Strengthening Immigrant Communities

Since 2011, DHTI’s core programs fall into two key initiatives, to increase immigrants entering healthcare careers and to promote healthier communities.

Now more than ever before, DHTI’s mission is critical as we are faced with an unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic. Our workforce programs help immigrants to pursue healthcare careers by offering career coaching, exploration, planning, and navigation support; professional and intercultural skills workshops; internship and job placement.

In 2020, program participants supported local responses to COVID-19 through placements at health centers providing testing. Our community wellness programs provide mental health services to support Middle-Eastern and North African communities through community events, psycho-education and cultural workshops, support groups, referrals and linkages, and preventive counseling. We refer participants and clients to support services such as childcare, healthcare, food, housing, legal, mental health. We build strong relationships with education and employment partners and Community Based Organizations.

DHTI has worked with over 700 refugees and immigrants from over 68 countries, representing over 42 languages.

DHTI is a trusted community resource due to our diverse staff who reflect the language, culture, and experiences. All staff members identify as people of color, 11 identify as refugees or immigrants themselves, and collectively we speak over 14 languages and dialects in addition to English, including: Arabic, Bhojpuri, Bhutanese, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), French, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Punjabi, Spanish, Urdu, Vietnamese.

Our History

Diversity in Health Training Institute (DHTI) is an East Bay based non-profit organization established in 2011 by then Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker, to help immigrants with healthcare training in the home countries qualify for healthcare jobs here in the US and to increase the pool of healthcare workers for employers that reflect the culture and language of their patients. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, better known as Obama Care, there was a need to further address the shortage of healthcare professionals and in particular, a healthcare system that can connect with the growing diverse immigrant patient population.

Prior to its inception, the concept of DHTI began as an outgrowth of a pilot training program. Alice Lai-Bitker convened a consortium of several East Bay community health and education organizations (Chabot College, The English Center, and Jewish Vocational Services), to pilot International Nurses Re-entry Program (INRP). The goal of INRP was to enable foreign-trained nurses to become qualified to work as Registered Nurses (RNs) here in the U.S. Supervisor Lai-Bitker recognized that Allied Health Careers were emerging as the careers that offer the best potential for continued employment, self-sufficiency, and professional growth.

DHTI was incorporated when supervisor Lai-Bitker finished her final term in 2010 and founded DHTI in 2011. Government and several local foundations quickly provided financial support to DHTI in its first year, a sign of the need for DHTI’s unique service. The first pilot cohort of 8 participants who had been trained in healthcare in their native countries, had practiced in their countries, and permanently relocated to the US., was enrolled. By October 2012, 7 of the 8 had re-entered a healthcare job in the U.S.