News

Foundation awards grants to support Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

February 15, 2018

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation recently awarded 10 grants totaling more than $2 million under the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Priority Area – Think.Change Initiative. The purpose of the Think.Change Initiative is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, increase training for mental health providers and explore structural changes in the region’s behavioral health treatment system. Funded organizations are:

City of El Paso Housing Authority - $49,094.10
Think Change Housing
To conduct a review of housing policies and practices, identify strengths and gaps, and develop an action plan with recommendations to build a mental health supportive environment for residents and applicants, and to provide training in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to sixty (60) Housing Authority employees who have frequent contact with residents and applicants.

Comision de Salud Fronteriza Mexico-Estados Unidos - $98,721.78
Strengthen Mental Healthcare and Reduce the Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in Ciudad Juárez, Phase 2: Carry “ROTMENAS” to Action
To strengthen the recently developed behavioral health system of care collaborative (ROTMENAS), and provide “Program of action to overcome gaps in mental health (mhGAP)” trainings for professionals and lay health workers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

County of El Paso - $71,500.00
Regional Mental Health Stigma Reduction Campaign
To continue providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for over 250 patrol officers, detention officers and civilian staff with inmate contact, and to explore changes in detention standards of practice to promote a Think.Change culture.

El Paso Child Guidance Center - $146,400.00
Trauma Informed Care: Create and Implement an Education and Contact-Based Trauma Informed Care Model to Reduce Mental Health Stigma Amongst Professionals
To reduce stigma associated with mental illness among professionals who have frequent contact with consumers by developing the El Paso Child Guidance Center into a trauma informed care resource center, increasing the number of mental health providers who are trained in evidence-based therapeutic approaches and providing trauma informed care trainings to El Paso County organizations that serve children and adolescents.

Emergence Health Network - $166,049.38
Project Emerge
To provide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings for at least 1,000 individuals in El Paso County, hold a MHFA Instructor summit and expand MHFA training to areas in Hudspeth County.

Family Service of El Paso, Inc. - $273,688.62
People Empower El Paso (PEEP)
To provide National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) evidence-based programs including Family to Family, NAMI Basics, Parents and Teachers as Allies, NAMI Provider Training and In Our Own Voice in El Paso County and to strengthen NAMI – El Paso as a central mental health advocacy and education provider in the region.

Techo Comunitario, A.C. - $42,900.00
Triple P - Positive Parenting Program: Change the Stigma to Ask for Help in Parenting and Continue Building Healthy Communities
To implement the Triple P evidence-based program in eight at risk neighborhoods in Ciudad Juárez.

The Regents of New Mexico State University- $74,970.72
Foster Community Partnerships and Education to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma in Otero County
To strengthen a mental health system of care collaborative, provide crisis intervention team training (CIT), and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings for officers and other professionals to promote a Think.Change culture in Otero County.

The University of Texas at El Paso - $1,131,311.00
Promote Mental and Emotional Well-being in the Paso del Norte region
To create a backbone organization (BBO) that will help lead mental health and emotional well-being priority area programs. The BBO will provide both leadership and expertise to catalyze efforts to reduce stigma and negative bias associated with mental illness and explore structural changes in the behavioral health systems in the Paso del Norte border region.

For more information on the Think.Change Initiative, contact Enrique Mata, Senior Program Officer at 915-218-2617 or emata@pdnhf.org.