El Paso Strong Highlights By The Numbers EHN Information
2019 Annual Report
On August 3, 2019 El Paso residents experienced one of the darkest days in our city’s history. The tragic event at a local Walmart not only impacted those directly involved in the senseless violence. It also affected residents throughout our region. As the Local Mental Health Authority, Emergence Health Network (EHN) is committed to helping our community by providing hope and healing.

EHN staff with our Crisis Intervention Team responded with our partners in the El Paso Police Department within minutes after the shooting, to assist other law enforcement agencies and residents trying to make sense of the chaos that erupted that morning. Elsewhere, Emergence and its counseling staff were also called into action. Our clinical teams provided care to victims, families and first responders on that day, in the weeks to follow and will continue to offer services and support in the months to come.

We know the healing will take time, but EHN is dedicated to putting our residents first. As we continue to mourn and our community continues to rebuild, EHN will continue to play a vital role in this important process. Visit our Community Recovery center HERE EHN opened its Community Recovery Center specifically staffed with therapists prepared to assist individuals having difficulty dealing with the emotions associated with 8/3. Our mental health professionals are uniquely qualified in trauma informed care which is essential to help our community recover.

The EHN Crisis Hotline also proved beneficial following the incident. Shortly after the shooting, our crisis operators fielded more than double the amount of calls from people needing help. To this day, the 24-hour hotline is utilized by those still experiencing challenging feelings linked to the shooting. In December of 2019 Emergence Health Network, along with El Paso Office of Emergency Management and
other community partners, launched a new informational campaign designed to let El Pasoans know help is available when dealing with the August 3rd tragedy. Through the use of a new year-long multi-media campaign, victims, families, first responders and the entire community are encouraged to seek support when coping with psychological and emotional effects associated with the mass shooting.

El Paso will overcome the devastation and loss that impacted so many in our region that Saturday morning. We are El Paso Strong. Together we are stronger and together we will recover. With outreach, education and partnerships, Emergence will continue to lead the way and ensure the behavioral health needs of our community remains a top priority.

To view the specially produced videos featuring local residents speaking about their feeling of loss and healing and more importantly encouraging others to be El Paso Strong, see videos below.
EHN is Committed to Staying El Paso Strong.
To view more El Paso Strong videos CLICK HERE
2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit Multi-Systemic Therapy Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) is an evidence-based practice aimed at serving justice-involved youth with behavioral health diagnosis.  The juvenile treatment program was established locally by EHN in order to fill a gap in children and adolescents’ services identified in the El Paso Community Behavioral Health Needs Assessment.

In 2019 EHN conducted a comprehensive community report focused on the impact of the MST program. The results were encouraging and found that since the program’s conception in 2012, more than 90 percent of individuals enrolled have avoided rearrests and stayed in school.

To learn more Click Here 2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit Mental Health Learning Library In 2019 Emergence Health Network expanded its community mental health education efforts and in partnership with the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation launched the Mental Health Learning Library community training initiative.

The Mental Health Learning Library is designed to increase mental health education and training through free one-hour courses to businesses, school districts, church groups and anyone who wants to learn more about topics such as:

Suicide Prevention
Grief Management
Self-Harm Prevention
Anxiety Management
Mental Health First Aid
Stress Management

To learn more Click Here 2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities Continuum of Care Emergence Health Network, together with local providers of community based services and supports, established a Continuum of Care “road map” highlighting IDD resources available in the greater El Paso area. The effort resulted in a thorough picture of the challenges and opportunities that providers, consumers and their support network face when navigating the complex system of service for individuals with IDD.

The outcome is a living document which local providers can update as changes in service provisions occurs.

To learn more
Click Here 2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit Crisis Intervention Team In February of 2019, EHN together with the El Paso Police Department deployed its first Crisis Intervention Team (CIT.) Following months of planning and training of both the officers and mental health professionals the first units were activated onto the streets of El Paso.

In 2019 CIT officers in El Paso requested city wide calls for services ranging from dispatched calls, follow up calls and requests from patrol who are on the scene of a situation involving a person with a mental illness.

Dispatched calls = 3907
Observed calls = 1274
Adults checked = 3020
Juveniles checked = 200 2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit UTEP Partnerships Emergence Health Network partnered with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to provide behavioral health and substance use treatment services to more than 300 student athletes within the UTEP Athletics Department. The goal is to ensure the mental well-being of these young adults who are often faced with stressful situations in their efforts to achieve success both in the classroom and on the court/field.

The EHN/UTEP partnership is also impacting students seeking careers in the in the mental health field. EHN established a collaboration with the UTEP Rehabilitative Sciences Department to provide additional educational opportunities for students on a track towards Qualified Mental Health Professional Certification.

This initiative helps directly with the shortage of mental health providers not only in the El Paso area but throughout the United States as well.
 2019 Highlights Multi-Systemic Therapy Mental Health Learning Library IDD Continuum of Care Crisis Intervention Team UTEP Partnerships National Council for

Behavioral Health Visit National Council for Behavioral Health Visit In July 2019, EHN announced another milestone. For the first time, The National Council for Behavioral Health selected Emergence Health Network (EHN) and El Paso as the host city of their Health Disparities: A Border Perspective Leadership Program.

Behavioral health leaders from across the country traveled to our community for the two-day conference. This opportunity allowed EHN to showcase various aspects of El Paso’s behavioral health care system on a national level and share the mental health challenges unique to our border area.

To learn more
Click Here
By The Numbers
what is ABOUT EHN SPONSORING AGENCIES BOARD LEADERSHIP LOCATIONS What is the Local
Mental Health Authority? The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is responsible for designating a Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA) in one or more service areas in Texas. In our region, HHSC has selected Emergence Health Network (EHN) as the Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA) which means HHSC has given EHN the state’s authority and responsibility for:

- Planning, policy development
- Coordination (including coordination with criminal justice entities)
- Resource allocation
- Resource development

and oversight of mental health and IDD services in the most appropriate and available setting to meet individuals needs in our service area.

To learn more about EHN's role in our community Click Here sponsoring agencies ABOUT EHN SPONSORING AGENCIES BOARD LEADERSHIP LOCATIONS Message from County of El Paso "2019 was the most difficult year the El Paso community has experienced in my lifetime. Our beloved City came under attack and 22 precious souls were lost. More were injured and our entire binational community felt the trauma of that fateful day. Emergence Health Network continues to work tirelessly to find ways to assist as many of our residents as possible as we work towards healing.

Our mental health needs continue to grow, and I am proud of the County's collaboration with Emergence to build resilience and strength for our community for years to come. The County thanks the leadership and staff at EHN for their dedicated service to El Paso to create a healthy community, addressing our needs with compassion and care." Message from El Paso County Hospital District This past year proved how truly strong we are as a community. Emergence Health Network (EHN) was one of the many pillars of support that our region looked to when we needed it the most.

As a partner of University Medical Center of El Paso, EHN was by our side during the most difficult days of this past year, almost immediately after the mass shooting of August 3rd, 2019.

Partnerships, lasting relationships and knowing when to do the right thing are the hallmarks of well-meaning organizations. They are also very common in El Paso and this is especially true for EHN. On Aug. 3, our staff at UMC, were among the first confronted with the victims of that day. Even as a trauma hospital, where we are used to seeing difficult cases on a daily basis, this was an extremely challenging day, followed by weeks. We were impacted as an organization as well as individually. However, EHN was there for us, for our patients and families, making counselors available for anyone who needed it.

UMC is home to our region's only Level 1 Trauma Center. Each day of 2019 we worked to bring our region the best care possible, saving lives and healing the sick. It was good to have our partner, Emergence Health Network, with us, shoulder to shoulder, each and every day, for our community. It was good to know that when tragedy struck our city, Emergence Health Network was there, bringing support, to first responders and all. Board ABOUT EHN SPONSORING AGENCIES BOARD LEADERSHIP LOCATIONS Message from the Board Chair This year’s theme for our annual report of Hope & Healing holds special relevance for me and the fellow members of EHN’s Board of Trustees. I firmly believe that this year allowed EHN to make significant gains in persons understanding the role that community mental health holds in our community. And it is through education and understanding that El Paso’s system of care will expand to meet needs of persons with a mental health diagnosis or intellectual disability.

As chair of EHN’s Board of Trustees, I am proud to look back at some of this past year’s accomplishments.

  • For FY19 the organization’s financial position remained very strong with the organization overperforming in several key budget indicators.

  • Our Joint Commission reaccreditation for three years indicates EHN’s continued commitment to quality.

  • The board and staff renewed its commitment to technology infrastructure with a complete electronic health record conversion that allows for richer data collection and gathering capabilities.

  • EHN launched a Mental Health Learning Library to offer an array of trainings to the community to include stress management, suicide prevention and grief coping skills.

  • The National Council on Behavioral Health selected EHN and El Paso as the site to host Health Care Disparities Conference. Health care professionals from across the nation gathered in El Paso to discuss issues related to mental health access.

These are just a few in a list of many. Yet I believe our most important accomplishment can be seen at all of our clinics and sites on a daily basis. Our staff’s commitment to our patients and their loved ones is unmatched. Whether it is for those coping with crisis or for individuals living in recovery, the commitment to hope and healing is unparalleled.

On behalf of my fellow trustees, I wish everyone a fruitful new decade.

David Driscoll
EHN Board Chair

BOARD OF TRUSTEES David Driscoll
Chair
Hospital Appointee
 David Stout
Vice-Chair El Paso County Appointee
 Dr. Peter M. Thompson
Secretary
El Paso County Appointee
 Rick Myer, Ph.D.
Hospital Appointee
 Joyce Wilson El Paso County Appointee Alexsandra Annello El Paso County/Hospital Appointee
 Thomas B. Goldfarb
Hospital Appointee
 Leadership ABOUT EHN SPONSORING AGENCIES BOARD LEADERSHIP LOCATIONS LEADERSHIP Message from the CEO As we close the book on 2019 and look back on our challenges and the accomplishments, Emergence Health Network continues to uphold its mission to provide care and services to those in our community who it most.

This past year was a landmark on several fronts. Our continued partnerships with key organizations and stakeholders continue to yield favorable results; Our partners in law enforcement improve and innovate services for persons with a mental health illness in the justice system. EHN has also begun exciting new prospects with educational institutions that will improve access to services and bring new educational opportunities to students interested in pursuing careers in behavioral health.

Of course no discussion on this past year without addressing the tragic events of August 3rd. El Paso will continue to heal from these tragic shootings of some of their own for years to come, yet I am proud to say that EHN rose to the occasion and met the needs of El Pasoans from minutes after the shooting until today. Every member of our staff stood up with courage and conviction to ensure victims, families, first responders and the entire community had the services and supports that were so vitally required.

As I look back on the year, It is with pride for our staff and their commitment because it is because of them that Emergence Health Network is now looked upon as a national model for community mental health crisis response. And it is also with hope that behavioral health continues to flourish in our community because there is still much work left to do as we continue to build a world class system of care.

I extend my deepest thanks to everyone who has made our success possible this year and I look forward to even more in 2020.

Kristi Daugherty,
EHN Chief Executive Officer Kristen Daugherty,
LISW, LCSW, MBA
Chief Executive Officer Ashley Sandoval MBA
Associate Chief
Executive Officer Rene Hurtado,MBA
Chief of Staff Dr. Marcelo Rodriguez-Chevres M.D.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carroll Thornburg D.O.
Chief Medical Officer Primary Care and Addiction Services Tewiana Norris, DNP, RN
Chief Nursing Officer Chrystal L. Davis,
LPC, MBA
Chief Clinical Officer Rene Navarro, MBA
Chief Compliance Officer Juan R. Gonzalez, MBA
Chief Information Officer Michael R. Wyatt
Legal Counsel Locations ABOUT EHN SPONSORING AGENCIES BOARD LEADERSHIP LOCATIONS LOCATIONS For maps and directions Click Here EHN Administration Offices
Crisis and Emergency Services
Crisis Extended Observation Unit
Central Outpatient MH Services
Westside Mental Health and Primary Care Clinic
East Valley Outpatient Clinic
Intellectual/Developmental Disability (IDD) Clinic
Justice Involved/Jail Diversion Programs
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Addiction Services - OSAR
(IDD) Residential Home - Casa Norton
(IDD) Residential Home - Casa De La Promesa
(IDD) Residential Home - Su Casa
Mental Health Residential Home - Siesta Gardens
Veterans One Stop Center
Alternatives at Emergence Health Network
Counseling
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Programs (ChAMHPs)
EHN Alternative Outpatient Clinic
EHN IDD Learning Center