The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce the appointment of Letty Elenes and F. Scott McCown to its National Advisory Council.
National Advisory Council members are chosen for their expertise in mental health, consumer advocacy, public health, philanthropy and other fields related to the foundation’s mission of promoting the mental health of all Texans. The 10-member council offers critical guidance and expertise to staff on strategic direction, major grant initiatives and other projects that will dictate the trajectory of the foundation’s impact in Texas.
“The good ideas that inform our grant initiatives don’t just materialize from thin air; they come from the accumulated wisdom and experience of thought leaders like Letty and Scott,” said Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation and vice president for diversity and community engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. “We welcome them to our National Advisory Council and are excited about what they bring to the table.”
Letty Elenes is Program Director for the National Consumer Technical Assistance Center, Doors to Wellbeing, at the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery in Vermont. Through her work in the Oakland-San Francisco Bay area, she was a pioneer in the Alameda County youth and consumer movement, creating and executing successful programs to address youth and adult mental health needs. Elenes is co-author of WRAP® for Youth (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and a popular public speaker, delivering keynote addresses at the national Alternatives Conference in 2011 and 2012. Her honors include the Community Service Award from the Alameda County Mental Health Board, and the Jay Mahler Consumer Leadership Award from the Alameda County Pool of Consumer Champions.
F. Scott McCown is a Clinical Professor and Director of the Children’s Rights Clinic at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. After retiring as a state district judge, McCown served as executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy institute working to address the challenges of low-income Texas children and families. In 1999, McCown’s Petition in Behalf of the Forsaken Children of Texas to the Governor and 76th Legislature led to a significant increase in funding for Child Protective Services. His honors include the 1999 Award for Leadership in Public Child Welfare by the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, and the 2000 Leadership in Local Government Child Advocacy Award by the National Association of Child Advocates.
The Hogg Foundation advances recovery and wellness in Texas by funding mental health services, policy analysis, research and public education. The foundation was created in 1940 by the children of former Texas Gov. James S. Hogg and is part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin.