The Paso del Norte Health Foundation seeks letters of intent (LOI) from eligible organizations to further the Health Foundation’s goals under the Behavioral Health Consortia area.

Specifically, the Health Foundation seeks LOIs for programs that address mental health and substance use system gaps by increasing coordination among regional behavioral health consortia stakeholders as informed by data. The Health Foundation will not consider proposed programs already covered by other resources to include government funding or by health coverage reimbursement.

Note:A separate call for LOIs was simultaneously released, seeking evidence-based programs to reduce stigma and negative bias associated with mental health conditions and substance use under the Think.Change initiative.

The Health Foundation uses the LOI process to welcome various proposals from diverse applicants. After review, the Health Foundation will invite selected applicants to submit a full proposal.

Behavioral Health System Defined

For this LOI process, the Health Foundation defines a behavioral health system as inclusive of treatment, navigation, support, and health promotion services for mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), addiction and related substance use, and other associated disorders.

What We Will Fund

Health Foundation Role in Behavioral Health System Improvement

The Health Foundation does not fund illness treatment services. The Health Foundation works closely with the Paso del Norte Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to cultivate collaboration as a neutral convener for regional community collaboratives and related work groups or task forces. Work to improve the Paso del Norte region’s mental health and substance use systems will strive to achieve an “Ideal Behavioral Health System.” An inclusive system includes criminal justice, law enforcement, veterans’ services, juvenile justice, child welfare, schools, homeless providers, and health systems, organized within available resources at the policy, program, procedure, and practice levels. The “Ideal Behavioral Health System.” is also customer-driven and focused on meeting or exceeding the service and support needs of individuals and families; recovery and resiliency-oriented; integrated, trauma-informed, culturally competent, and organized from a population health perspective; set up to meet the needs of individuals and families with complex, co-occurring conditions of all types. LOIs submitted to the Health Foundation will be in complement with priority goals and strategies identified by the following regional Consortia and related workgroups or task force efforts:

El Paso County: The El Paso Behavioral Health Consortium (Consortium) works to improve mental health and substance use systems in the greater El Paso and Hudspeth County area of the Paso del Norte region. The Health Foundation, the PdN Center at the Meadows Institute, and critical community leaders lead in maintaining an effective collaboration for the system of care. Several comprehensive system assessments inform the Consortium’s priority goals; the most recent system assessment can be found at HealthyPasodelNorte.org/epbhconsortium

Southern New Mexico: In Dona Ana County, the Local Behavioral Health Collaborative – 3 (LC3), a consortium focused on mental health and substance use system improvements, is working with Doña Ana County leaders to address system gaps. In Otero County, the Otero County Community Health Council and the Local Behavioral Health Collaborative – 12 also work with community stakeholders to improve the Otero care system. Health Foundation and PdN Center at Meadows Institute staff participate in these groups and assist in cultivating collaboration for system improvement efforts. For more information on the Doña Ana County mental health and substance use system, visit healthypasodelnorte.org/LC3.

Ciudad Juarez: In Ciudad Juarez, MX, with the assistance of the Mexican arm of the United States/Mexico Border Health Commission, ROTMENAS (an acronym describing the charge of the group to improve the behavioral health system, inclusive of treatment and health promotion services for mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other related disorders including substance use disorders) now convenes regularly and is building strength, structure, and collaboration among the more than 47 organization partners. The ROTMENAS Juarez system assessment, goals, strategic plan, and progress indicators can be found at: https://rotmenas.saludfronterizachihuahua.org/

Key Dates

Deadlines & Schedule

• Letters of intent are due via the Health Foundation’s on-line application system by April 6, 2023.
• Invitations for full proposals will be announced by May 18, 2023.
• Invited applicants may be required to meet with the Program Officer before submitting a full proposal.
• Full proposals are due by June 22, 2023.
• Projected funding cycle start date is November 1, 2023, but other dates may be proposed.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, including churches and units of government, located in the Paso del Norte region. See the Paso del Norte Health Foundation website: www.pdnhf.org for more information about grant guidelines.

Service Region

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation operates in a unique binational environment, which stretches across two countries and three states. This region serves the 2.4 million people living in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties in far west Texas, Doña Ana, Luna, and Otero Counties in southern New Mexico, and the municipality of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.