June 16, 2023
Integral Care’s CEO Succession Process
After 30 years of steadfast service, David Evans will be transitioning out of his role as Integral Care’s CEO by the end of 2023 – until his successor is in place. CEO succession planning efforts are led by Integral Care’s Board of Trustees and are underway.
Here, we will provide regular updates on important developments throughout the process.
June 2023
- The Board is reviewing proposals from executive search firms. Once a firm is hired, they will assist the Board in identifying qualified candidates for this position and our organization.
- We shared a survey with our community, collaborators, staff, and stakeholders to gain insight into the qualities and strengths they are seeking in Integral Care’s new CEO. The anonymous survey will close on July 17. You can take the survey here.
May 2023
- We announced that CEO David Evans is transitioning his role as Integral Care’s CEO to the next generation of leadership.
- We launched an RFP for executive search firms.
Texas Veterans Commission awarded Integral Care $260,000 in May 2023 to support community service assistants at Safehaven, a transitional housing unit that provides temporary housing for up to 15 veterans experiencing homelessness and mental illness and/or substance use disorders. With this funding, Integral Care will be able to provide 24/7 Community Service Assistant (CSA) coverage at our Safe Haven transitional shelter. This funding will ensure we have two CSAs on site for each shift. CSAs will respond to all issues related to the provision of a low barrier, 24-hour emergency shelter for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Activities include meal preparation, monitoring self-administration of medications, ensuring a safe and hygienic environment, and coordinating healthy leisure activities.
In May 2023, SAMHSA awarded Integral Care $400,000 for one year to continue Community Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. The purpose of this program is to identify, prevent, intervene, and/or lessen the impact of psychotic disorders in youth and young adults, not more than 25 years old, who are at clinical high risk for psychosis and provide evidence-based interventions in a trauma-informed manner to prevent the onset of psychosis and reduce the occurrence of psychotic disorders in youth and young adults.
May 22, 2023
Board of Trustees Meeting – May 2023
Meetings are open to the public.
Click here to watch the 5/25 Board of Trustees meeting live webinar.
Then, click the “Continue on this browser” button. The meeting starts at 5pm.
May 2, 2023
May 24 Virtual Community Forum
The State of Children’s Mental Health
In recent years, we’ve seen significant increases in certain mental health disorders in children and youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The COVID-19 pandemic era introduced a new set of challenges for children and youth in the U.S., but children and teens have been struggling for far longer. According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, feelings of persistent sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased by about 40% among young people over the last 10 years leading up to the pandemic.
On Wednesday, May 24 at noon, Integral Care and NAMI Central Texas invite you to join us for a virtual Community Forum, “The State of Children’s Mental Health.” Clinicians and parents with lived experience will discuss the following topics:
- Factors that are negatively impacting children and youth the mental health
- Signs parents can watch for
- How to start the conversation around mental health
- Resources available for parents and caregivers
https://integralcare.org/en/cmh-forum/
May 1, 2023
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Toolkit
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Toolkit
Our children’s mental health is just as important as their physical health. Did you know that 50% of all lifetime mental health conditions begin before the age 14? While many can be treated, nearly half of adolescents with mental health issues do not receive mental health care services. It is important to our children’s overall health and well-being that they get the mental health support they need.
Integral Care and NAMI Central Texas created a toolkit for the community to support children’s mental health year-round. We hope these tools help you have conversation with your children around mental health and build strong, healthy minds. Let’s give our children’s mental health the attention it deserves every day. Recovery from a mental health issue is possible.
In April 2023, Integral Care received $125,000 from SAMHSA to continue its Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Program for another year. Through this funding, Integral Care is able to 1) continue increasing communal understanding and recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and how families, caregivers, and service providers can safely and appropriately respond with armed service personnel and veterans in Travis County and under-resourced surrounding areas; 2) Increase knowledge of available community resources for veterans and their families – crisis services, counseling, substance use, basic needs, primary care, housing, support groups; 3) Develop collaborative partnerships with relevant community agencies and programs to aid with responding to mental health issues and improve coordination of services to armed service personnel, veterans, and their families.
April 24, 2023
Board of Trustees Meeting – April 2023
Meetings are open to the public.
Click here to watch the 4/27 Board of Trustees meeting live webinar.
Then, click the “Continue on this browser” button. The meeting starts at 5pm.
March 27, 2023
Board of Trustees Meeting – March 2023
Meetings are open to the public.
Click here to watch the 3/30 Board of Trustees meeting live webinar.
Then, click the “Continue on this browser” button. The meeting starts at 5pm.
March 9, 2023
March 30 Virtual Community Forum
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
December 14, 2017
How Integral Care Supports People Having a Mental Health Crisis
The Austin Chronicle highlighted how Integral Care works closely with community partners to support the mental health needs of Travis County, particularly those experiencing a mental health crisis. “Anyone can experience a mental health crisis,” said Laura Wilson-Slocum, Integral Care Practice Administrator. This article explores the variety of crisis services Integral Care provides our community – the Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care provides short term crisis care in an overnight setting, our Mobile Crisis Outreach Team co-responds with the Austin Police Department and EMS to provide community-bases crisis care, and our Psychiatric Emergency Services provides mental health urgent care seven days a week. Read the article here.
November 15, 2017
24/7 Crisis Helpline
Spectrum News recently highlighted the impact of our 24/7 Crisis Helpline. They interviewed Ca’Sonya, an Austinite who used the Helpline to get through her darkest hour. After Ca’Sonya lost her husband, she decided to make a life-changing phone call to get the support she needed. “The hardest step is just starting picking up the phone,” said Nicole Warren, Integral Care Helpline Program Manager. “Once you pick up that phone, you’ll find someone who is passionate and dedicated to what we do here.”
Integral Care’s Helpline provides around the clock crisis support and access to all of Integral Care’s programs and services for adults and children, including appointments and billing. Our Helpline recently added free interpretation services in 15 language to meet the needs of our growing and changing community. We have trained medical interpreters who speak Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Korean, Filipino, Russian, German, French, Urdu, Farsi, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, and Napali. Learn more about the Helpline.
October 31, 2017
Risk of trauma high for Harvey evacuees (KVUE)
August 30, 2017
During a traumatic event, mental health support is more important than ever. KVUE covered the developing story of Hurricane Harvey and its emotional effect on evacuees and first responders. “It’s critically important for mental health professionals to be available to those in need, to give guidance and offer a sense of safety and security,” said Dr. Kathleen Casey, Integral Care’s Director of Clinical Innovation and Development.
August 8, 2017
KXAN highlighted Integral Care’s first of its kind Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. The Herman Center will offer the right level of care at the right time, reduce cost of care and improve health outcomes for patients. “The idea is most mental health crisis can resolve in the first 48 hours of them beginning, so we want to quickly stabilize people so we can get them on that path to recovery and back out into the community as soon as possible, avoiding a hospital stay which tends to be lengthier and more expensive,” said Laura Slocum, an Integral Care Practice Administrator. The Herman Center is currently only accepting internal referrals from Integral Care crisis services. It’s not appropriate for walk-ins or self-referrals. To learn more about the Herman Center, click here.
September 29, 2017
Behind the suicide hotline (KAGS)
July 29, 2017
KAGS in Bryan/College Station recently did a story on suicide hotlines, featuring Integral Care’s 24/7 Crisis Helpline. Nicole Warren, Integral Care’s Crisis Helpline Program Manager, says: “Getting people connected with supports is so important.” If you need help, please call us 24/7 at 512-472-HELP (4357).
June 8, 2017
Integral Care was recently featured in a Spectrum News story about the success of HOST, the Homelessness Outreach Street Team. HOST is a partnership of Integral Care, the Austin Police Department, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Downtown Austin Community Court. HOST was launched by the Austin Police Department with significant support from Mayor Pro-Tem Kathie Tovo and the Downtown Austin Alliance. Integral Care brings the mental health and substance use disorder expertise to the team and is also pivotal in providing access to housing.
August 1, 2017
KVUE featured a story about Integral Care’s soon-to-open Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. “The Judge Guy Herman Center provides a different type of treatment for people experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Laura Slocum, an Integral Care Practice Administrator. “This really focuses on short-term stabilization with a goal of getting that person on a path to recovery as quickly as possible and having them return to the community as quickly as possible with support from Integral Care’s treatment teams.”
July 17, 2017
KXAN highlighted the ribbon cutting ceremony of Integral Care’s soon-to-open Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. The Herman Center provides short term, emergency psychiatric crisis care for adults in Travis County. It will support our community by providing an alternative to incarceration and in-patient care, and will offer the opportunity to ensure that individuals whose primary issue is mental health have an appropriate and safe place to be stabilized, assessed and treated. Austin Police Sargent Michael King said: “It’s going to be a valuable tool for the police department.” To learn more about the Herman Center, click here.
April 28, 2017
KUT explored how housing can help individuals experiencing homelessness overcome addiction to alcohol and drugs. KUT asked Integral Care how we support our homeless community experiencing substance use disorder. “If someone’s living on the streets and struggling with a substance use disorder, it’s impossible for them to recover on the streets,” said Ellen Richards, Integral Care Chief Strategy Office. “We literally take people who are experiencing homelessness, move them straight into housing, regardless of whether they have an active mental illness or substance use disorder, and then we wrap rehabilitation supports around them so they can get on the path to recovery and a new life.”
February 9, 2017
KVUE highlighted Integral Care’s soon-to come Housing First Oak Springs, a whole health treatment approach to ending chronic homelessness for people living with mental illness and/or substance use disorder. This 50-unit apartment community will provide housing to regain health and independence as well as offer access to an onsite clinic with counseling to support emotional health and drug and alcohol treatment to help with recovery.