For the first time The National Council for Behavioral Health selected Emergence Health Network, the Local Mental Health Authority in El Paso, Texas as the host for the Health Disparities: A Border Perspective Leadership Program. Behavioral health leaders from across the country traveled to the border city for a two-day conference held in July 2019. “This was a great honor for Emergence Health Network (EHN) and huge opportunity to showcase various aspects of El Paso’s behavioral health care system on a national level,” said Kristi Daugherty, CEO Emergence Health Network.
The conference included a leadership panel of local experts to include Texas State Senator Jose Rodriguez, who shared information on the unique aspects of life on the US-Mexico border and the many complex factors that affect healthcare delivery in our border region. “Some of the focus has been on how EHN is using innovative ideas and partnerships to meet the behavioral health needs of our community in areas like integrated care and justice involved services that includes our Crisis Intervention Teams developed with the El Paso Police Department,” added Daugherty.
I have learned a lot about the border region, but I am really impressed by the collaboration between Emergence Health Network and several local agencies and law enforcement to improve the delivery of mental health services,” said Sam Hasan, National Council for Behavioral Health Leadership member from Lincoln, Nebraska.
“Our visit to El Paso was important because we really got an understanding of the issues that are playing out with border health disparities, migrant health issues, and what’s happening with families,” said Mohini Venkatesh the Vice President of Business and Strategy for the National Council for Behavioral Health. Venkatesh traveled to El Paso from Washington, DC. “We know trauma is a huge aspect of the experience for people that are going through migratory patterns and also we know that there are really awesome community solutions playing out here along the border that we can possibly learn from,” she added.
The National Council for Behavioral Health is the voice of America’s health care organizations that deliver mental health and addiction treatment and services throughout the United States.
