Expanding Access to Mental Health Care:
New Relational Health Center for Pediatric Patients Opens in Lubbock, Texas

The first patient was seen at the new Relational Health Center at Covenant Children's in Lubbock, Texas, in August and the new comprehensive center will provide mental health care and support for an estimated 3,200 patients per year.

The center is the result of multiple years of effort and the long-standing partnership between Covenant Health and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The center opened in August and allows Covenant Children’s to better serve the needs of the pediatric population of Lubbock County and the surrounding region, while also supporting access to telehealth services for an expansive region including West Texas/the Panhandle Plains.

In the videos below, Roger Dowdy, LICSW, COO, Providence's Well Being Trust; and Dr. Amy Thompson, CEO, Covenant Children's, share more about how this new unit is expanding access throughout West Texas and surrounding regions.

SPOTLIGHT

Bilingual Effort to Improve Youth Mental Health in Eastern Washington

Mental health has been identified as one of the main priorities for Washington’s Benton and Franklin counties, with a population of more than 300,000. To help improve the mental health of the county’s English and Spanish-speaking youth, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, with the support of Providence’s Well Being Trust, is providing school districts with the training and curriculum to implement evidence-based programs that improve student mental health.

The primary objective is to promote mental health and reduce stigma among youth through education, evidence-based curriculum, and information dissemination. The work will include a bilingual, region-wide messaging campaign, a regional youth summit, and training for Spanish-speaking Kadlec caregivers (employees) and community partners. The goal is to encourage conversations about mental health, promote help-seeking behaviors, and reduce stigma.

Courtney Armstrong, community services supervisor, Kadlec Community Health

“One of the most impactful protective factors for youth mental well-being is a healthy support system,” says Courtney Armstrong, community services supervisor for Kadlec Community Health. “We are teaching adults how they can be a positive support and encouraging them to incorporate conversations about mental health in their daily interactions with youth."

My Mental Health Matters Employee Well-Being Program Earns Ragan’s Workplace
Wellness Award

Providence’s My Mental Health Matters (MMHM) employee well-being program was recently named a winner in Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Awards in the Mental Health Initiative category.  Created in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, MMHM provides tools and resources to Providence caregivers (employees) and empowers them to feel encouraged to ask for help when they need it. 

MMHM is a part of Providence’s No One Care Alone (NOCA) Program — a robust well-being program with tools and resources to serve the unique needs of caregivers at every step of their mental health journey.  The program has made a tremendous impact on the mental health and well-being of Providence’s more than 117,000 caregivers.  Throughout 2022, caregivers engaged with NOCA programs more than 200,000 times. 

National Partnerships

Providence’s Well Being Trust Announces Commitment to Kennedy Forum's Alignment for Progress Movement to Transform Mental Health
and SUD Care

In the photo above, Ali Santore, EVP and chief administrative officer, Providence; Patrick Kennedy, former U.S. Representative and founder of The Kennedy Forum; and Dr. Arpan Waghray, CEO, Providence’s Well Being Trust, are shown at the Kennedy Forum’s Alignment for Progress Conference on October 3 in Boston.

Providence’s Well Being Trust recently announce its commitment to The Kennedy Forum’s Alignment for Progress movement to transform the United States’ mental health and addiction systems. The organization has committed to expand access to behavioral health support and services to 1 million people in the Western U.S. by 2026.

Providence's Well Being Trust joins more than 60 organizations in making commitments to the movement including NAMI, Mental Health America, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and other organizations.  

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