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, presented with Dr. King Davis, executive director of the Hogg Foundation from 2002-2008, on policy and cultural competence through research and best practices at the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities Statewide Health Summit held in Austin, Texas. Dr. Martinez’s presentation was titled “Enhancing the Delivery of Health Care: Eliminating Health Disparities through a Culturally & Linguistically Centered Integrated Health Care Approach.”
  • This fall semester, Dr. Martinez will join Dr. Michele Guzmán, program officer, Dr. Cindy Carlson and  Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler in teaching a graduate level course on integrated behavioral health care in The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Educational Psychology.
  • Dr. Martinez joined the Dr. Carol Show to talk about the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands?”
  • Colleen Horton, program officer, testified at the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services regarding trauma-informed care for individuals with intellectual disabilities and children institutionalized in facilities licensed by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
  • Rick Ybarra, program officer, spoke with the Community Action Network on the importance of recruiting diverse populations into the health and behavioral health professions and on providing scholarships to promote diversity in the health field.

In memoriam…

Dr. James L. Hill, vice president for community and school relations from 2000-07 at The University of Texas at Austin, passed away Sunday, September 2 at the age of 84.  During his time as vice president, he was responsible for the general management of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.