Project FOCUS, City of El Paso, TX
Principal Investigator: Winifred (Freddie) Dowling
Program Manager: Gabriela (Gaby) Martinez
Project Developer: Nancy Melendez-Forbes
The City of El Paso's Project for the Optimal Care of Underserved Seniors (FOCUS) was developed to expand mental health services to mostly lower income Hispanic seniors at high risk for depression and dementia due to frail health and social isolation. Project FOCUS draws its participants from homebound seniors in El Paso who are receiving home-delivered meals through the City-County Nutrition Program. The project aims to serve 300 nutrition program participants with mental health services annually.
Older adults enter the project service delivery system by being screened for mental health problems by the senior case worker at the City-County Nutrition Program. Seniors who screen positive are then referred to the El Paso Community Mental Health & Mental Retardation Center (MHMR Center) for assessment and diagnosis. Seniors who are diagnosed with a mental health problem, namely major depressive disorder, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are offered priority status, a case manager, and financial assistance to help them access, pay for, and adhere to treatment from El Paso's MHMR Center. Project FOCUS is working to enhance the MHMR Center's capacity to serve older adults and help them access other aging services available in the community by providing staff training and technical assistance related to mental health and older adults.
Seniors not desiring services from the MHMR Center will be referred to senior peer counseling services offered both at the MHMR Center and at Centro San Vicente for seniors living within Centro San Vicente's catchment area. Specially trained volunteers who are supervised by a licensed mental health professional provide peer counseling in both individual and group settings. Project FOCUS is in the process of training staff and recruiting volunteers to provide these services as well as securing funding from a private foundation.
Seniors who screen negative for mental health problems will be directly referred for wellness services at LULAC Project Amistad or Centro San Vicente. Wellness coaches develop and provide individualized preventive education and training as well as traditional case management. Wellness services are based on "successful aging" concepts and are designed to prevent or delay the onset of depression and/or dementia as well as address other needs. Moreover, wellness coaches help older adults by strengthening their formal and familial support systems.
Lastly, Project FOCUS is developing a network among aging and mental health systems to increase outreach, integration, and prevention efforts. Training is provided to staff in the area of mental health, long-term care, cultural competency, and other aging services to increase their capacity and ability to provide high-quality services. The City of El Paso also coordinates an executive committee of service providers and consumer representatives to identify and develop strategies to overcome barriers and gaps encountered by seniors served by both the aging and mental health systems.
For more information about the project, please contact:
Gabriela Martinez, Project Manager
City of El Paso
2 Civic Center Plaza, 8th Floor
El Paso, TX 79901
Tel: (915) 541-4278
Fax: (915) 541-4993
E-mail: martinezgz@elpasotexas.gov