Outreach Project East Texas Border Health Clinic

ETBHC – Outreach Project Project designed to increase access to mental health services in rural East Texas. What ETBHC learned Where we are going

Collaboration – Key to Sustainability Our definition was to develop a team that included non-profit and for profit members to advance a common goal. We wanted members who would: 1. Share knowledge and learning 2. Were creative and thought “outside of the box” 3. Committed to the common good of the community

Collaborative Culture Starting with the Board, ETBHC developed a collaborative culture at all levels of the organization. Selection of Board members based on community involvement Employee job descriptions require community involvement Speakers Disseminating information

Collaborative Culture All staff members job descriptions include requirements to collaborate with the community: Speakers Participate in health fairs Serve on other community coalitions & organizations Serve on other boards Serving on emergency response teams

Develop Win-Win Situations Our community agreements included: Placing signs/info of available services in visible locations Agreeing to provide speakers, when appropriate Agreeing to provide space Agreeing to accept/refer to agency, when appropriate

First Team First team included: East Texas Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Community Healthcore (mental health provider) United Churches Care (faith community) East Texas Border Health Clinic All were chosen because they were committed to enhancing access to mental health/substance abuse services in the community and ETBHC had worked with agencies since 2004.

Teamworks Today Collaboration named: Just for the Health of It / Teamworks Members include: County ExtensionCounty Emergency Preparedness Home Health AgenciesEarly Childhood Development Area on AgencyRepresentative of State Senator Mental Health ProviderSchool Nurse Substance Abuse ProviderDepartment of State Health Services County Indigent Provider Insurance Agent

3 Year Goals Enhance care to 3000 low income individuals with chronic physical/mental illness Provide prevention education to 1500 patients Establish 4 Outreach Clinic sites Hold 200 clinic/consortium days Expand availability of rural health care by 1% Provide healthcare/education to 20 new patients weekly/1000 new annually.

Meeting our goals Held regular outreach clinics Maintained proper supplies Provided basic primary/preventive care Referrals to consortium members for mental health/substance abuse Maintained continuous communication with all consortium members Gathered necessary data to measure outcomes

Outreach Clinics

Consumers Educated

Access to Care

Increase to Mental Health

Sustainability Continue monthly consortium meetings Wrote other grants Out Stationed Medicaid Eligibility Worker

What we learned Be flexible Always include your partners Do not promise something you cannot do Deliver high quality care Be consistent

Pitfalls ETBHC grant was initially written for a mid- level provider to do the outreach. What we discovered: 1. Mid-levels are not that available in East Texas 2. Mid-levels, when available, do not want to do outreach as we defined outreach 3. If primary health care was provided through outreach, ETBHC would need a home health license.

Pitfalls Workforce was not available Case management and outreach services are not for everyone

Contact Info Wanda M. Kennel, PhD Chief Executive Officer East Texas Border Health Clinic P O Box 1326 Marshall, TX Phone: (903) Fax: (903)