The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health staff has been quite busy lately. We are proud of our top-notch colleagues who positively represent the foundation throughout the state and nationally as leaders in mental health. Here is some of what we’ve been up to lately…
- Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director, accepted a four-year term on the editorial board of the Home Health Care Services Quarterly, the first published review journal in the fields of health care and community-based long-term care services. The quarterly journal is dedicated to the advancement of research, practice and policy in health care across a continuum of care settings.
- Dr. Martinez attended the 28th Annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, chaired by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in Atlanta, Georgia. The symposium focused on promoting the social inclusion of people with mental illnesses.
- Dr. Martinez presented at a conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists. The workshop, “Covering the Health and Medical Care of Immigrants,” was designed for journalists who write about health. Dr. Martinez’s presentation was entitled, “Mental Health Needs of Immigrants.”
- Colleen Horton, policy program officer, was invited to serve on the advisory board of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a nationwide network of clinical, academic and community-based child trauma centers.
- Dr. Lynda Frost, director of planning and programs, was accepted into the 2013 Leadership Texas Program, a statewide program that provides educational and development opportunities to Texas women who seek to advance as leaders.
- Meagan Longley, policy fellow, provided testimony to the joint Senate Education and Senate Criminal Justice Committee on the overrepresentation of children with serious emotional disturbance in alternative education programs.
- Vicky Coffee-Fletcher, program officer, in conjunction with the Austin African American Behavioral Health Network, hosted two events for the faith-based community. First, local clergy and ministers convened to continue dialogue around strategies for faith-based leaders to educate congregations about mental health, recovery and wellness. There was also a convening of minister’s wives held in October for the purpose of informing them about how mental health impacts their husbands’ ministries. Both gatherings were well attended and allowed participants to continue exploring opportunities for raising awareness around mental health.