Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso offers Borderland students free mental support
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Many schools are coming back in session across the Borderland, and for multiple districts -- students have the option to get mental health and telemedicine support through the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine program.
It's known as TCHATT, and it's run through Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. The program is available to districts across a wide area.
The experts working the program assess and treat students for several sessions for free. Treatment can include things like medication or therapy. They also help to train and educate teachers and families about mental health -- as well as support school staffers in designing protocol, screenings and programming for students surrounding mental health.
According to TTU, 50% of all psychiatric disorders start showing signs before a person turns 14. Many teens with mental health struggles stem from depression -- and suicide is a leading cause of death for people between age 15 and 19.
These figures are part of the reason that the TCHATT program exists.
Through TCHATT, a team of experts including psychiatrists and counsellors work to provide mental health support to children and teens. The program is funded in part by the state, and focused on providing mental health access points to students through schools.
TCHATT teams also work with the school districts and child's family to connect treatment and community resources moving forward.
Roughly 1 in 6 students experience impairment during their life -- including success in schools -- due to mental health conditions, according to TTU.
El Paso area districts enrolled in the TCHATT program include Socorro; Anthony, Canutillo and San Elizario. The program is also open to Clint ISD; Fort Hancock ISD; Dell City ISD and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.
Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.
