Hispanic Health Council


The Hispanic Health Council is a community-based organization founded in 1978 to serve the Puerto Rican population in Connecticut. The organization is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.
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. The Hispanic Health Council operates using a collaborative approach that combines academic research with community action, involving community participants in project implementation. This model has resulted in various programs including health education, minority recruitment into health professions, and professional training initiatives.

Programs and Services

The Hispanic Health Council operates several programs targeting the Hispanic community:
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.
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.
In 2023, the Hispanic Health Council opened a Family Wellness and Cultural Center in Hartford, Connecticut, expanding its local family support services.