AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) awarded the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health (TIEMH) at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin funding to help advance innovation in health prevention services. These services will support residents of Texas, particularly youth (ages 6-17), young adults (ages 18-25), parents and caregivers, and members of their support system.
TIEMH identified 15 underserved communities in Texas to participate in the Innovative Healing Centered Projects (IHCPs). These communities will use funds to promote mental health wellness and prevent substance use by providing interventions to support resilience, social and community connectedness, healing, and referrals for people who experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences, multigenerational trauma, or have emergent behavioral health needs due to COVID-19.
Community organizations will provide support through non-clinical interventions best suited to the population they serve and focus on resilience – or how well one is equipped to bounce back after stressful events, tragedy, or traumatic events – and wellness promotion or substance use prevention. They will also screen for mental health, substance use, and social determinants of health needs and if needed, offer referral pathways to appropriate clinical and non-clinical resources, services, and support in the community.
IHCPs will provide innovative peer services, mindfulness and yoga-based programs, community and school-based wellness, and peer mentorship and leadership programs. Programs and resources will aim to support participant well-being and resilience and prevent the need for substance use or mental health treatment.
The Innovative Healing Centered Project community partners are:
- Rainbow Days, Innovative Behavioral Health Peer Support Services, Dallas
- Recovery Council of Southeast Texas, Community Wellness Center, Beaumont
- The Council on Recovery, Peer Mentorship Program, Houston
- Alpha Home, Innovative Peer Services, San Antonio
- Thriving United, Alternative Peer Support Group, Midland
- Serving Children and Adults in Need (SCAN), Mindfulness & School-based Wellness Center, Laredo
- The City of Lubbock, Community Behavioral Health Worker Program, Lubbock
- East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ETCADA), Innovative Peer Services & Mindfulness, Longview
- Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas, Mindfulness, Community & School-based Wellness, Pharr
- Camino Real Community Services, Community Wellness Center, Lytle
- Aliviane, Community Wellness Center, El Paso
- Next Step Community Solutions, School-based Wellness Program, Innovative Peer Services, Mindfulness and Yoga-based Program, & Leadership Program, Tyler
- The D. Wood Foundation, Peer Mentorship & Leadership Program, Austin
- Youth180, School-based Wellness & Peer Mentorship Program, Dallas
- The Amplify Center, Community Wellness, Leadership & Mindfulness Program, Austin
MEDIA CONTACT
Kendall Jones
Communications & Marketing Manager
Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
Phone: (512) 232-0616
Email: txinstitute4mh@austin.utexas.edu