EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Tech Health El Paso, Bank of America and the Opportunity Center for the Homeless announced their partnership for a mental health needs initiative.
The announcement was made on Thursday, May 16.
Project Opportunity, which was funded by a $25,000 grant from Bank of America, is a collaborative partnership that will allow Texas Tech Health El Paso physician residents to provide services to community members at the Opportunity Center using remote video technology starting in June, according to a press release sent by Texas Tech.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, anyone can become homeless, and it’s often made worse by systemic issues, like not having adequate access to health care, especially mental health care,” read the press release. “The cycle of mental health disparities often intersects with homelessness, frequently funneling individuals into the jail system and exacerbating challenges with prescription adherence.”
Project opportunity can offer individuals with managing mental health conditions, reconstructing their future, foster community integrations and create ways to sustain housing and employment, according to Texas Tech.
“To partner with Texas Tech Health El Paso and Bank of America is our next miracle,” said Ray Tullius, Opportunity Center for the Homeless founder and executive director. “The common denominator through his partnership is ‘hope.’”
“Access to mental health services is crucial to a thriving community. The Department of Psychiatry at Texas Tech Health El Paso is addressing this need directly and working to provide exceptional mental health care to El Pasoans, contributing to our shared vision at Bank of America for a stronger, more resilient city for years to come,” said Kristi Marcum, Bank of America El Paso president.
Texas Tech says that in 2022, over 582,000 individuals experienced homelessness for at least one night in the U.S., and more than 122,000 of those individuals identified with living with severe mental illness.
“This is an opportunity for Texas Tech Health El Paso to give back to our community while introducing our medical students and psychiatry residents to the challenges our homeless community face in regard to mental illness,” said Peter Thompson, M.D., M.S., chair of Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Department of Psychiatry.
The deputy director of the Opportunity Center for the homeless, John Martin, expressed his gratitude to Texas Tech Health El Paso and Bank of the America for being part of the project.
“We’re incredibly grateful that Texas Tech Health El Paso, through their vision, is truly transforming health care for our community not only through innovation but through collaboration,” Martin said. “We welcome their partnership, for it’s truly a shared undertaking in working with the most vulnerable within our community – the homeless.”
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