The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health staff represent the foundation throughout the state and nationally as leaders in mental health. Hogg staff participate in important discussions at meetings, conferences and trainings. Here is some of what we’ve been up to lately…

  • Stephany Bryan and Tammy Heinz, program officers, spoke about the East Texas Coalition for Mental Health Recovery at the National Association for Rural Mental Health Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX on Aug. 1. The panel was titled, “Recovery in Rural Texas: A Replicable Model for Developing a Sustainable Peer-Led Leadership Recovery Network.”
  • Vicky Coffee-Fletcher, program officer, participated in the August Faith-based Summit in Houston, TX which was organized in conjunction with the November Gulf Coast of Texas African American Family Support Conference. Local Houston clergy, faith-based and community stakeholders gathered to hear more about how spirituality impacts mental health in the African American community. Coffee-Fletcher presented information about the importance of engaging faith leaders and the key role they play in supporting individuals living with mental health conditions.
  • Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director, and Rick Ybarra, program officer, took part in the 37th Annual National Association of Social Workers/Texas State Conference on Aug. 31 in Austin, TX. The focus of their presentation was to enhance audience understanding of integrated health care and cultural and linguistic competency, explore tensions from shifting paradigms, examine innovations in services to racial and ethnic minority communities resulting in improved health outcomes, and examine the social worker’s role in this new health care environment.
  • Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., presented on Immigration and Mental Health at The Texas Tribune Festival’s panel, On the Road: A Symposium on Mental Health. The Texas Tribune, in partnership with The University of Texas at San Antonio included topics on mental health and criminal justice and immigration and mental health.
  • Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., was invited on behalf of the White House Rural Council, in partnership with Grantmakers In Health and the National Rural Health Association to attend a philanthropic stakeholder meeting in Washington, D.C. to discuss opportunities for improving the accessibility and quality of health care for Americans living in rural communities.
  • Rick Ybarra, along with Henry Salas, Community Health Center of South Central Texas, Dr. Kari Wolf, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital, and Alejandra Posada, Mental Health America of Greater Houston, presented a cultural competency panel entitled, “Setting a New Standard in Care Delivery:  Culturally Competent Integrated Health Care” at the Texas Behavioral Health Institute annual conference in Austin, TX on July 24.