Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance

Big win for students in our area! Thanks, West Texas A&M University for caring about students in recovery through this on-campus support system.

WT to Offer On-Campus System for Students Recovering from Substance Abuse CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University will launch a new, on-campus support system for students in recovery from substance use disorders.

Save the date! The Big Texas Rally for Recover is happening on Sept. 7!

Saturday September 7th 2024 2pm-7pm
4515 Cornell St, Amarillo, TX 79109

Save the Date! Moore Miles for Mental Health is coming up on September 7 with competitive, fun and kids' running events.

Save the date! Hereford's 4th annual You Do Matter Su***de Awareness, happening September 6th and 7th at Damron Park in Hereford, TX.

You’re invited to attend a Community Information Session!
Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to learn and ask questions about the new state hospital, and what it means for our community.
The Community Information Session is open to the public. Please forward this invite to any additional stakeholders.

Amarillo National Bank, Main Branch
Skyline Room, 16th Floor
June 13, 2024
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
410 S. Taylor St.
Amarillo, TX 79101

Please RSVP by scanning the QR code contained in the attached invitation
Or clicking the link bit.ly/AmarilloSHEvent

If you haven't read this month's issue of Brick & Elm Magazine, don't miss Dr. Amy Stark's article: MINDSET: EDUCATION, AWARENESS & BREAKING DOWN STIGMA.

Thanks, Brick & Elm and Dr. Stark for sharing this vital information with those in our area!

Mindset: Education, Awareness & Breaking Down Stigma - Brick & Elm Education, Awareness & Breaking Down Stigma

Next week! Free event for senior adults and the public, with CEUs available. The symposium will cover topics on grief and bereavement, non-medical modalities, crisis intervention, and mental illness vs. dementia, and have a keynote presentation speaker by Dr. Regina Koepp. The symposium will be held at The Commons at Central Park.

https://www.facebook.com/events/843079387664782?ref=newsfeed

This Friday! Texas Panhandle Centers will host their fourth Annual Mental Health Awareness Event at 6600 Killgore Drive parking lot. Featuring live music, food trucks, resource booths, giveaways and more.

https://www.facebook.com/events/408154328812401/

Bereaved Mother's Day Tea
May 4, 2024
1:00-3:00 PM
The Art Center, 1810 South Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029

Bereaved Mother's Day Tea Please Register so we will have a count of how many ladies are attending. May 4, 2024 1:00-3:00 PM The Art Center The Art Center (1810 South Dumas Ave)

⏰ REGISTRATION CLOSES TOMORROW! ⏰

PBHA and Panhandle AHEC are hosting the Mental Health Symposium and Resource Fair in Hereford on April 26th, 2024.
This symposium is part of our continued focus and efforts in supporting our rural communities. Join us in Hereford to learn about trauma and its short and long term impacts, prevention strategies including crisis de-escalation. The event will end with a panel of local community members who will speak on their lived experiences living with mental illness, substance use addiction and su***de survivorship.
CEU/CNEs will be available. Registration is required but is free to sign up and a free lunch will be provided to attendees. Please see flyer for more information or register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOP_qU8J1FP19otk5q1PbzwE5WweZZ6DphWf5pBGoSjsjYoQ/viewform

🚨📢 TOMORROW! 📢🚨
Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance (PBHA) in collaboration with West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is pleased to announce a Non-Profit & Behavioral Health Fair on April 18th, 2024 starting at 11am. This will be an excellent time for high school students, college students or community members looking to make a career change to come explore job and career paths in the fields of Behavioral Health.

The Career Fair will be followed by a Panel discussion at 3PM featuring speakers from Northwest Texas Behavioral Health, West Texas A&M College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Amarillo College and Workforce Solutions Panhandle.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/HvPgHVFM5HCTFu796

PBHA and Panhandle AHEC are hosting the Mental Health Symposium and Resource Fair in Hereford on April 26th, 2024.
This symposium is part of our continued focus and efforts in supporting our rural communities. Join us in Hereford to learn about trauma and its short and long term impacts, prevention strategies including crisis de-escalation. The event will end with a panel of local community members who will speak on their lived experiences living with mental illness, substance use addiction and su***de survivorship.
CEU/CNEs will be available. Registration is required but is free to sign up and a free lunch will be provided to attendees. Please see flyer for more information or register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOP_qU8J1FP19otk5q1PbzwE5WweZZ6DphWf5pBGoSjsjYoQ/viewform
Please note that registration closes on April 19th.

Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance (PBHA) in collaboration with West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is pleased to announce a Non-Profit & Behavioral Health Fair on April 18th, 2024 starting at 11am. This will be an excellent time for high school students, college students or community members looking to make a career change to come explore job and career paths in the fields of Behavioral Health.

The Career Fair will be followed by a Panel discussion at 3PM featuring speakers from Northwest Texas Behavioral Health, West Texas A&M College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Amarillo College and Workforce Solutions Panhandle.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/HvPgHVFM5HCTFu796

Tomorrow at 5:30 PM – Join other parents and caregivers at the Love the Mess Parent Cafe at Central Church of Christ, 1401 S. Madison, hosted by Family Support Services. Food, childcare, community with other parents and the potential to win a $50 gift card.

Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance (PBHA) in collaboration with West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is pleased to announce a Non-Profit & Behavioral Health Fair on April 18th, 2024 starting at 11am. This will be an excellent time for high school students, college students or community members looking to make a career change to come explore job and career paths in the fields of Behavioral Health.

The Career Fair will be followed by a Panel discussion at 3PM featuring speakers from Northwest Texas Behavioral Health, West Texas A&M College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Amarillo College and Workforce Solutions Panhandle.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/HvPgHVFM5HCTFu796

Wish you knew how to help someone with their grief? Attend this FREE online training at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 to learn the tools that help people move through and within grief.

How You Can Help Others Navigate Grief Join David Kessler for a Free Teaching Event on March 7, 2024

PBHA and Panhandle AHEC are hosting the Mental Health Symposium and Resource Fair in Hereford on April 26th, 2024.
This symposium is part of our continued focus and efforts in supporting our rural communities. Join us in Hereford to learn about trauma and its short and long term impacts, prevention strategies including crisis de-escalation. The event will end with a panel of local community members who will speak on their lived experiences living with mental illness, substance use addiction and su***de survivorship.

CEU/CNEs will be available. Registration is required but is free to sign up and a free lunch will be provided to attendees. Please see flyer for more information or register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOP_qU8J1FP19otk5q1PbzwE5WweZZ6DphWf5pBGoSjsjYoQ/viewform

Please note that registration closes on April 17th.

Our sympathies go out to everyone affected by the wildfires. If you have been affected and need assistance, please call 2-1-1 for connections to resources.

If you are able to help, please read Texas Panhandle VOAD's post for information on how you can best help those affected by the fires.

Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund - Amarillo Area Foundation Wildfires are perhaps the most dreaded natural disaster in our area. Since 2006, when Amarillo Area Foundation opened the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund (PDRF), residents have experienced the accumulated loss of millions of dollars in homes, businesses, out-buildings, vehicles, livestock, grazing la...

Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance (PBHA) in collaboration with West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is pleased to announce a Non-Profit & Behavioral Health Fair on April 18th, 2024 starting at 11am. This will be an excellent time for high school students, college students or community members looking to make a career change to come explore job and career paths in the fields of Behavioral Health.

The Career Fair will be followed by a Panel discussion at 3PM featuring speakers from Northwest Texas Behavioral Health, West Texas A&M College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Amarillo College and Workforce Solutions Panhandle.

Registration here: https://forms.gle/HvPgHVFM5HCTFu796

January is Mental Wellness Month — the perfect time to recharge and prioritize your mental health, while encouraging others to do the same. With studies showing almost half of U.S. adults (46.4%) will experience a mental health challenge during their lifetime, your commitment to advocating for mental health is needed now more than ever to help improve lives.

5 Ways to Support Mental Wellbeing in 2024 - Mental Health First Aid January is Mental Wellness Month – the perfect time to recharge and prioritize your mental health, while encouraging others to do the same. With studies showing that almost half of adults (46.4 percent) will experience a mental health challenge during their lifetime in the United Sates, your commi...

Big news for Americans on Medicare!

Americans on Medicare now get better access to mental health care. Here's how Medicare now covers therapy appointments with licensed marriage and family counselors, and licensed professional counselors.

We're a week into the new year, but it's never too late for self-improvement. Check out these resolutions from therapists.

Up to 5 participants can get a scholarship to take the class for free, if they list that they were sponsored by Panhandle AHEC on the application. To submit an application, go to https://www.westtexasahec.org/CHWRegistration.html. Applications will close on December 22, 2023, orientations are on January 11, 2024 and the course starts January 16, 2024. Healthcare professionals as well as the general public are welcome to take the course.

Meet our three Peer Support Specialists, Amber, Rico, and Lilly.
A peer support specialist is a person with "lived experience" who has been trained to support those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance use. Their personal experience of these challenges provide peer support specialists with expertise that professional training cannot replicate. These three individuals will meet people where they are in life. Their services are free to people in Hutchinson County who are struggling to beat their addiction or mental health challenges. Mental health is something we at HCUW take very seriously, our goal is to help as many people as possible get ahead of their mental health challenges. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support specialists help people develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives.
Our Peer Support Specialist know from experience overcoming this huge obstacle cannot be done alone. They know it won’t always be an easy road, but they promise to be there for their participants even when the days are hard and there for them to celebrate the great days!
If you or someone you know needs help in this area please give one of them a call.
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you go; they merely determine where you start.”
Rico- (806) 440-1236
Amber- (806) 802-4546
Lilly- (806) 560-0374
Contact Hutchinson County United Way with any other questions. (806) 274-5662

Join us in Dumas for the Survivors of Su***de Loss Day on November 18 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Survivors will gather together to find comfort and connection while honoring their loved ones.

Looking for resources in Spanish? Mental Health America's new Spanish Resources Hub has information about many topics.
https://mhanational.org/recursos-en-espanol

Join us in October for a FREE half-day training for those working with justice-involved populations: How Being Trauma Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses. Attendees are eligible for CEUs or TCOLE credits. For more information, reach out to Lytton at 806-350-5271 or [email protected], or sign up by going to

Trauma Training Registration How Being Trauma Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses ** We anticipate offering TCOLE Credits provided by Amarillo College - Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy.** This is a training program for criminal justice professionals to : Increase understanding of trauma Create an awar...