September Staff Highlights

Here’s a snapshot of the presentations made, events hosted, and honors received by the talented and dedicated staff of the Hogg Foundation during the month of September 2025. 

Alison Mohr Boleware, director of policy, Jason Castillo, policy specialist, and Maddie Garza, policy fellow, facilitated the monthly Hogg Policy Academy meeting, covering advanced advocacy strategies and policy capacity building for nonprofits. 

The policy team also hosted a webinar titled, “How to Submit Comments to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on the Rural Health Transformation Program.” Led by Jason and Maddie, the webinar addressed how stakeholders can contribute ideas for how the Texas HHSC, if awarded, should use the federal funding to transform rural health care.   

In her role as adjunct assistant professor at the UT School of Social Work, Alison also began teaching two graduate level courses, “Advanced Policy Practice” and “Dynamics of Organizations and Communities,” and an undergraduate course, “Social Welfare Programs, Policies, and Issues.” 

Jason is also teaching an undergraduate class at the UT School of Social Work, “Social Work Practice in Organizations and Communities.”

Vicky Coffee, director of foundation initiatives, engaged in several strategic meetings in Houston with key grant partners. Meetings including planning for the upcoming Young Minds Matter conference, discussions centered on strengthening leadership support and aligning efforts with the comprehensive landscape analysis of the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area, currently being conducted by the Prevention Institute—an initiative critical to shaping future youth mental health strategies across the region. 

Dr. Kelley Glover, post-doctoral research fellow, facilitated the interactive presentation “Historical Griot-telling: The Effect of Cultural Somatic Drumming on Heart Mind Coherence and Self-Efficacy” at the National Post-Doc Appreciation Week Research Symposium held by the UT Austin Graduate School’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and at the UT School of Social Work’s 75th Anniversary celebration,  

In her role as assistant adjunct professor at the UT School of Social Work, Kelley is also teaching the graduate level course, “Foundations in Social Justice.” 

Amy Loar, assistant director of programs and director of the Texas Grants Resource Center (TGRC), and Simone Till, program associate, introduced students from the UT Austin Studio Art graduate program to the center’s resources and provided them access to its grants database. 

Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director, participated in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s roundtable discussion on the role of private capital investments in expanding rural access to mental health services and strengthening the economy. The discussion highlighted how untreated mental health disorders impact individuals, families, and communities, contributing to income loss, reduced economic output, and increased health care costs. 

At the UT School of Social Work’s 75th Anniversary celebration, Dr. Martinez. joined Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke for a live taping of the “Two Guys on Your Head” podcast alongside Dean Allan Cole, to discuss the intersections of mental health, psychology, and social work. 

Dr. Martinez also attended the 2025 Brain Days summit at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Convened by the European Brain Council and the Global Brain Coalition. This event brought together stakeholders from science, policy, civil society, and the private sector to explore collective actions for a brain-healthier world. 

Elizabeth Stauber, archivist and records manager, facilitated a virtual meeting of the ongoing Dialogues on Mental Health Records project. Archivists, librarians, and preservation professionals provided feedback on issues surrounding the preservation and accessibility of historical public mental health records.