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September 14, 2023

Integral Care’s CEO Search

Integral Care is looking for its next CEO! Learn more about the role, who our ideal candidate is and more here.

On September 7, 2023 Integral Care received $400,000 from SAMHSA to fully implement the Zero Suicide intervention and prevention model throughout Integral Care’s system of care to reduce suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide for adults residing in Travis County. Integral Care’s implementation plan addresses all seven elements of the Zero Suicide Framework, utilizing a Population Health perspective and incorporating principles of health equity. The grant will allow Integral Care to hire three Suicide Care specialists to provide advanced suicide prevention trainings, partner with organizations in Travis County to develop referral pathways, reduce measurable disparity gaps in subpopulations at risk of suicide in Travis County, and increase Integral Care’s capacity to deliver evidence-based training to clinical and non-clinical staff serving populations at increased risk of suicide.

Integral Care will develop outreach and referral pathways with three partnering organizations: APD Victim Services, Travis County Jail Behavioral Health services, as well as Dell Medical and Behavioral Health Services.

Attend the virtual community forum, “Supporting Kids’ Mental Health During Back-to-School,” in partnership with Austin Public Health. Panelists will talk about how to spot a mental health issue, tips for talking to kids about mental health, suicide prevention, and available mental health resources. Register here.

Meetings are open to the public.
Click here to watch the 7/27 Board of Trustees meeting live webinar.
Then, click the “Continue on this browser” button. The meeting starts at 5pm.

On July 11, 2023, Integral Care’s IDD Services Program was awarded $25,000 to support successful community living for individuals with IDD. This funding will help increase successful outcomes and build opportunities for these clients to share their gifts and talents within the community. It will also allow Integral Care to supplement the healthcare needs of IDD individuals living in Travis County. In addition to counseling, IDD Services prioritizes referrals for various mental and health services. This funding will allow IDD Services team to enhance efforts to support individuals with needs such as housing stability, adequate nutrition, and appropriate physical and mental health needs, such as but not limited to dental services, medications, personal hygiene, phones, tablets, and transportation. Integral Care recognizes these social determinants of health as contributors to the overall health and well-being of individuals within our community. 

Integral Care received $1,000,000 from SAMHSA to continue its Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Grant Program for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness for the fourth year. The AOT Program helps to bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient mental health services, improve treatment outcomes and reduce incidence of inpatient psychiatric bed stays and reduce criminal justice involvement. The Austin AOT program uses evidence-based intervention designed to promote treatment adherence and empower client engagement in managing their care. The population served through this funding are adult clients in Travis County who persistently struggle with adherence to needed treatment for their mental illness and meet criteria for AOT under Texas state law. 

The program partners with Travis County Probate Court, Travis County Clerk’s Office and Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin to establish a framework for identification, referral and the care and treatment of clients living with serious mental illness. Other community partners include NAMI Central Texas, Austin State Hospital and Travis County Sheriff’s Office. All client treatment plans employ a recovery-oriented approach and utilize motivational interviewing strategies, psychiatric advanced directives, and collaborative, individually tailored plans. 

The June 2023 Board of Trustees Meeting has been canceled.

Integral Care’s Board of Trustees invite the community to provide input into the qualities and strengths they seek in Integral Care’s new CEO. They are also soliciting input from Integral Care staff. Share your thoughts by completing this brief survey, which closes at 5pm on Tuesday, July 11th. Please share the survey with your constituents or other organizations for whom it may be of interest.

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. 

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

The Austin Chronicle published an article focused on how Austin women are dispelling stigma and moving mental health issues forward. The article features Deborah Rosales-Elkins, Peer Support Specialist, and Ellen Richards, Chief Strategy Officer, as well as key Integral Care partners from NAMI Central Texas and Travis County Sheriff’s Office. Read it out here or grab the 7/4 issue off the stands.

Integral Care spoke with FOX 7 Austin about Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month and the services we provide. Integral Care offers Mental Health First Aid training for Military Members, Veterans and their Families. Find out more here.

 

A home means recovery from homelessness, mental illness and substance use disorder. When people have a safe place to live, appropriate support services and the tools they need to achieve well-being, recovery begins and they can reach their full potential and contribute to their community.

Watch KVUE’s story on Integral Care’s Terrace at Oak Springs.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission has committed $1.9 million to support homeless services, including expanding shelter services and shelter redesign, increasing access to mental health and substance use services for families experiencing homelessness, and supporting clinic operations and the expansion of housing services at Terrace at Oak Springs. Set to open in summer 2019, this new permanent supportive housing community includes 50 fully furnished, single occupancy efficiency apartments and an onsite integrated health care clinic – 3000 Oak Springs Clinic. Features include onsite staffing 24 hours a day, onsite laundry facility, outdoor green space, community room with library, computers, and internal and external security cameras. Terrace at Oak Springs is modeled after other successful programs across the country and the first of its kind in Central Texas.

 

The 3000 Oak Springs location provides integrated primary health care and mental health care to residents of the apartment community. Services include counseling and case management, drug and alcohol treatment, exercise and nutrition programs, medication management and support, employment services, and assistance accessing benefits. Clinic services are also available to adults in the community who are eligible for Integral Care services. The clinic will be open 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, and will offer scheduled appointments and a limited number of walk-in appointments. Community members will be able to access clinic services through the same intake and assessment process that Integral Care uses for all of its services.

Episcopal Health Foundation has awarded Integral Care $1.5 million to expand our clinical services and implement a new financing and collaborative infrastructure. As our interdisciplinary care teams research new interventions in our clinics, we can demonstrate improved health outcomes and reduced costs of care to managed care organizations and develop a case for a value-based payment structure. Partnering with Episcopal Health Foundation will help us create the infrastructure for this new payment system while providing us flexibility to continue our clinical work by bridging funding streams.

 

Our new Integrated Practice Unit at Dove Springs, an expansion of services offered by Dell Medical School and Integral Care at the Bipolar Disorder Center at UT Health Austin, will serve as the pilot site for this initiative.  Later this year, Integral Care will bring this collaborative approach to yet another clinic – our 3000 Oak Springs Clinic, which is part of the forthcoming Terrace at Oak Springs permanent supportive housing community.

 

Integral Care’s integrative, team-based approach provides a strong foundation for implementing a value-based payment structure, which relies on collaboration and coordination throughout the cycle of care. By showing the improved health outcomes and reduced care costs of this care delivery model, we can collaborate with managed care organizations to create a value-based payment system that focuses on improving quality of care, rather than increasing quantity of services.

AUSTIN, Texas — Of the more than 7,000 people who experience homelessness in Travis County each year, many have complex health problems as diverse as heart disease and asthma. To help address these persistent challenges, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, CommUnityCare Health Centers and Integral Care, Travis County’s mental health authority, are joining forces to launch an innovative, federally-funded mobile care team that serves homeless individuals where they are.

 

The collaboration, which is funded by a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will support homeless men and women who have a chronic medical condition along with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder. The mobile, multidisciplinary team will be staffed by qualified health care providers who integrate comprehensive primary care, mental health care, substance use treatment, intensive case management, and wraparound services such as housing assistance and social programs enrollment into a continuum of care with one single team.

 

“Homeless Austinites living with multiple complex medical problems are among the most vulnerable and difficult to reach members of our community, but we believe that our innovative approach can work,” said Dell Med’s Tim Mercer, M.D., MPH, assistant professor in the departments of Population Health and Internal Medicine, who is the project director for this grant. Efforts to effectively treat this population require careful coordination among advocates and organizations working in Austin’s health ecosystem, he said.

 

“Our goal is to fill gaps in care by leveraging the existing strengths and infrastructure of the three collaborating organizations in a whole new way,” Mercer said. It’s also essential to coordinate efforts with other local organizations, such as the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), he added.

 

A 2017 Point-in-Time Count performed by ECHO found that 2,036 Austin residents experience homelessness on any given night, of whom 553 are chronically homeless, 345 have a substance use disorder and 519 experience serious mental illness. It also found that 61 percent of people experiencing homelessness access health care through an emergency room or not at all.

 

Meeting People Where They Are

 

One key design feature of the mobile model is that it allows the team to bring care to patients where they live, unlike the traditional model of requiring patients to seek services in clinics or hospitals to address their health needs.

 

“Normally the burden is entirely on the patient — they have to make appointments, figure out how to get a ride, go to the pharmacy, get their labs processed — they are constantly forced to jump through hoops,” said Audrey Kuang, M.D., clinical director of the homeless health care program at CommUnityCare and assistant professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Population Health at Dell Med. “It’s tough enough for the average person, but for someone struggling with mental illness or chronically sick or worrying about their next meal, those hoops can be insurmountable obstacles,” she says.

 

Equipped with mobile medical supplies, laptops to access medical records on site, and well-honed “street medicine” engagement tactics, the team remains unfettered by the need for a building or an exam room to care for patients.

 

“We can meet with clients on the street, a park bench, under a bridge — wherever we need to be to serve them best,” says Kuang.

 

When more complex care is needed, the mobile team can also see patients in one of CommUnityCare’s 24 clinics or Integral Care’s four integrated mental and primary care clinics in Travis County.

 

The community-based mobile care team will consist of at least six health professionals, including:

 

  • A primary care physician or nurse practitioner
  • A mental health care psychiatrist or nurse practitioner
  • A licensed chemical dependency counselor
  • A nurse case manager
  • A qualified mental health professional case manager
  • A peer navigator

 

An important part of this community-based program is that it relies on the complementary strengths of the organizations involved. Integral Care has been providing outreach and recovery services to people experiencing co-occurring homelessness, mental illness and substance use disorder for over 20 years. Integral Care also partners with the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS to connect individuals living on the street to housing, mental and primary health care and alcohol and drug treatment as part of the Homelessness Outreach Street Team. CommUnityCare, part of Central Health’s enterprise, provides primary care and standard case management services to the homeless as well. Dell Med’s population health experts will augment these existing resources through direct care, coordination among the partners, and research and evaluation efforts.

 

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Dell Med and CommUnityCare to further support our city’s homeless community,” said Darilynn Cardona-Beiler, director of adult behavioral health systems at Integral Care. “This grant allows us to bring our expertise together and innovate in a unique and effective way. Together, we’re meeting people where they are in the community — providing integrated primary care, mental health care and much needed substance use treatment on the streets of Austin.”

 

Measuring Success


In addition to serving as orchestrator of the project, researchers from Dell Med’s Department of Population Health will work to measure the success of the effort. Its data integration division will coordinate information from Integral Care’s and CommUnityCare’s electronic health systems and directly from patients to evaluate effectiveness and identify opportunities for improving and expanding this care model.

 

“By incorporating research into this project, we will be able to understand if this approach to caring for our city’s homeless works and can pay for itself, by reducing hospital and ER visits, for example, and if it can be scaled and replicated to improve the health of communities across the nation,” said William Tierney, M.D., professor and chair of Dell Med’s Department of Population Health.

 

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.
– – – – –
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.

January 8, 2021

Yes2BEST Youth Conference

#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.

Strengthening the health of our community and supporting people living with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) requires teamwork, innovative practices and collaboration, especially when they intersect with the criminal justice system.

 

Join Integral Care and our criminal justice partners on Wednesday, November 20th for a community forum exploring how community-wide collaboration is improving outcomes for people living with IDD who also intersect with the criminal justice system.

 

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The Central Texas African American Family Support Conference provides opportunities to learn about mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorder, co-occurring disorders and much more. The mission of the conference is to strengthen family and individual awareness of available behavioral and physical health care services through culturally sensitive education, supports, and partnerships.

Find out more about the conference here.
Join the Facebook group -> CLICK HERE

 

July 30, 2019

NAMI WALKS

NAMI WALKS

Time: 9:00am
Date: September 28, 2019
Location: Long Center

Hub Learning Community 4th Annual Conference

Time: 8:30am – 4:15pm
Date: August 21-22, 2019
Location: Austin Marriott South Hotel

The Hub Learning Community (HLC) is a resource for professionals who support individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Our free two day 4th annual conference focuses on supporting professionals who assist people with IDD in the community. This year’s conference features breakout sessions and amazing keynote speakers including Loretta Claiborne, Jesse Saperstein, Barbara Major and Susan Robinson. Register here.

Join us for an update on Integral Care’s strategic plan and identified priorities. David Weden, Integral Care’s Chief Financial Officer, will provide an outline of our current budget and talk about what it takes to implement our Fiscal Year 2020 budget.

Register here.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an 8-hour class that provides people the basic tools to help someone who might be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. MHFA can save a life, just like CPR can save someone who is having a heart attack.
This training is open to the community and gives people the tools they need to help friends, family, colleagues, and community members. By the end of the session, participants will be able to identify warning signs and risk factors for mental illness; recognize signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorder; and implement the 5-step action plan to help someone showing signs of mental illness or experiencing a crisis.
To sign up for MHFA, please see the event listing on Eventbrite.

A Message From Our CEO

 

September is both National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Month, a time to highlight that recovery from substance use disorder is possible and suicide is preventable – especially when we come together.

 

A substance use disorder is a medical condition where someone uses one or more substances like painkillers, drugs or alcohol, that negatively impact their life. It’s a brain-based disorder, not a character flaw. Substance use disorder affects people of all ages, from all walks of life…

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A Message From Our CEO

 

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, formally recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to promote mental health among Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and raise awareness around the unique mental health struggles these communities face in the U.S. Discrimination, unequal access to care, a lack of culturally and linguistically competent care and additional stigma all contribute to mental health disparities for BIPOC communities…

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A Message From Our CEO

 

June is Pride Month, a time to honor the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a significant historical moment for the queer rights movement in the United States. Pride Month is also a time to celebrate the impact, and struggle, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities have made at every level of our society around the world. Now especially, it is a time to reflect on how we can become better allies to the LGBTQIA+ communities – individually and as an organization…

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A Message From Our CEO

 

A healthy community creates opportunities for everyone to share their gifts and talents and make meaningful contributions. In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, I would like to recognize the incredible work our team is doing to improve the lives of those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in our community. Every day, Integral Care works with children and adults living with IDD to make sure they have the tools they need to thrive. We create opportunities for people to form healthy relationships, live in the community, and lead meaningful lives…

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A Message From Our CEO

 

Racism, discrimination, and inequity can significantly affect a person’s mental health. African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health issues than the general population. While research on the psychological impact of racism and racial discrimination has only emerged within the last two decades, studies show that experiencing either can affect people’s health. Studies also show that race-related stress and trauma are associated with the development of lifetime depressive and mood disorders. It is more important than ever to strengthen our network of mental health supports for people who are struggling right now or may have faced healthcare disparities and discrimination in the past…

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A Message From Our CEO

 

As we kick off 2022, I am pleased to share a few of our key priorities for the year.

• We continue our commitment to creating an organization that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’re in the process of hiring a Chief Equity Officer. Staff continue to lead Diversity Lunch and Learns where employees from different backgrounds and cultures share their knowledge and personal experiences. The agency-wide equity assessment is well under way….

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May is Mental Health Month, an opportunity to learn about the importance of good mental health. Our mental health deserves attention every day – in good times and bad. This past year has challenged our mental health on so many levels. It’s essential to our health and well-being that everyone has access to mental health care and the support they need. Integral Care, NAMI Central Texas, and others have put together some helpful resources for the community.

Read the full May 2021 Transparencies 

Integral Care is deeply saddened by the senseless deaths of 6 women of Asian descent in Georgia. While the roots of this crime are still being investigated, it is widely reported that hate based acts of violence against members of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are on the rise across the United States. The group Stop AAPI Hate tracked nearly 3,800 incidents of hate, discrimination or attacks on Asian Americans from March 2020 through February 2021.

Read the full April 2021 Transparencies 

While traumatic experiences can have a serious impact on our mental health, we know that they can be opportunities for growth. A full year has passed since Austin and Travis County went into lockdown due to the novel coronavirus. Add to that the stress and loss caused by the historic winter storm last month, and Austinites have experienced some serious collective trauma. I believe that our community has grown stronger together over the past year.

Read the full March 2021 Transparencies 

This month, we celebrate Black History Month – a time to honor the history and achievements of Black Americans and reflect on the centuries of struggle, racism, discrimination, inequality and inequity. Reflecting on our past creates the opportunity to ensure a healthier future.

 

Every February, we host the Central Texas African American Family Support Conference (CTAAFSC). This conference is an opportunity to increase health equity while exploring health solutions, fostering relationships, reducing stigma and improving access to care. In its 21st year, the conference was virtual for the first time in response to the pandemic.

 

Read the full February 2021 Transparencies 

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