Check out this feature on Integral Care on the City of Austin’s YouTube channel.

The University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School and LBJ School of Public Affairs have released a cost-saving analysis of The Inn, Integral Care’s 16-bed residential treatment program. The study found that The Inn saves taxpayers millions of dollars in public costs while improving outcomes for people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Mental Health Weekly talked to Integral Care about The Inn’s approach.

We are proud to receive national recognition from CrisisNow for our co-location at the 911 Call Center. Our collaboration with first responders streamlines the entire system of crisis care in our community. We have consulted approximately 30 other cities, states, and even a police department in Canada on our model. Our first responder friends, the City of Austin and Travis County are true collaborators helping move this innovation forward.

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As our community grapples with COVID-19 and the impact on patients, healthcare workers and the healthcare system, we are beginning to recognize the toll this situation is taking on mental health. Whether it is an essential worker under pressure to perform on the job while worrying about exposure or someone with a compromised immune system isolated at home, COVID-19 is having short and long-term impact on our mental health. During these anxiety ridden times, it is reassuring to know that we have systems in place to address our community’s mental health needs and unexpected challenges.

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The changes and concerns that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic are impacting the mental health and well-being of many in our community — with job losses, school closures, health concerns and separation from our loved ones. KXAN talked to Integral Care about how to support someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
https://www.kxan.com/news/simplehealth/tips-on-identifying-and-responding-to-a-mental-health-crisis-during-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR1R9AYe30k_x6zTVQTDj308qjMuFQFT2_xM0S5i4it4wFJYN7zGZcQcBvU

Integral Care marked completion of Terrace at Oak Springs with a Ribbon Cutting and Community Celebration. KXAN attended both events to learn more about this new 50-unit Housing First apartment community that supports recovery from homelessness, mental health issues and substance use disorder. Watch it here.

Integral Care talked to KXAN about how our Helpline will soon take calls from regions outside of Travis County via the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Check it out.

Dawn Handley, Chief Operations Officer, talked to KXAN about how the City expanded funding to support mental health crisis care in our community. The goal –  get people the help they need faster. This funding will expand telehealth services with APD and add EMCOT clinicians to the 911 call center floor. Learn more.

EMCOT has partnered with APD and EMS to support the health of our community for over 5 years. As part of a new pilot, EMCOT and APD are using telehealth to expand access to mental health crisis care in Travis County. Check out how it works in this Spectrum story.

Texas is expanding access to early psychosis treatment programs, opening 13 new sites across the state with a focus on rural areas. KXAN talked to Integral Care about our RA1SE program and the importance of early intervention. Learn more

Making a Difference: Peer Support in IDD Services

Individuals with an intellectual and / or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) suffer disproportionately with mental health conditions. Reasons often include stress related to frustrating social challenges and trauma such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect and bullying. These inherent challenges create a unique susceptibility for the development of mental health conditions. Peer Support Services provide an opportunity for people with ID/IDD to develop social skills, learn how to advocate for their needs and give and receive mutual support from others with lived experience.

On Thursday, March 30 at noon, Integral Care invites you to join us for a virtual Community Forum, “Making a Difference: Peer Support in IDD Services.” Experts from across Texas will discuss the following topics.

• What Peer Support is and what Peer Support Specialists do
• How Peer Support Services for IDD came to be
• The current status of Peer Support in Texas, what’s on the horizon and how you can get involved

integralcare.org/2023-idd-forum

To kick off Black History Month, a local event sheds light on mental health from the perspective of the African American community. Every February, Integral Care hosts the Central Texas African American Family Support Conference (CTAAFSC) to share mental health information and resources as well as build a community of support.

This year’s conference will take place Feb. 7-8 at the Palmer Events Center. The keynote speakers are Dr. Rheeda Walker, Professor of Psychology and Licensed Clinical Psychologist at the University of Houston, and Thabiti Boone, Former Obama White House Fatherhood Initiative Representative and New York Knicks Community Liaison.

Sessions will cover topics such as stigma around mental health in the African American community, health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and systemic barriers facing African American youth and their parents. Click here to view the schedule of events.

Established over 20 years ago, CTAAFSC was the first conference in Texas and only the third in the United States to focus on the healthcare needs of African Americans. The conference was born from a desire to confront the systems and cultural bias that have resulted in African Americans facing barriers to healthcare access.

The 88th Texas Legislature: Preparing Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder and IDD Advocates

Over the last decade, the Texas Legislature has made an extraordinary commitment to mental health. Texas’ 88th Legislative Session kicks off on January 10, 2023. This creates more opportunities to further improve the issues affecting the mental health of Texans as well as the impact of substance use on our state and the needs of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

On Wednesday, December 7 at noon, Integral Care and Texas Council of Community Centers invite you to join us for a virtual Community Forum, “The 88th Texas Legislature: Preparing Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder and IDD Advocates.”

integralcare.org/forum88

The October Board of Trustees meeting will be held in person at 1430 Collier St, Austin, TX 78704, and will be streamed online.
Webinar link: click here

Join us every 3rd Wednesday of the month for this informative wellness series – the Together We Will Heal forum – that talks about mental health, substance use disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as the general wellbeing of African Americans. CTAAFSC’s vision is to educate the African American community on these topics and to provide resources around black mental health.

Learn More & Register Here

Renew, Empower and Advocate for Lasting Change

The Central Texas African American Family Support Conference (CTAAFSC) Committee is pleased to invite you to the CTAAFSC Reunion Day. Our theme is Renew, Empower and Advocate for Lasting Change (#REALChange).

Learn more & Register at https://ctaafsc.com/reunion/

On Wednesday, September 28th at noon, Integral Care and NAMI Central Texas invite you to join us for a virtual Spanish Community Forum – Meaningful Steps to Preventing Suicide Among Hispanic Youth. Experts from across Travis County will discuss the following topics – all from a Latinx perspective.
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El miércoles 28 de septiembre a las doce del día, Integral Care y NAMI Central Texas lo invitan a unirse a un foro virtual para la comunidad completamente en español donde hablaremos acerca de los pasos significativos para prevenir el suicidio entre las(os) adolescentes hispanas(os).

En Español | English

Watch a video recording of the forum.

Únase a Integral Care Y a NAMI de Central Texas el jueves 12 de mayo en un foro comunitario de formato virtual. Estaremos hablando acerca de cómo ofrecer apoyo a miembros familiares de personas que viven con problemas de salud mental en la comunidad Latina.

#Y2B is a Mental Health and Wellness Summit for the youth of ages 14-24. This Summit brings together youth (particularly those of color) to discuss mental health and wellness, challenges they may face and provide resources to help them live their best lives. Join us as we develop and learn skills to live Beyond our Emotional Stressors and Trauma.

The 2021 Summit will be virtual and free. It will be hosted on the Whova platform. Register now.

Join us this February, virtually, for the 21st Annual Central Texas African American Family Support Conference from February 3-5, 2021, and February 6, 2021, for the Yes2Best Youth Summit.

Visit the CTAAFSC website

At the annual Central Texas African American Family Support Conference, we come together to promote our own health and wellness and that of our community. The conference is filled with the most current information on mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities, led by caring health experts and people with their own lived experiences with these conditions. With interactive workshops and inspirational speakers, we share our stories, expand our knowledge, and connect with support and resources to live healthier, more resilient lives.

Transparencies
Integral Care’s monthly newsletter shares pertinent information about the state of mental health care, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community and beyond. It highlights Integral Care programs and collaborations making a difference in Travis County.(View Newsletters)

Living Well
Integral Care’s quarterly peer-led newsletter features interviews with Integral Care staff, stories of recovery, creative writing, tips for self-care and offers hope for tomorrow. This newsletter is led by an Integral Care Peer Support Specialist. Our peer support specialists have lived experience with mental illness or substance use disorder. (View Newsletters)