In the News

A New Program Brings Help to Senior Adults

Valley Baptist Medical Center–Brownsville is opening a new mental health treatment program which provides individualized treatment to older adults who suffer from psychiatric, emotional, or behavioral disorders.

Valley Baptist–Brownsville’s Heritage Program for Senior Adults started June 27 in response to Cameron County’s need for outpatient mental health services for senior adults. The move comes after the U.S. Surgeon General identified mental health as one of our nation’s leading public health issues.

The new program provides intensive and comprehensive mental health care to individuals 55 years of age and older. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The offices are located on the first floor of the Valley Baptist-Brownsville Professional Building, Suite 170.

The program is staffed with a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals, directed by a psychiatrist, Dr. Tomas Gonzalez. As Medical Director, Dr. Gonzalez provides a thorough evaluation of the client’s treatment needs, prescribes and monitors medications, and supervises treatment. The medical director works in close collaboration with primary care physicians.

“The Rio Grande Valley, and Brownsville in particular, is extremely underserved by mental health professionals who can provide culturally appropriate, bilingual services,” Dr. Gonzalez said. “I am excited Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville is providing this much needed assistance to the community.”

The Heritage Program for Senior Adults team also includes two master’s level counselors, Lillian Whiles and Flor Porras; a registered nurse, Maria Raga; two mental health technicians, Yolanda Garcia and Yolanda Herrera; Lee Syphus, Administrative Fellow and Program Liaison; and Heritage’s Regional Manager for the Brownsville area, Kerrie Wallace. The team carries out the psychiatrist’s plan of care and provides a variety of group, family, and individual therapies individualized to the needs of the client.

As an outpatient program, the Heritage Program for Senior Adults focuses on maintaining and improving the client’s coping skills and quality of life. By working in a community-based outpatient setting, the program can offer a highly individualized plan for each individual client. Depending on the needs of the client and the severity of symptoms, the plan can vary from a few services to daily program attendance. Attendance and intensity of services change with the improvement of the client’s condition, monitored by regular treatment plan reviews by the doctor and team.

Mental illness impacts up to one in every five Americans. However, few receive treatment because of stigma, misunderstanding, and lack of access to appropriate and affordable healthcare.

“Mental health matters to our entire community, and the impact of untreated mental illness can be significant,” said Dr. Bob Cuyler, National Clinical Director for the Heritage Program for Senior Adults. “The National Mental Health Association estimates that 18 to 25 percent of seniors are in need of mental healthcare for depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, adjustment to aging, and schizophrenia. Yet, few seem to receive proper care and treatment for these mental illnesses.”

For more information on the Heritage Program for Senior Adults at Valley Baptist-Brownsville, call (956) 698-5205.