Tag Archives: pdnhf

The use of THC with vaping products is on the rise among youth and young adults in El Paso, and now two area health agencies are partnering to battle the outbreak.

As part of a unified effort to build community awareness, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (PdNHF) and El Paso Behavioral Health Consortium partners are working together to develop and disseminate informational resources about the risks related to THC vaping.

“As of December 3, 2019, the Juvenile Probation Department reports a frightening two hundred forty-eight (248) cases for the 2019 calendar year,” officials with the PdNHF shared via a news release.

In 2017, the County of El Paso Juvenile Probation Department reported 16 cases of juveniles between the ages of 10 and 16 caught in possession of THC. That number increased in 2018 to an alarming forty (40) cases.

In addition to the significant health risks associated with THC vaping, persons caught in possession of THC may face felony charges.

Consequences associated with possession of THC include fines, probation, and up to ten years of jail time.  In some cases, parents can also be charged and punished.

While youth under 17 years of age may not initially face the possibility of incarceration, the repercussions can still create a lasting impact on an adolescent’s health, and future quality of life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are tracking a nationwide outbreak of  “e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI)” cases.

Most EVALI patients reported using THC-containing products in the three months before symptom onset.

THC, a chemical derived from an oil made from the marijuana (cannabis) plant, can be ingested in the form of oil vapor via vaping devices unlike typical paraphernalia used to smoke marijuana.

The vape devices look similar to pens or USBs while others resemble everyday items such as watches and hooded sweatshirts, making them difficult for parents or authority figures to identify.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation, in partnership with the YWCA, and Health Advocates, developed the Me & You curriculum in an effort to address dating violence in schools.

“Every step along the development process, we gained community input, which makes me confident it is the right fit for our youth,” said Lucy Hernandez, Dating Violence Prevention Project Manager, YWCA El Paso del Norte Region. “After participating in this curriculum, youth will gain skills to resolve conflict and talk out disagreements, and they will increase knowledge in preventing dating violence leading them to build healthy relationships.”

This new dating violence prevention curricula, for middle and high schools, is based on the National Sexuality Education Standards and health education standards for Texas and New Mexico.

The interactive learning experience is designed to increase classroom participation and teach adolescents the value of healthy relationships, warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, ways to prevent and stop dating violence.

Teen dating violence is defined by the physical, sexual, psychological or emotional violence within a dating relationship.

El Paso has higher percentages of physical dating violence among youth than the national average. According to an El Paso Youth Health Behavior Survey in 2015, among high school students who date:

• 17.1% of female students and 17.6% of male students experienced physical dating violence
• 17% of female students and 11.3% of male students experienced sexual dating violence
• 34.3% of sexual minority youth reported physical dating violence compared with 14.8% of heterosexual youth
• 30% of sexual minority youth reported sexual violence compared with 11.7% of heterosexual youth

Officials add, “Research shows that well designed and implemented teen dating violence prevention curriculum can decrease risks of being in an abusive relationship.”

The YWCA and Health Advocates conducted a pilot test with more than 2,000 students and 31 teachers from seven middle schools and five high schools in El Paso Independent School District and Deming Public Schools that participated in the curriculum.

Results showed that after youth participated in the Me & You curriculum youth indicated:

• It was wrong to hit other people, say mean things to other people, take anger out using physical force, and say mean things if you’re angry with someone you date.
• They disagreed that girls sometimes deserve to be hit by the boys they date.
• They were more confident they could stay out of fights, understand another person’s point of view, and talk out a disagreement.
• A greater sense of support from an adult they feel comfortable talking about their problems with.

To learn more about the curriculum or to get your school involved, contact Lucy Hernandez, Dating Violence Prevention Project Manager, YWCA El Paso del Norte Region at 915-519-0002 or l.hernandez@ywcaelpaso.org.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation (PDNHF) recently awarded 10 grants totaling more than $2 million under the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Priority Area – Think.Change Initiative.

Via a news release, PDNHF Officials stated, “The purpose of the Think.Change Initiative is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, increase training for mental health providers and explore structural changes in the region’s behavioral health treatment system.”

The area organizations that were funded, and the amounts granted are as follows:

City of El Paso Housing Authority – $49,094.10
Think Change Housing
To conduct a review of housing policies and practices, identify strengths and gaps, and develop an action plan with recommendations to build a mental health supportive environment for residents and applicants, and to provide training in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to sixty (60) Housing Authority employees who have frequent contact with residents and applicants.

Comision de Salud Fronteriza Mexico-Estados Unidos – $98,721.78
Strengthen Mental Healthcare and Reduce the Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in Ciudad Juárez, Phase 2: Carry “ROTMENAS” to Action
To strengthen the recently developed behavioral health system of care collaborative (ROTMENAS), and provide “Program of action to overcome gaps in mental health (mhGAP)” trainings for professionals and lay health workers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

County of El Paso – $71,500.00
Regional Mental Health Stigma Reduction Campaign
To continue providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for over 250 patrol officers, detention officers and civilian staff with inmate contact, and to explore changes in detention standards of practice to promote a Think.Change culture.

El Paso Child Guidance Center – $146,400.00
Trauma Informed Care: Create and Implement an Education and Contact-Based Trauma Informed Care Model to Reduce Mental Health Stigma Amongst Professionals
To reduce stigma associated with mental illness among professionals who have frequent contact with consumers by developing the El Paso Child Guidance Center into a trauma informed care resource center, increasing the number of mental health providers who are trained in evidence-based therapeutic approaches and providing trauma informed care trainings to El Paso County organizations that serve children and adolescents.

Emergence Health Network – $166,049.38
Project Emerge
To provide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings for at least 1,000 individuals in El Paso County, hold a MHFA Instructor summit and expand MHFA training to areas in Hudspeth County.

Family Service of El Paso, Inc. – $273,688.62
People Empower El Paso (PEEP)
To provide National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) evidence-based programs including Family to Family, NAMI Basics, Parents and Teachers as Allies, NAMI Provider Training and In Our Own Voice in El Paso County and to strengthen NAMI – El Paso as a central mental health advocacy and education provider in the region.

Techo Comunitario, A.C. – $42,900.00
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program: Change the Stigma to Ask for Help in Parenting and Continue Building Healthy Communities
To implement the Triple P evidence-based program in eight at risk neighborhoods in Ciudad Juárez.

The Regents of New Mexico State University- $74,970.72
Foster Community Partnerships and Education to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma in Otero County
To strengthen a mental health system of care collaborative, provide crisis intervention team training (CIT), and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings for officers and other professionals to promote a Think.Change culture in Otero County.

The University of Texas at El Paso – $1,131,311.00
Promote Mental and Emotional Well-being in the Paso del Norte region
To create a backbone organization (BBO) that will help lead mental health and emotional well-being priority area programs. The BBO will provide both leadership and expertise to catalyze efforts to reduce stigma and negative bias associated with mental illness and explore structural changes in the behavioral health systems in the Paso del Norte border region.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation Board  introduced the 2017-18 REALIZE Executive Leadership recipients at the annual launch reception on Wednesday.

The event kicks off an intensive nine-month REALIZE leadership development program where twenty-one participants will learn to harness their leadership qualities. Each of the participants represent a notable health and/or scholarly institutions. Prior participants and PdNHF board members will speak on their experiences, expectations and the importance of leadership for improved health.

PdNHF officials share, “The goal of the REALIZE experience is to inspire already effective leaders to become transformational leaders for the benefit of the region’s health…with strengthened leadership in place, regional organizations and individuals are better positioned to promote health and prevent disease.”

Key REALIZE interventions include a customized 360 and other leadership assessments, executive coaching around personalized leadership goals, two transformational off-site experiences, at least six one-day cohort connect learning sessions, networking opportunities, assessments to measure individual growth, and more.

“The Health Foundation is committed to improving the U.S./Mexico border community through leadership in health-related advocacy, initiatives and education,” Health Foundation officials added.

For a list of all recipients and more information on the REALIZE Executive Leadership program, click here.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation awarded 10 grants totaling more than $1.2 million under the Healthy Eating and Active Living Priority Area – HEAL Initiative.

The purpose of the HEAL initiative is to make healthy eating and active living the easy choice for youth and their families.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation is one of the largest private foundations on the U.S. – Mexico border. It was established in 1995 from the sale of Providence Memorial Hospital to Tenet Healthcare Corporation for $130 million.

The Health Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and promote the wellness of the people living in far west Texas, southern New Mexico, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico through education and prevention.

The funded organizations are:

Border Partners – $62,700.00

Healthy Eating and Active Living in the Border Region of Luna County, New Mexico and Palomas, Chihuahua
To offer promotora-led nutrition classes, home gardening instruction, and lead community efforts to update recreational facilities for physical activity for 1,400 children and their families in Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Centro de Asesoria y Promocion Juvenil, A.C. (CASA) – $129,800.00

Build healthy children, families and communities
To increase fruit and vegetable intake by meal provision, nutrition education, and creating home gardens. Also to provide opportunities for physical activity for disadvantaged adolescents and adults across five CASA community centers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico over the next 12 months.

Ciudadanos Comprometidos con la Paz, A.C. – $146,179.00

Healthy Movement

To provide meals and teach portion control and preparation of healthy foods. Also to offer physical activities for 200 children ages 6-16 across five community centers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico – $118,918.00

Early Child Nutrition Education Program          

To increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children ages 3-5 years by use of the HOP’N Home curriculum in child care centers in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

La Semilla Food Center – $192,776.10

Edible Education          

To use a three-tiered teacher-training model to provide school garden and nutrition education programming to schools in Doña Ana County, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas.

Las Cruces Public Schools – $280,927.00

Las Cruces Public Schools Healthy and Fit Project          

To adapt and pilot test, health and physical education components into the curricula and initiate staff wellness programs at schools in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

New Mexico State University Foundation, Inc. – $74,573.40

Aggie Play

To offer college-age female athletes community service hours to teach elementary girls the benefit of an active lifestyle, while engaging in physical activity in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Texans Care for Children – $25,000.00

General Support Grant in Support of Children’s Health and Policy and Advocacy Program
To help Texans Care for Children strengthen statewide Texas obesity and healthy living policy initiatives through policy analysis, advocacy, collaboration, and strategic communication.

The FEMAP Foundation – $130,000.00

Children’s Nutritional Assessment and Care       

To increase fruit and vegetable intake by meal provision and nutrition education. Also to provide opportunities for physical activity for 500 disadvantaged children in after-school programs across five elementary schools in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Ysleta Independent School District – $80,000.00

Full CATCH    

To use the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) program as a comprehensive approach to school health in 23 elementary schools, in El Paso, Texas.