fabienne realized that she was not alone, and used the connections she built to cope herself as well as to gain resources for her daughter. Fabienne now wants to make it easier for other families.

If you’ve ever taken your child to the ED for mental health issues, you know that Massachusetts, like many other states, is in a children’s ED boarding crisis, with some children spending weeks in the ED waiting for an opening for inpatient mental health treatment. Fabienne helps families navigate the entire process, from finding an inpatient bed for their child to helping their child transition from their inpatient stay to residential schools, other treatment options, or their own homes with a safety plan.

In addition to her ED work, Fabienne supports a number of Haitian families. Because speaking about mental health can be difficult or even taboo for some members of the immigrant community, Fabienne likes to mention her own family’s experiences to set an example of openness and acceptance. Fabienne also does outreach to the community, passing out flyers in libraries and working with IFSI, the Immigrant Family Services Institute. Fabienne says that for “families that are willing to do the work, the outcome [for their children] is amazing.”

Reach out to Fabienne by calling or filling out our family support request form and asking for support in Haitian Creole!

PPAL's phone: (866)815-8122

Family Support Request Form