May 18, 2025 • 39 mins
1st segment: Amber Banda interviews Victoria Aragon, MPH-Program Manager for Common Threads in El Paso, TX. Common Threads helps people with resources to fight food insecurity and also provides nutritional education to children and caretakers, as well as cooking classes for kiddos! Their "Cooking Skills and World Cuisine" classes are taught by chefs, and each class is themed to a region; Italian, French, American cooking, etc! Kids get hands-on practice while learning about different cultures. In addition, they offer workshops and classes to help families shop on a budget, have basic cooking skills, and educate people on the importance of nutrtion and eating meals as a family. For more information go to commonthreads.org
2nd segment: Amber Banda interviews 2 people from Emergence Health Network: Noreen Jaramillo, Director of Communications, and Krista Wingate, Chief of Child and Adolescent Services. May is Mental Health Awareness month. In this segment they talk about services offered by Emergence, the importance of and tips on breaking the stigma of seeking mental health, how to initiate those hard conversations when checking in on someone, adult vs child mental health, signs to look out for if you think someone may be suicidal, and more. For more information go to emergencehealthnetwork.org or call 915-887-1700
Crisis Hotline: 988
*Always remember that you matter.
2nd segment: Amber Banda interviews 2 people from Emergence Health Network: Noreen Jaramillo, Director of Communications, and Krista Wingate, Chief of Child and Adolescent Services. May is Mental Health Awareness month. In this segment they talk about services offered by Emergence, the importance of and tips on breaking the stigma of seeking mental health, how to initiate those hard conversations when checking in on someone, adult vs child mental health, signs to look out for if you think someone may be suicidal, and more. For more information go to emergencehealthnetwork.org or call 915-887-1700
Crisis Hotline: 988
*Always remember that you matter.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to El Paso Public Forum, a weekly half hour
public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso for over twenty years,
featuring local news and interviews of interest to our listeners
in West Texas and southern New Mexica. All views and
opinions expressed on this program are those of the host
and guest, and not necessarily those of iHeartRadio Management and
now El Paso Public Forum.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to the al Paso Public Forum. I'm your host, Amberbanda,
and today we have Victoria Aragon MPH. She's the program
manager in al Paso, Texas for Common Threads. Victoria, thank
you so much for being here with me today. No,
thank you so much for having me. Of course, so
Common Threads. I had never heard of this organization, and
(00:42):
like I was telling you earlier, I'm pretty you know,
well versed in the nonprofit spere. So when I got
the PR release about nutrition education that you were doing
for the kids, I said, you know what, I have
a background in nutrition. You know, we talked a little
bit about this, but that's why I'm so interested in
Common Threads. So first, Victoria, can you tell ol pas
(01:04):
So what Common Threads is?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Absolutely so common threads. We are a national nonprofit organization.
We do have several markets across the country, so we
mainly work in providing children and their families cooking as
well as nutrition education. So we do work with a
lot of different partners around of course specifically here in
our passo. Many different partners could be a lot of schools,
(01:29):
school districts, community based organizations, sometimes some government agencies. So
we mainly work with the partners and we work with
also the population that they serve, and we mainly try
to provide not just nutrition education but also culinary skills
as well, So we try to bring the best of
both worlds for them and for their population that they serve,
(01:50):
because you know, here in Opasso we still are facing
that very large you know, food access and food insecurity.
So we work with those partners and trying to help,
you know, bring a lot of that those resources to
the their population and their audiences because they face a
lot of barriers you know, nutrition wise and you know,
(02:10):
having to find ways for food access. So we do,
you know, bring a lot of that nutrition education. We
you know, equip communities with those resources about you know,
the knowledge of you know, regarding nutrition and then also
about cooking. You know, sometimes we've come across a lot
of people that you know, they still don't not really
know how to use a knife properly, or you know,
(02:34):
how can they incorporate foods and vegetables into their daily
lives giving you know, everything's gone so expensive, So we
do a lot of that you know, nutrition component to them,
but we offer a lot of different programs that's going
to also help enhance their knowledge and nutrition but also
bringing you know, culinary skills into their household. So we
mainly work with children, you know, specifically for those are
(02:58):
in schools, but we all also work with families that
may be you know, dealing with uh, you know, a
situation when you know, they don't know when they're going
to have their next meal. So we do try to
provide a lot of that those resources to them, but
we also work with parents, caregivers, you know, for anybody
that is technically caring for either a family member or
(03:19):
their children. So we we have a very you know,
a wide range of programs that we offer to the community,
especially with our partners.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So before we get into the actual part of food education,
because of course, by educating people on what they should
eat to make better choices and stuff like that. We
can see the benefit of that, but I didn't know
that you had all you also helped the community with
food insecurity, and how do you do that? You say,
you provide the resources so where they can go and
(03:51):
get food or yeah, so it just depends.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
But we do provide the new the resources as far
as you know, the nutrition aspect what they should and
should not eat. Especially that can be a bit of
a challenge because you know, especially with the culture and
you know, specifically here in Apasso, it could be a
bit of a challenge because we're so used to eating
you know.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
The takys and the hot shoots with guys and.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
We let them know that it's okay to eat that
and moderation exactly. But it's very important that you incorporate
you know, foods and vegetables into your daily diets because
it will lower your risk of developing, you know, any
sort of chronic illness. But it also another factor to
that also, it just depends also on the funding. So
(04:36):
for an example, last year, we seed funding from Superior
Health Plan where they provided us funding to purchase produce boxes,
and those produce boxes we were able to get those
from one of our partners, from Desert Spoon, and so
that's and we were able to purchase those produce boxes
and we were able to give those out during our
(04:58):
caregiver workshops. So those are just examples that we have
been able to provide not just nutrition nutritional resources, but
we were able to incorporate some sort of produce box.
I mean it doesn't always happen, but sometimes, you know,
our luck, you know, we get that you know luck,
and we are able to incorporate some sort of produce
box along with our you know, caregiver workshops.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, because nonprofits they need funding and they need volunteers
so they can get the funding. And you know, you're
putting it back. And like you said, produce meaning fresh
fruits and vegetables is not cheap right now, you know,
everything's going up in price. So that's excellent that you
give these classes on you know, some some that I
saw online where how to shop on a budget. I
(05:40):
think a lot of people have a misconception on beans
and rice. Yeah, if you fry the beans and lard,
same thing with the rice. You had all types of butter.
It's a very different type of meal. Versus cooking them,
you know, the whole beans, you know, like chattle bean type,
and you know you can put different fruits and protein
vegetables in there, and you know those are the kind
of classes. Assuming that's something that you would incorporate.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yes, absolutely, And that's kind of where our caregiver workshops
come into place.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
So we do have a.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
From three to four lessons of that caregiver worshop. So,
like you mentioned, like the of an example, one lesson
is about how to shop for your groceries. You know,
what things to avoid, what things to actually look for.
You know, how can I distinguish between organic versus non organic,
because there's you know, the terminology can sometimes be confusing
but also a little bit overwhelming for the shoppers that
(06:29):
are trying to you know, you know, figure out how
can I grocery shop if not only if I'm on
a budget, but autist also on a healthier scale. But
we also do offer lessons about how to cook well
with your kids because you know a lot of parents,
you know, they just want to cook something really quick
and feed their kids and then call it a day. Yeah,
but you know it's very important to have them involved
(06:49):
in the cooking process as well. You know, make it
fun for them, make it interesting for them, so that way,
later on they get that knowledge of not just the
nutrition part of it, but also they get to learn
how to they get took out a chop and and
you know, try to make it also a family activity
for them, so that way they're not just you know,
waiting for dinner to be done and as they're you know,
(07:11):
they could be on their iPads or you know, a
lot of kids don't want to do their homework just yeah,
they want to just take time to just relax. They
get them involved, you know, get them to you know,
you know, have a little cooking station for them.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
And it doesn't have to be like they got to
ground the meat or anything. Right, it can be like, okay,
you prepare the salad or with my daughter, it's not
you know, they don't have to do any of the
knives if they're not old enough. But you know, making
a something as simple as making a parfeit where you
just layer the yogurt, you layer the fruit. You let
them do their own or have them pull a part
(07:44):
of lettuce.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
If they don't have to use a knife, they can,
but they love to use their hands. Like these kids
like want to touch everything. Have them pull apart of
honey and have them pull a part of lettuce. That
way they don't have to you don't have to worry
about having them handle a knife. I mean, they'll get
to that point eventually. But if they're very very little,
I mean, have them do something, because they kids always
want to do something. They're at that stage where not
(08:05):
only are their brains developing, but they are active. They
want to do things instead of you know, it kind
of also drives them away from being on their iPads,
being on social media and watching TV. You know, get
them involved. So that's one of the lessons that are
incorporating our caregiver workshops.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
But not only that, but when they prepare the food,
they're more likely to.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Eat it exactly and exactly, and then you know, it
also encourages and that's also another thing that has made
such an impact with our programs is that we see
students or kids, you know, trying foods that they've never
tried before. And they'll be at first. Of course, you know,
kids are they have no filter. They will say like
how it is? They'll be like, oh, I don't like it.
(08:43):
It's Okay, all you have to say say is no, no,
thank you, right, but have them try it, even if
it's just a little by at least they tried it.
But then it kind of you know, makes them aware,
like maybe I could try other things, maybe I can
try something else. And then, for example, we had a
reaction from a student I had never tried raisins before
and it was part of our small Bites program And
(09:05):
like I said, they never tried raisins and they tried
it during a lesson and now.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
They tell their teachers, they tell their friends, I love raisins,
they would love dance on a stick. Yes, anxiety.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So it's really nice to see those kind of rations.
And that's technically what we are looking for is just
to encourage them to try different foods and if they
don't like it, they now know like, Okay, I tried it,
yeah and I didn't like it, but I'm willing to
try something exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And if you're just tuning in, we have Victoria Atragon
MPH program manager in al Paso, Texas for Common Threads
here in al Paso. Now we talked a little bit
about what the programs offer the benefits of kids cooking
with you, you know, and of course the importance of
food education and the fact that Common Threads also provides
(09:52):
resources for families facing food and security. Now we're gonna
go a little bit. I want to ask you about
the programs specifically pre K through eighth because when I
was reading the press release on Common Threads, it was
focused mostly on the kids and families of course, you know.
But can you tell us more about the Small Bites
and the Cooking Skills World Cuisine programs.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yes, so I'll start with the Cooking Skills and we're
Cuisine because that program is technically one of our favorites,
or it's one of the favorites of the of the partners.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And that one you that's for in schools, correct.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So that one, it also mainly depends that one is
often done after school hours because it is a total
of ten lessons and it's two hours each lesson, so
those are typically not done during school time. We often
have scheduled those after school hours, Okay, just because of
the length of each of the lessons. Like I said,
it's a total of ten lessons. But this one is
(10:45):
one of the of the our partner's favorites, especially the kittles,
because each lesson is based on a different country. So
that's kind of what's neat about this particular program is
that the students get to embrace different cultures, they get
to different countries, and so an example, lesson one can
be about the United States.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Of course we all are familiar with the United.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
States, but yeah, I know, chicken strips, you know, and
that's actually one of the recipes are part of the
United States. But another lesson could be about Italy.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Yeah, you know, our chefs.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We do have chefs that go and actually do the
program themselves, and they'll do a little lesson about that country,
about Italy, the population, and then after that little I
guess nutrition education component, it's followed by okay, kids, let's
start cooking, and they'll cook something that's based on that country.
So they'll do either like make a pizza or they'll
(11:38):
make some kind of Italian salad. So that's the one
that's more hands on. So we do equip the students
with our chefs, provide them with a little chef hat,
the little chef aprons, so the you know, the kids
really get into because they're there, they're starting to fill
in that role up oh, I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
A chef, like I'm gonna start cooking.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
When they wear the stuff, they love it, and then
that's when our chefs will equip them with the knives,
the cutting boards, and then they purchase the ingredients. So
they provide that for the kittles as well. We don't
ask our partners or our students to okay, you need
to pay us this, or you need to know. Our
chefs are equipped. They will go out and will provide
that for them. And then so they equip them with
(12:18):
the knives and then they'll okay, I need gi. It's
funny because whenever our chefs, he will tell the kittles okay,
do you.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Guys want to cry now or later?
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Meaning the onions because oh my goodness, like these onions
are so strong. So they'll ask them okay, you guys
want to cry now or later and then be like, oh,
let's cry now. Certain that that means that they're going
to go ahead and pass out the onions so that
way they can go it and take the time to chop.
They learn to mince.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
They they do. They learn about the bear.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Claw and so that's so our chefs, you know, they
have a very well background knowledge of not just nutrition,
but also they're bringing culinary backgrounds as well. Yeah, so
they're incorporating that into the cooking skills re cuisine in
that one. That one is on only specifically from third
through eighth graders.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Because what they just said with the knives.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
With the knives, we I mean, we do have also
like the safe nights as well that are like plastic,
but of course it's not going to cut as nicely
as a sharp one. So we don't have the pre
k through second graders involved in that one. And like
I mentioned, this one is only from third through eighth graders. However,
we are starting to hear from high schools now that
really want cooking skills. We're cuisine into their campuses as well.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, because they got rid of homec as far as
I know, so you know, they can at least learn
to boil an egg and it's.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Exactly and so we're not used to, you know, having
to provide this for high schoolers, but we are starting
to start allowing high schools because they will let me know,
like you know, what, I'm serving a student population that
you know, they're suffering some sort of you know, you know,
food access or food and security, or they don't know
anything about nutrition. You know, I really want this for
(13:55):
our families and our kids and the high schools. And
so slowly we are starting to kind of bring that
program to the high schools because typically it's always been
between elementary to middle schools.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Well, girl, you maybe it won't be, but I'm surprised
at the amount of high schoolers I used to sub
high school. I have a nineteen year old. How they
don't know some of the basics of making a pancake
or scrambling an egg or you know, boiling pastas. So yeah,
I can see the need for that in high school definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Especially not because I mean it's also depending on the
location of the high school. You know, they may be
surrounded by a lot of food court or fast food
restaurants around there. So what are they going to do.
They're just gonna go and order their hot ches, order
their hot scheetes with cheese or tuchis or whatever, and
then they're going to come back and there. And then
sometimes that suppresses their appetite and wanting to create fruits
(14:40):
and vegetables because their bodies are so used to.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
All of that, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Heighened sugar high in sodium, and it sends mixed signals
to them that, oh, you know, you got to continue
eating your tuchis when they should be taking the fruits
and vegetables in take.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
And again, I think that still applies that that age group,
when they make it, they're more likely to it, especially
if that age maybe they're cooking for their family when their.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Parents, especially especially with our culture here in a passle,
you know, you typically see like the older siblings having
to take care of their younger siblings because the parents
are either working or there's only a single parent in
the household. And so that's why we try to we're
starting to slowly try to get that specific program now
to high schools because we do see that need of
(15:24):
students at that age level having to know about nutrition
and culinary skills. And so that's so that one has
always been one of the partner's favorite programs, and so
we like I said that one is typically done after school.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I was just because of how long it could be.
I can see that, and I'm definitely going to rally
for this to be at my daughter's school. My daughter
for Mother's Day, she made me like a little They
did a project for moms at schools and it was
a bouquet of flowers and there was a question and
they answered it. So my ten year old, they put,
what what do you like when your mom cooks for you?
She says, ramen. So out of all the things, I
(15:57):
don't cook a lot, but out of all the things, ramen.
So that's kind of opening miles. Okay, maybe I should
make some more home cooked meals. And again, I'm a
busy working mom and it doesn't have to be like, Okay,
you guys have to make ten course meals every night.
It's also meal prepping that also carry and.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
That's another kind of another lesson that's also in our
caregiver worships. You know, meal prep, you know, cook to
cook a batch and divide into the four days of
the week, so that way, you know, it kind of
eliminates that stress of oh, I had to come back home,
I need to cook dinner and I have to cook
lunch for the No.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
It's already done for you. It's already.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
So it's all about time management and planning as well.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Yes, and that's some of the stuff that you're Those
are some of the things you're going to learn in
these programs. So if you want more information, you can
go to commonthreads dot org. On Instagram and Facebook look
for common Threads as well, and of course on Power No.
Two Sunday ninety nine point nine and ninety six point
three k he Country. On our Instagram and Facebook, I'll
have this information on common Threads how to get a
(16:54):
hold of them. You'll see a picture of Victoria. And again,
if you want this program at your school, go to
commonthreads dot org and I'm assuming that that's where they
would initiate the process of trying to get you to
come to the school the common Threads.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yeah, so they would specifically here in a passo. They
can always reach me via email and let me know, hey,
you know, I'm interested in having this and not necessarily
in the schools or school districts. If you're coming from
a nonprofit, another nonprofit organization, or another community based organization.
We're a government agency. We're also trying to work with
religious churches as well. So if this is something that
(17:31):
you you know, definitely feel like there's a need for
this at your area and your side for your population,
that you sort of go ahead and shoot me an
email and I will work with you because we do
see that there is a need for this out there,
especially in the community to hear in a.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Passle perfect well, Victoria, thank you so much for being
here with me today. Again, common threads if you want,
you know, food education when it comes to food and
knowing how to cook and knowing how to shop on
a budget and knowing the health benefits and seeing it.
You know, you start eating a little bit better and
seeing the benefits. It's just it's one of the best
things that can happen for you and your kids. So again, Victodia,
(18:07):
thank you so much for being here with me today.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very pleased
to be here. Welcome back to the Al Paso Public Forum.
I am your host, Amberbanda, and today we have two
people from Emergence Health Network, May being Mental Health Awareness Month.
(18:28):
We have Noreen had Amio, Director of Communications with Emergence
Health Network, Notadine, thank you so much for being here
with me today. Thank you for having us a familiar voice.
And we also have Krista Wingate, Emergence Health Network Chief
of Child and Adolescent Services. Christa, thank you so much
for being here with me today. Thank you so much
for having me. Of course, so correct me if I'm wrong.
(18:49):
You're wearing green, and of course you know you'll be
able to see pictures on our social media. But green
is the color for mental health awareness, correctly, yes it is.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
It is it advocates in it brings that awareness for
mental health.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
The green at emergency I love better.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Fact, that's the color of our logo as well.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Yes, well, you know what, I just put two and
two together and I have seen the Emergence logo many times.
So Noreen, let me ask you with you know, what
is Emergence Health Network? What kind of services does it
offer for Al Pastle.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
So, Emergence Health Network is the local mental health authority
in Alpasso in our region, and that's deemed by the state.
So we have certain obligations that we must fulfill as
part of the local mental health authority. So we're part
of a network of mental health centers throughout Texas. So
(19:36):
a lot of people don't realize that Emergence Health Network
has been in our community. We're I think next year
going to celebrate our sixtieth oh wow year caring for
the mental health of our community. And we I always
call it EHN in a nutshell because we do so much.
We offer so many different services for so many different populations.
(19:59):
So we have a wide array of services mental health
for adults, children, We have substance use treatments. We also
serve our idd population, which is our intellectual developmental disability population,
so we provide services for them as well. And since
I've been with Emergence Health Network, and that's going on
(20:22):
ten years, we have expanded our services, I mean by
a lot. We on average serve about thirty five to
forty thousand people a year. We have about seven hundred
a little more than seven hundred employees. We have around
(20:43):
I'm going to say, I don't know, sixteen seventeen, I
lost count different locations to out I'll passos. So it's
not just one clinic. We have our downtown offices, which
is administrative. We have our crisis services which are off
of Montana. We have our child and adolescence clinics, which
you know Chris is going to talk about that's over
(21:05):
on Boeing. So we have clinics and locations throughout the city.
And for the reason is, you know, we want access
no matter where you are in our city. We want
you to have access to these services.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And no matter what time, because if I understand correctly,
there's a maybe like a twenty four to seven access
to certain you know, certain help that people can get,
like the crisis hotline. I believe yes.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So we do have our crisis services, and you are correct,
those are available twenty four to seven, you know, seven
days a week, and the walk in so you can
you can literally go to the physical location that is
sixteen oh one Yen Dell, okay. And again those are
our crisis services available twenty four to seven. But we
also have our crisis hotline or what I call helpline
(21:48):
that's nine one five eight eight seven one seven zero zero.
But you could also access it by just dialing nine
eight eight. That's something new. So that's our operators who
are available twenty four to seven answering those phone calls.
So whether it is a crisis where you know, maybe
you're thinking of harming yourself, or maybe it's just mom
or dad or brother saying, you know, my mom's she
(22:11):
doesn't you know, she's withdrawing. Something's not right? What do
I do? Is this something I need to be worried about?
You can access those resources as well, just to get
information on how to help someone. So that is again
twenty four to seven. But a lot of our clinics,
like Krystal, we'll talk about they are outpatient clinics that
are available, you know, usually eight to five.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Oh wow, that's amazing. I didn't know about the nine
eight eight. I do know that emergence does also work
with local law enforcement. I had a personal issue where
emergence was a terrific help and I think I did
use that hotline. And Christa, I want to talk to
you more about where you work, which is the Child
and Adolescent Services again, maybe mental Health Awareness Month? Why
(22:54):
is mental health awareness for both children and adults.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Mental health awareness is so important because it opens up
the doors for conversations to talk about mental health. So
the more that we can normalize having conversations about mental health,
the more that we can feel vulnerable around people that
we whether it's professionals, our family, our friends. The more
that we can show the community, the more that we
can show ourselves, hey it's okay to talk about mental health.
(23:19):
And when the awareness for mental health is there, it
allows people to feel more confident and even more motivated
to seek out help that they need to address whatever
is going on in their life, whether it's going to
be something that's short term or maybe something that needs
a little bit more long term care.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
So I think and a lot of people would agree
that here in El Paso, it's a widely Hispanic community
and there is a certain stigma with Hispanics and mental health. Ah.
You know, it's almost like you hush it, you don't
talk about it. Yes, So you know, with that being said,
what are maybe some myths that you want to debunk
(23:54):
or maybe people that feel I don't want to say
not normal, because what is normal? But maybe they don't
feel like they're optimal self. What can you tell them
to kind of break that stigma and be like, no,
you need to reach out for yourself.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
It's so important for not just children, adolescents, adults, family members,
support persons to understand that people are going to go
through struggles. And I think what we see in our
community a lot is adults and caregivers comparing their own
experiences to their children, specifically speaking of children in adolescents.
So oftentimes they may tell their child, hey, you know what,
I had it like this, so you need to suck
(24:31):
it up and you need to move on. Or you
know what, if somebody's experiencing suicidal thoughts, they may say, well,
other people have it worse, or you should be thankful
for what you have because there's people who are struggling more.
And those are things that can feel really dismissive, and
those are things that can even cause further problems and
pull somebody away from reaching out and getting resources that
they need or getting the help they need to make
(24:52):
sure that they're secure and that they're safe.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Also, Yeah, and so if someone did feel like, maybe okay,
you know, maybe they feel quote I don't feel sick
enough or I'm not in a crisis, so I'm not
going to call these hotlines. But i still feel like
I'm not you know, I'm depressed or I'm sad, or
I'm having these thoughts. Can they contact Emergence Health even
if they don't feel quote unquote sick enough, because that's
(25:14):
also something we're like, well, I don't need to see
a therapist.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
I got it handled, absolutely, And we love to encourage
people to come and seek our services, even if it's
to get an opinion on if they need further assistance.
Oftentimes people will think if I go to emergence for
an intake appointment, they're going to recommend all these services
to me. They're going to tell me I need all
these things, and that's not always true. Sometimes we just
need to hear from a professional in the field. Hey,
I recommend you receive this, or I recommend your child
(25:40):
get further evaluated by a psychiatric nurse practitioner and let's
see what their options are going to be. I think
it's so important for people to know just because you
seek out, whether it's the hotline and intake appointment with
any of our services, that doesn't always mean that you're
going to be linked to a service. But what it
does mean is you're going to be empowered with resources.
You're going to be empowered with options. And the wonderful
(26:01):
thing is you get to decide if you want to
take on those options.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
You don't have to do it right away.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
You can go and talk about it with your support system,
you can kind of stealing.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
It and think about it.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
But being able to seek out the help just to
get a second opinion or to see from somebody a
professional in the field, what else can I do, whether
again short term or long term, is so important, and
that's why it's really important to break the stigma and
have people understand it's okay to seek out help. And
just because you seek out help doesn't mean you're going
to be admitted to a hospital or you're going to
(26:30):
have to go see a therapist two times a week.
Like that's the stigma, that's the myth that a lot
of people have when they think about accessing mental health resources.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yeah, if I could just do every week.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
So I want to add, excuse me, that we've actually,
you know, in my position, we work a lot with
our clients as well, meaning you know, we like to
get their personal stories, and what I hear often is
that they have learned that it actually takes a lot
of strength to ask for help. So people think it's
a weakness, but really it's not. It really takes a
lot of courage and strength to say I need you know,
(27:02):
someone to direct me or tell me if you know
I am on the.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Right track, or what do I do about this?
Speaker 5 (27:08):
Because we don't know mental health you write with the
stigma is kind of scary. But if we could even
take the approach and say it's just mental well being, absolutely,
mental well being is more than you know, just depression
and being at that crisis level. Mental well being is
about taking care of yourself before you get to that
level and recognizing and you know what I love to
(27:29):
hear from the therapists are recognizing it and the coping
mechanisms so that you don't get to that crisis level.
So think of it or I like to think of
it as mental well being. It's it's more than just
the mental health where you you know, you have the
stigma of a psychiatric hospital. It's bigger than that, absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You can't pour from an empty cup. And the way
I tell you know, a lot of moms, especially they
feel a certain way, especially maybe postpartum or they're stressed
and they're not getting any help from their husbands and
they don't feel like they have the support what I
tell you know, and they don't want to waste the
time because that's taking time away from their kids to
go get this help. What I tell them is the
better you are for yourself, the better you are for
(28:09):
your kids, and now you should do it for yourself.
But like for me personally, I wasn't at that point
where I was loving myself enough to be like I'm
going to do this for me, but I did it
for my kids, and eventually it fell into no, I'm
doing this now because I love me and I love
my kids. So let me ask you, Krista, how do
you start these conversations, these important conversations about mental health?
(28:29):
How do you even bring it up?
Speaker 4 (28:30):
I think some of the things that we love to
suggest is starting with, you know, just really understanding the
importance of a safe and comfortable space. So we love
to give recommendations to parents and even adults of if
you want to have a conversation and bring up some
mental health concerns or observations that you're seeing for a
loved one or a friend, try to take it outside
(28:51):
of the home, the apartment, the school setting. So go
to a coffee shop, go to somewhere where it's a
less intimidating environment. Because setting, yeah, so setting the environment,
setting the tone is really important. And just start off.
I love to just be authentic and what you're talking about.
And if you have concerns, especially if it's about somebody's safety,
(29:13):
be straightforward about it, ask them about it, but let
them know that you're there to bring up things that
maybe you're observing or that you have concerns about and
being honest, being straightforward, maybe sharing your own vulnerabilities. Hey,
you know what, I struggled in this way after I
had a child, and I see some of that in you,
and I would just love to let you know that
I'm here to support you and if you need something,
(29:34):
just know you can always call me. So even simple
sentences or just check ins. It doesn't have to be
this big dramatic thing or.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Click at this inn. No, it doesn't. It isn't.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
People. You don't have to gather all your families, your
aunts and uncles and talk about mental health. No, just
go somewhere.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Make it so.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
The more that we can make the conversations of mental
health seem less intimidating, I think the more willing people
will be to have conversations about mental health.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And just normalizing it, right, normalizing to you can still
it out for coffee and be like, hey, I just
want to do I have a sister in law she's
actually studying psychology in college, and she'll ask me, so
mental health check in, how are you doing? I'm like,
I've never heard that before, but I really appreciate it.
And so Narene you working with all the clients adding
on to this about starting those important conversations. What would
(30:19):
you suggest when you're talking with someone and you feel
like either they you think that you see them for
lack of a better term, spiraling, or maybe you feel
like you want to reach out to them because you,
you know, feel a certain way and you need that
support and you feel like they could provide that support.
How would you suggest initiating those conversations.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
What I've learned from our experts, from our therapist is
something as simple as just how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
And I get that.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
The other day, I got an email from one of
my coworkers and she had been asking me for something,
and you know, one thing led to another, and it
went a few days, a few days, and she like
sent me a message saying, Hey, are you doing okay?
And I mean I started crying because I was like, Wow,
thank you for knowing that you could feel even through
(31:06):
an email that I was totally stressed out, you know
what I mean, and her just taking the time to
say are you okay? I that was such a release
for me. So I have learned from these experts that
just as simple.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
How are you doing?
Speaker 5 (31:20):
Is you know, very very powerful and another thing that
I have learned from them because being you know, I
wasn't in this realm beforehand. So I've learned about a
lot about mental health from listening to our clients tell
their personal stories and listening when our experts do these interviews.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Even when it comes.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
To suicide prevention, you know the dudes and the don'ts.
You would think with suicide prevention you avoid that topic
because it is such a serious topic. But what I
have learned is that you are direct and you ask
them are you thinking of killing yourself?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (31:54):
That direct and the first response. And I even share
that with my husband. He was like, oh why would
you and say that you're just encouraging them, why you're
putting the thought in your mind. But it is kind
of refreshing to have the guidance knowing that I am
handling it right because it's intimidating. I mean, thinking about
someone's mental health or someone you know who might be
(32:15):
thinking of hurting themselves. That's a big responsibility. So I
think even you know, the resources that we provide, having
someone at nine to eight are just calling to say
how do I speak to my son or my daughter
is really helpful.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So with that being said, that being a big one,
you know, suicide christa if someone what are maybe some
signs that you can look out for that you think
someone might be on that path that way, you know
to bring to have those conversations with them.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Always know that signs of suicide are going to be
different for everybody, And I always like to preface with
that because oftentimes people will say, well, I had a
loved one who committed suicide and they didn't show any
of those signs, and so really want to preface with that.
And some of the more common signs that we tend
to see in individuals who either attempt suicide, have suicidal thoughts,
or have completed suicide is black isolation, so pulling themselves
(33:10):
away from loved ones they may not even be interested in.
For example, if somebody maybe is isolating themselves but they're
still talking to family, but you know that they love
to take their dog on a walk, but all of
a sudden, they stop taking their dog on the walk.
Their dog starts going to the restroom inside and they're
not feeding their dog, they're not grooming their dog, And
you're like, hey, you would do this like every day,
and now all of a sudden You're not I know
(33:31):
how much you love your dog.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
So looking for changes in personality, changes in their routines,
somebody is giving away possessions or there Sometimes when people
have a really positive outlook on something that was really
negative that happened in their life, and that's where it
can be confusing. So sometimes people will feel at peace
with something because they're getting ready to end their life.
(33:55):
Yes and so, and I say that just because I
want to bring awareness to sue side. Looking out for
different signs is just going to be different for everyone.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
So trust your gut.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
If you see somebody, you see a loved one, and
you know that they're struggling, or you think they're struggling,
you're not sure. That's like what we're talking about. That
check in is so important, just asking them, Hey, I'm
just what's up. You want to talk, Let's chat, Let's
talk about things and bring up what you're noticing and
what you're observing.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And that's really important.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
But you got to look for those changes and personality
changes and behaviors. What is it? What are things that
they would usually do that now they're not doing. I
think that's one of the biggest things that people can
look out for.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
And like you said, trust your gut, take them somewhere impartial.
There's that number nine eight A if you find that
maybe they are and you don't know what to do,
because really, I mean, what do you do in that situation? Absolutely,
so that way people have that resource. And you know,
with children versus adults, that's another question that I want
to ask you. You know, what are the differences and
(34:54):
maybe the way you would approach mental health awareness or
advocacy for children versus adults.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I think the similarities for both is it goes back
to I think the environment. It goes back to creating
a safe space that both an adult or a child
can come and talk to. I think with adults it
has a lot to do with empathy. I think, so
starting the conversation and addressing things that way, and then
what children and adolescents, the recommendation is to just sometimes
(35:23):
you just got to sit and listen, you know. So
I love to use the acronym love, so elle means listen,
you means understand, and V means validate. So sometimes kids
just want to be heard, like they don't want Sometimes
they don't want to hear the fixing of the problems.
Sometimes they don't want to hear the solution. Maybe you
have to, and so there's going to be circumstances where
(35:44):
you may have to address something immediately. But a lot
of times adolescents they're looking to just feel heard and
they just want somebody to sit down, listen to them,
maybe laugh at them a little bit, right, talk about things,
but just kind of be this non judgmental person. And
when you set the tone, you set the stage for that.
As a caregiver or an adult with a child or adolescent,
I think people underestimate the power that that has of
(36:05):
just giving them that space, going in and saying, I know,
I may have to come out of this with actionable
things that I need to do or solutions, but for now,
I just need to sit here and talk to my
child or talk to my adolescent. And I think that
can be really great with adults too, but I think
it's so impactful with children and adolescents because that's really
what they want to do. They want to be heard,
(36:26):
they want to be validated, and you don't have to
agree with them to validate how they're feeling. You also
don't have to understand where they're coming from because they're
so upset because their Instagram video got deleted and it
couldn't be uploaded to their feed. And that could send
somebody into a crisis too. It could send somebody and say,
you know what, I'm going to lock my door. I
don't want to talk to anybody. So a parent or
caregiver may not understand why they're feeling a certain way
(36:50):
because of something, but still know you can show up
for them and you can still be there for them
without always understanding what they're going through.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Yeah, and bra I might add, and I'm going to
give these some kudos because as part of our program,
our services, not only do they treat, for lack of
a better word, or you know, help the child or
the individual a lot of time, as you mentioned, it
is a family thing. They teach the parents how to
better connect with the children and just listening because you think,
(37:19):
as a parent, okay, I'm gonna know how to handle
my kid, right, but sometimes we don't. And I have
learned a lot from listening to these guys that probably
my kids appreciate now that I, you know, probably wouldn't
have even done beforehand. So it is it is treating
the not just the individual, but the whole family and
support system.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Oh yeah, you know when Emergence helped my daughter, they
interviewed me first and they're like, Okay, you're gonna come
to therapy. I'm like, you know, because you have to
know how to happen, because I would explode or I
would do this, or I would do that. So again,
going back to that whole I don't need therapy. Well,
if you're doing these same things with your kids, you're
getting the same results. They're not talking to you, or
they're hiding these things. It could be a way that
(37:59):
you're handling it. So being able to know why you're
reacting the way you're reacting, what you grew up with
will also help to better serve your family. And unfortunately
we are running out of time. Could we talk with you?
I know really I do really need to have you
back sooner. But if you want more information, you can
go to Instagram or Facebook. Emergence Health Network on both.
(38:20):
Their website is Emergence HealthNetwork dot org and also on
Power No. Two Sunday ninety nine point nine and ninety
six point three K Country. I will have the phone
numbers there, the information, the website there pictures them there
that way, If you want to learn more about Emergence
Health Network and how it can help your family, please
please do so. I think like ninety nine percent, maybe
(38:41):
even more than that, can benefit from your services. So
Noreen and Krista, thank you so much for.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
Being here with me today and thanks for sharing this
important information.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
We appreciate, yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Of course, you've been listening to El Paso Public Forum,
a weekly public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso. If you,
your organization or event would like to be featured on
an up coming program, please email to Epforum at iHeartMedia
dot com or call us at nine one five three
five one five four zero zero. Tune in again next
(39:10):
week for another additional of El Paso Public Forum. The
preceding program was recorded at the studios of iHeartRadio El
Paso
Welcome to El Paso Public Forum, a weekly half hour
public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso for over twenty years,
featuring local news and interviews of interest to our listeners
in West Texas and southern New Mexica. All views and
opinions expressed on this program are those of the host
and guest, and not necessarily those of iHeartRadio Management and
now El Paso Public Forum.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to the al Paso Public Forum. I'm your host, Amberbanda,
and today we have Victoria Aragon MPH. She's the program
manager in al Paso, Texas for Common Threads. Victoria, thank
you so much for being here with me today. No,
thank you so much for having me. Of course, so
Common Threads. I had never heard of this organization, and
(00:42):
like I was telling you earlier, I'm pretty you know,
well versed in the nonprofit spere. So when I got
the PR release about nutrition education that you were doing
for the kids, I said, you know what, I have
a background in nutrition. You know, we talked a little
bit about this, but that's why I'm so interested in
Common Threads. So first, Victoria, can you tell ol pas
(01:04):
So what Common Threads is?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Absolutely so common threads. We are a national nonprofit organization.
We do have several markets across the country, so we
mainly work in providing children and their families cooking as
well as nutrition education. So we do work with a
lot of different partners around of course specifically here in
our passo. Many different partners could be a lot of schools,
(01:29):
school districts, community based organizations, sometimes some government agencies. So
we mainly work with the partners and we work with
also the population that they serve, and we mainly try
to provide not just nutrition education but also culinary skills
as well, So we try to bring the best of
both worlds for them and for their population that they serve,
(01:50):
because you know, here in Opasso we still are facing
that very large you know, food access and food insecurity.
So we work with those partners and trying to help,
you know, bring a lot of that those resources to
the their population and their audiences because they face a
lot of barriers you know, nutrition wise and you know,
(02:10):
having to find ways for food access. So we do,
you know, bring a lot of that nutrition education. We
you know, equip communities with those resources about you know,
the knowledge of you know, regarding nutrition and then also
about cooking. You know, sometimes we've come across a lot
of people that you know, they still don't not really
know how to use a knife properly, or you know,
(02:34):
how can they incorporate foods and vegetables into their daily
lives giving you know, everything's gone so expensive, So we
do a lot of that you know, nutrition component to them,
but we offer a lot of different programs that's going
to also help enhance their knowledge and nutrition but also
bringing you know, culinary skills into their household. So we
mainly work with children, you know, specifically for those are
(02:58):
in schools, but we all also work with families that
may be you know, dealing with uh, you know, a
situation when you know, they don't know when they're going
to have their next meal. So we do try to
provide a lot of that those resources to them, but
we also work with parents, caregivers, you know, for anybody
that is technically caring for either a family member or
(03:19):
their children. So we we have a very you know,
a wide range of programs that we offer to the community,
especially with our partners.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So before we get into the actual part of food education,
because of course, by educating people on what they should
eat to make better choices and stuff like that. We
can see the benefit of that, but I didn't know
that you had all you also helped the community with
food insecurity, and how do you do that? You say,
you provide the resources so where they can go and
(03:51):
get food or yeah, so it just depends.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
But we do provide the new the resources as far
as you know, the nutrition aspect what they should and
should not eat. Especially that can be a bit of
a challenge because you know, especially with the culture and
you know, specifically here in Apasso, it could be a
bit of a challenge because we're so used to eating
you know.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
The takys and the hot shoots with guys and.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
We let them know that it's okay to eat that
and moderation exactly. But it's very important that you incorporate
you know, foods and vegetables into your daily diets because
it will lower your risk of developing, you know, any
sort of chronic illness. But it also another factor to
that also, it just depends also on the funding. So
(04:36):
for an example, last year, we seed funding from Superior
Health Plan where they provided us funding to purchase produce boxes,
and those produce boxes we were able to get those
from one of our partners, from Desert Spoon, and so
that's and we were able to purchase those produce boxes
and we were able to give those out during our
(04:58):
caregiver workshops. So those are just examples that we have
been able to provide not just nutrition nutritional resources, but
we were able to incorporate some sort of produce box.
I mean it doesn't always happen, but sometimes, you know,
our luck, you know, we get that you know luck,
and we are able to incorporate some sort of produce
box along with our you know, caregiver workshops.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, because nonprofits they need funding and they need volunteers
so they can get the funding. And you know, you're
putting it back. And like you said, produce meaning fresh
fruits and vegetables is not cheap right now, you know,
everything's going up in price. So that's excellent that you
give these classes on you know, some some that I
saw online where how to shop on a budget. I
(05:40):
think a lot of people have a misconception on beans
and rice. Yeah, if you fry the beans and lard,
same thing with the rice. You had all types of butter.
It's a very different type of meal. Versus cooking them,
you know, the whole beans, you know, like chattle bean type,
and you know you can put different fruits and protein
vegetables in there, and you know those are the kind
of classes. Assuming that's something that you would incorporate.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yes, absolutely, And that's kind of where our caregiver workshops
come into place.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
So we do have a.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
From three to four lessons of that caregiver worshop. So,
like you mentioned, like the of an example, one lesson
is about how to shop for your groceries. You know,
what things to avoid, what things to actually look for.
You know, how can I distinguish between organic versus non organic,
because there's you know, the terminology can sometimes be confusing
but also a little bit overwhelming for the shoppers that
(06:29):
are trying to you know, you know, figure out how
can I grocery shop if not only if I'm on
a budget, but autist also on a healthier scale. But
we also do offer lessons about how to cook well
with your kids because you know a lot of parents,
you know, they just want to cook something really quick
and feed their kids and then call it a day. Yeah,
but you know it's very important to have them involved
(06:49):
in the cooking process as well. You know, make it
fun for them, make it interesting for them, so that way,
later on they get that knowledge of not just the
nutrition part of it, but also they get to learn
how to they get took out a chop and and
you know, try to make it also a family activity
for them, so that way they're not just you know,
waiting for dinner to be done and as they're you know,
(07:11):
they could be on their iPads or you know, a
lot of kids don't want to do their homework just yeah,
they want to just take time to just relax. They
get them involved, you know, get them to you know,
you know, have a little cooking station for them.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
And it doesn't have to be like they got to
ground the meat or anything. Right, it can be like, okay,
you prepare the salad or with my daughter, it's not
you know, they don't have to do any of the
knives if they're not old enough. But you know, making
a something as simple as making a parfeit where you
just layer the yogurt, you layer the fruit. You let
them do their own or have them pull a part
(07:44):
of lettuce.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
If they don't have to use a knife, they can,
but they love to use their hands. Like these kids
like want to touch everything. Have them pull apart of
honey and have them pull a part of lettuce. That
way they don't have to you don't have to worry
about having them handle a knife. I mean, they'll get
to that point eventually. But if they're very very little,
I mean, have them do something, because they kids always
want to do something. They're at that stage where not
(08:05):
only are their brains developing, but they are active. They
want to do things instead of you know, it kind
of also drives them away from being on their iPads,
being on social media and watching TV. You know, get
them involved. So that's one of the lessons that are
incorporating our caregiver workshops.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
But not only that, but when they prepare the food,
they're more likely to.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Eat it exactly and exactly, and then you know, it
also encourages and that's also another thing that has made
such an impact with our programs is that we see
students or kids, you know, trying foods that they've never
tried before. And they'll be at first. Of course, you know,
kids are they have no filter. They will say like
how it is? They'll be like, oh, I don't like it.
(08:43):
It's Okay, all you have to say say is no, no,
thank you, right, but have them try it, even if
it's just a little by at least they tried it.
But then it kind of you know, makes them aware,
like maybe I could try other things, maybe I can
try something else. And then, for example, we had a
reaction from a student I had never tried raisins before
and it was part of our small Bites program And
(09:05):
like I said, they never tried raisins and they tried
it during a lesson and now.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
They tell their teachers, they tell their friends, I love raisins,
they would love dance on a stick. Yes, anxiety.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So it's really nice to see those kind of rations.
And that's technically what we are looking for is just
to encourage them to try different foods and if they
don't like it, they now know like, Okay, I tried it,
yeah and I didn't like it, but I'm willing to
try something exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And if you're just tuning in, we have Victoria Atragon
MPH program manager in al Paso, Texas for Common Threads
here in al Paso. Now we talked a little bit
about what the programs offer the benefits of kids cooking
with you, you know, and of course the importance of
food education and the fact that Common Threads also provides
(09:52):
resources for families facing food and security. Now we're gonna
go a little bit. I want to ask you about
the programs specifically pre K through eighth because when I
was reading the press release on Common Threads, it was
focused mostly on the kids and families of course, you know.
But can you tell us more about the Small Bites
and the Cooking Skills World Cuisine programs.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yes, so I'll start with the Cooking Skills and we're
Cuisine because that program is technically one of our favorites,
or it's one of the favorites of the of the partners.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And that one you that's for in schools, correct.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So that one, it also mainly depends that one is
often done after school hours because it is a total
of ten lessons and it's two hours each lesson, so
those are typically not done during school time. We often
have scheduled those after school hours, Okay, just because of
the length of each of the lessons. Like I said,
it's a total of ten lessons. But this one is
(10:45):
one of the of the our partner's favorites, especially the kittles,
because each lesson is based on a different country. So
that's kind of what's neat about this particular program is
that the students get to embrace different cultures, they get
to different countries, and so an example, lesson one can
be about the United States.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Of course we all are familiar with the United.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
States, but yeah, I know, chicken strips, you know, and
that's actually one of the recipes are part of the
United States. But another lesson could be about Italy.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Yeah, you know, our chefs.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We do have chefs that go and actually do the
program themselves, and they'll do a little lesson about that country,
about Italy, the population, and then after that little I
guess nutrition education component, it's followed by okay, kids, let's
start cooking, and they'll cook something that's based on that country.
So they'll do either like make a pizza or they'll
(11:38):
make some kind of Italian salad. So that's the one
that's more hands on. So we do equip the students
with our chefs, provide them with a little chef hat,
the little chef aprons, so the you know, the kids
really get into because they're there, they're starting to fill
in that role up oh, I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
A chef, like I'm gonna start cooking.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
When they wear the stuff, they love it, and then
that's when our chefs will equip them with the knives,
the cutting boards, and then they purchase the ingredients. So
they provide that for the kittles as well. We don't
ask our partners or our students to okay, you need
to pay us this, or you need to know. Our
chefs are equipped. They will go out and will provide
that for them. And then so they equip them with
(12:18):
the knives and then they'll okay, I need gi. It's
funny because whenever our chefs, he will tell the kittles okay,
do you.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Guys want to cry now or later?
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Meaning the onions because oh my goodness, like these onions
are so strong. So they'll ask them okay, you guys
want to cry now or later and then be like, oh,
let's cry now. Certain that that means that they're going
to go ahead and pass out the onions so that
way they can go it and take the time to chop.
They learn to mince.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
They they do. They learn about the bear.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Claw and so that's so our chefs, you know, they
have a very well background knowledge of not just nutrition,
but also they're bringing culinary backgrounds as well. Yeah, so
they're incorporating that into the cooking skills re cuisine in
that one. That one is on only specifically from third
through eighth graders.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Because what they just said with the knives.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
With the knives, we I mean, we do have also
like the safe nights as well that are like plastic,
but of course it's not going to cut as nicely
as a sharp one. So we don't have the pre
k through second graders involved in that one. And like
I mentioned, this one is only from third through eighth graders. However,
we are starting to hear from high schools now that
really want cooking skills. We're cuisine into their campuses as well.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, because they got rid of homec as far as
I know, so you know, they can at least learn
to boil an egg and it's.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Exactly and so we're not used to, you know, having
to provide this for high schoolers, but we are starting
to start allowing high schools because they will let me know,
like you know, what, I'm serving a student population that
you know, they're suffering some sort of you know, you know,
food access or food and security, or they don't know
anything about nutrition. You know, I really want this for
(13:55):
our families and our kids and the high schools. And
so slowly we are starting to kind of bring that
program to the high schools because typically it's always been
between elementary to middle schools.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Well, girl, you maybe it won't be, but I'm surprised
at the amount of high schoolers I used to sub
high school. I have a nineteen year old. How they
don't know some of the basics of making a pancake
or scrambling an egg or you know, boiling pastas. So yeah,
I can see the need for that in high school definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Especially not because I mean it's also depending on the
location of the high school. You know, they may be
surrounded by a lot of food court or fast food
restaurants around there. So what are they going to do.
They're just gonna go and order their hot ches, order
their hot scheetes with cheese or tuchis or whatever, and
then they're going to come back and there. And then
sometimes that suppresses their appetite and wanting to create fruits
(14:40):
and vegetables because their bodies are so used to.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
All of that, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Heighened sugar high in sodium, and it sends mixed signals
to them that, oh, you know, you got to continue
eating your tuchis when they should be taking the fruits
and vegetables in take.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
And again, I think that still applies that that age group,
when they make it, they're more likely to it, especially
if that age maybe they're cooking for their family when their.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Parents, especially especially with our culture here in a passle,
you know, you typically see like the older siblings having
to take care of their younger siblings because the parents
are either working or there's only a single parent in
the household. And so that's why we try to we're
starting to slowly try to get that specific program now
to high schools because we do see that need of
(15:24):
students at that age level having to know about nutrition
and culinary skills. And so that's so that one has
always been one of the partner's favorite programs, and so
we like I said that one is typically done after school.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I was just because of how long it could be.
I can see that, and I'm definitely going to rally
for this to be at my daughter's school. My daughter
for Mother's Day, she made me like a little They
did a project for moms at schools and it was
a bouquet of flowers and there was a question and
they answered it. So my ten year old, they put,
what what do you like when your mom cooks for you?
She says, ramen. So out of all the things, I
(15:57):
don't cook a lot, but out of all the things, ramen.
So that's kind of opening miles. Okay, maybe I should
make some more home cooked meals. And again, I'm a
busy working mom and it doesn't have to be like, Okay,
you guys have to make ten course meals every night.
It's also meal prepping that also carry and.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
That's another kind of another lesson that's also in our
caregiver worships. You know, meal prep, you know, cook to
cook a batch and divide into the four days of
the week, so that way, you know, it kind of
eliminates that stress of oh, I had to come back home,
I need to cook dinner and I have to cook
lunch for the No.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
It's already done for you. It's already.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
So it's all about time management and planning as well.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Yes, and that's some of the stuff that you're Those
are some of the things you're going to learn in
these programs. So if you want more information, you can
go to commonthreads dot org. On Instagram and Facebook look
for common Threads as well, and of course on Power No.
Two Sunday ninety nine point nine and ninety six point
three k he Country. On our Instagram and Facebook, I'll
have this information on common Threads how to get a
(16:54):
hold of them. You'll see a picture of Victoria. And again,
if you want this program at your school, go to
commonthreads dot org and I'm assuming that that's where they
would initiate the process of trying to get you to
come to the school the common Threads.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yeah, so they would specifically here in a passo. They
can always reach me via email and let me know, hey,
you know, I'm interested in having this and not necessarily
in the schools or school districts. If you're coming from
a nonprofit, another nonprofit organization, or another community based organization.
We're a government agency. We're also trying to work with
religious churches as well. So if this is something that
(17:31):
you you know, definitely feel like there's a need for
this at your area and your side for your population,
that you sort of go ahead and shoot me an
email and I will work with you because we do
see that there is a need for this out there,
especially in the community to hear in a.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Passle perfect well, Victoria, thank you so much for being
here with me today. Again, common threads if you want,
you know, food education when it comes to food and
knowing how to cook and knowing how to shop on
a budget and knowing the health benefits and seeing it.
You know, you start eating a little bit better and
seeing the benefits. It's just it's one of the best
things that can happen for you and your kids. So again, Victodia,
(18:07):
thank you so much for being here with me today.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very pleased
to be here. Welcome back to the Al Paso Public Forum.
I am your host, Amberbanda, and today we have two
people from Emergence Health Network, May being Mental Health Awareness Month.
(18:28):
We have Noreen had Amio, Director of Communications with Emergence
Health Network, Notadine, thank you so much for being here
with me today. Thank you for having us a familiar voice.
And we also have Krista Wingate, Emergence Health Network Chief
of Child and Adolescent Services. Christa, thank you so much
for being here with me today. Thank you so much
for having me. Of course, so correct me if I'm wrong.
(18:49):
You're wearing green, and of course you know you'll be
able to see pictures on our social media. But green
is the color for mental health awareness, correctly, yes it is.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
It is it advocates in it brings that awareness for
mental health.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
The green at emergency I love better.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Fact, that's the color of our logo as well.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Yes, well, you know what, I just put two and
two together and I have seen the Emergence logo many times.
So Noreen, let me ask you with you know, what
is Emergence Health Network? What kind of services does it
offer for Al Pastle.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
So, Emergence Health Network is the local mental health authority
in Alpasso in our region, and that's deemed by the state.
So we have certain obligations that we must fulfill as
part of the local mental health authority. So we're part
of a network of mental health centers throughout Texas. So
(19:36):
a lot of people don't realize that Emergence Health Network
has been in our community. We're I think next year
going to celebrate our sixtieth oh wow year caring for
the mental health of our community. And we I always
call it EHN in a nutshell because we do so much.
We offer so many different services for so many different populations.
(19:59):
So we have a wide array of services mental health
for adults, children, We have substance use treatments. We also
serve our idd population, which is our intellectual developmental disability population,
so we provide services for them as well. And since
I've been with Emergence Health Network, and that's going on
(20:22):
ten years, we have expanded our services, I mean by
a lot. We on average serve about thirty five to
forty thousand people a year. We have about seven hundred
a little more than seven hundred employees. We have around
(20:43):
I'm going to say, I don't know, sixteen seventeen, I
lost count different locations to out I'll passos. So it's
not just one clinic. We have our downtown offices, which
is administrative. We have our crisis services which are off
of Montana. We have our child and adolescence clinics, which
you know Chris is going to talk about that's over
(21:05):
on Boeing. So we have clinics and locations throughout the city.
And for the reason is, you know, we want access
no matter where you are in our city. We want
you to have access to these services.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And no matter what time, because if I understand correctly,
there's a maybe like a twenty four to seven access
to certain you know, certain help that people can get,
like the crisis hotline. I believe yes.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So we do have our crisis services, and you are correct,
those are available twenty four to seven, you know, seven
days a week, and the walk in so you can
you can literally go to the physical location that is
sixteen oh one Yen Dell, okay. And again those are
our crisis services available twenty four to seven. But we
also have our crisis hotline or what I call helpline
(21:48):
that's nine one five eight eight seven one seven zero zero.
But you could also access it by just dialing nine
eight eight. That's something new. So that's our operators who
are available twenty four to seven answering those phone calls.
So whether it is a crisis where you know, maybe
you're thinking of harming yourself, or maybe it's just mom
or dad or brother saying, you know, my mom's she
(22:11):
doesn't you know, she's withdrawing. Something's not right? What do
I do? Is this something I need to be worried about?
You can access those resources as well, just to get
information on how to help someone. So that is again
twenty four to seven. But a lot of our clinics,
like Krystal, we'll talk about they are outpatient clinics that
are available, you know, usually eight to five.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Oh wow, that's amazing. I didn't know about the nine
eight eight. I do know that emergence does also work
with local law enforcement. I had a personal issue where
emergence was a terrific help and I think I did
use that hotline. And Christa, I want to talk to
you more about where you work, which is the Child
and Adolescent Services again, maybe mental Health Awareness Month? Why
(22:54):
is mental health awareness for both children and adults.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Mental health awareness is so important because it opens up
the doors for conversations to talk about mental health. So
the more that we can normalize having conversations about mental health,
the more that we can feel vulnerable around people that
we whether it's professionals, our family, our friends. The more
that we can show the community, the more that we
can show ourselves, hey it's okay to talk about mental health.
(23:19):
And when the awareness for mental health is there, it
allows people to feel more confident and even more motivated
to seek out help that they need to address whatever
is going on in their life, whether it's going to
be something that's short term or maybe something that needs
a little bit more long term care.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
So I think and a lot of people would agree
that here in El Paso, it's a widely Hispanic community
and there is a certain stigma with Hispanics and mental health. Ah.
You know, it's almost like you hush it, you don't
talk about it. Yes, So you know, with that being said,
what are maybe some myths that you want to debunk
(23:54):
or maybe people that feel I don't want to say
not normal, because what is normal? But maybe they don't
feel like they're optimal self. What can you tell them
to kind of break that stigma and be like, no,
you need to reach out for yourself.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
It's so important for not just children, adolescents, adults, family members,
support persons to understand that people are going to go
through struggles. And I think what we see in our
community a lot is adults and caregivers comparing their own
experiences to their children, specifically speaking of children in adolescents.
So oftentimes they may tell their child, hey, you know what,
I had it like this, so you need to suck
(24:31):
it up and you need to move on. Or you
know what, if somebody's experiencing suicidal thoughts, they may say, well,
other people have it worse, or you should be thankful
for what you have because there's people who are struggling more.
And those are things that can feel really dismissive, and
those are things that can even cause further problems and
pull somebody away from reaching out and getting resources that
they need or getting the help they need to make
(24:52):
sure that they're secure and that they're safe.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Also, Yeah, and so if someone did feel like, maybe okay,
you know, maybe they feel quote I don't feel sick
enough or I'm not in a crisis, so I'm not
going to call these hotlines. But i still feel like
I'm not you know, I'm depressed or I'm sad, or
I'm having these thoughts. Can they contact Emergence Health even
if they don't feel quote unquote sick enough, because that's
(25:14):
also something we're like, well, I don't need to see
a therapist.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
I got it handled, absolutely, And we love to encourage
people to come and seek our services, even if it's
to get an opinion on if they need further assistance.
Oftentimes people will think if I go to emergence for
an intake appointment, they're going to recommend all these services
to me. They're going to tell me I need all
these things, and that's not always true. Sometimes we just
need to hear from a professional in the field. Hey,
I recommend you receive this, or I recommend your child
(25:40):
get further evaluated by a psychiatric nurse practitioner and let's
see what their options are going to be. I think
it's so important for people to know just because you
seek out, whether it's the hotline and intake appointment with
any of our services, that doesn't always mean that you're
going to be linked to a service. But what it
does mean is you're going to be empowered with resources.
You're going to be empowered with options. And the wonderful
(26:01):
thing is you get to decide if you want to
take on those options.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
You don't have to do it right away.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
You can go and talk about it with your support system,
you can kind of stealing.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
It and think about it.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
But being able to seek out the help just to
get a second opinion or to see from somebody a
professional in the field, what else can I do, whether
again short term or long term, is so important, and
that's why it's really important to break the stigma and
have people understand it's okay to seek out help. And
just because you seek out help doesn't mean you're going
to be admitted to a hospital or you're going to
(26:30):
have to go see a therapist two times a week.
Like that's the stigma, that's the myth that a lot
of people have when they think about accessing mental health resources.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yeah, if I could just do every week.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
So I want to add, excuse me, that we've actually,
you know, in my position, we work a lot with
our clients as well, meaning you know, we like to
get their personal stories, and what I hear often is
that they have learned that it actually takes a lot
of strength to ask for help. So people think it's
a weakness, but really it's not. It really takes a
lot of courage and strength to say I need you know,
(27:02):
someone to direct me or tell me if you know
I am on the.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Right track, or what do I do about this?
Speaker 5 (27:08):
Because we don't know mental health you write with the
stigma is kind of scary. But if we could even
take the approach and say it's just mental well being, absolutely,
mental well being is more than you know, just depression
and being at that crisis level. Mental well being is
about taking care of yourself before you get to that
level and recognizing and you know what I love to
(27:29):
hear from the therapists are recognizing it and the coping
mechanisms so that you don't get to that crisis level.
So think of it or I like to think of
it as mental well being. It's it's more than just
the mental health where you you know, you have the
stigma of a psychiatric hospital. It's bigger than that, absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You can't pour from an empty cup. And the way
I tell you know, a lot of moms, especially they
feel a certain way, especially maybe postpartum or they're stressed
and they're not getting any help from their husbands and
they don't feel like they have the support what I
tell you know, and they don't want to waste the
time because that's taking time away from their kids to
go get this help. What I tell them is the
better you are for yourself, the better you are for
(28:09):
your kids, and now you should do it for yourself.
But like for me personally, I wasn't at that point
where I was loving myself enough to be like I'm
going to do this for me, but I did it
for my kids, and eventually it fell into no, I'm
doing this now because I love me and I love
my kids. So let me ask you, Krista, how do
you start these conversations, these important conversations about mental health?
(28:29):
How do you even bring it up?
Speaker 4 (28:30):
I think some of the things that we love to
suggest is starting with, you know, just really understanding the
importance of a safe and comfortable space. So we love
to give recommendations to parents and even adults of if
you want to have a conversation and bring up some
mental health concerns or observations that you're seeing for a
loved one or a friend, try to take it outside
(28:51):
of the home, the apartment, the school setting. So go
to a coffee shop, go to somewhere where it's a
less intimidating environment. Because setting, yeah, so setting the environment,
setting the tone is really important. And just start off.
I love to just be authentic and what you're talking about.
And if you have concerns, especially if it's about somebody's safety,
(29:13):
be straightforward about it, ask them about it, but let
them know that you're there to bring up things that
maybe you're observing or that you have concerns about and
being honest, being straightforward, maybe sharing your own vulnerabilities. Hey,
you know what, I struggled in this way after I
had a child, and I see some of that in you,
and I would just love to let you know that
I'm here to support you and if you need something,
(29:34):
just know you can always call me. So even simple
sentences or just check ins. It doesn't have to be
this big dramatic thing or.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Click at this inn. No, it doesn't. It isn't.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
People. You don't have to gather all your families, your
aunts and uncles and talk about mental health. No, just
go somewhere.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Make it so.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
The more that we can make the conversations of mental
health seem less intimidating, I think the more willing people
will be to have conversations about mental health.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
And just normalizing it, right, normalizing to you can still
it out for coffee and be like, hey, I just
want to do I have a sister in law she's
actually studying psychology in college, and she'll ask me, so
mental health check in, how are you doing? I'm like,
I've never heard that before, but I really appreciate it.
And so Narene you working with all the clients adding
on to this about starting those important conversations. What would
(30:19):
you suggest when you're talking with someone and you feel
like either they you think that you see them for
lack of a better term, spiraling, or maybe you feel
like you want to reach out to them because you,
you know, feel a certain way and you need that
support and you feel like they could provide that support.
How would you suggest initiating those conversations.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
What I've learned from our experts, from our therapist is
something as simple as just how are you doing?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
And I get that.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
The other day, I got an email from one of
my coworkers and she had been asking me for something,
and you know, one thing led to another, and it
went a few days, a few days, and she like
sent me a message saying, Hey, are you doing okay?
And I mean I started crying because I was like, Wow,
thank you for knowing that you could feel even through
(31:06):
an email that I was totally stressed out, you know
what I mean, and her just taking the time to
say are you okay? I that was such a release
for me. So I have learned from these experts that
just as simple.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
How are you doing?
Speaker 5 (31:20):
Is you know, very very powerful and another thing that
I have learned from them because being you know, I
wasn't in this realm beforehand. So I've learned about a
lot about mental health from listening to our clients tell
their personal stories and listening when our experts do these interviews.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Even when it comes.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
To suicide prevention, you know the dudes and the don'ts.
You would think with suicide prevention you avoid that topic
because it is such a serious topic. But what I
have learned is that you are direct and you ask
them are you thinking of killing yourself?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (31:54):
That direct and the first response. And I even share
that with my husband. He was like, oh why would
you and say that you're just encouraging them, why you're
putting the thought in your mind. But it is kind
of refreshing to have the guidance knowing that I am
handling it right because it's intimidating. I mean, thinking about
someone's mental health or someone you know who might be
(32:15):
thinking of hurting themselves. That's a big responsibility. So I
think even you know, the resources that we provide, having
someone at nine to eight are just calling to say
how do I speak to my son or my daughter
is really helpful.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So with that being said, that being a big one,
you know, suicide christa if someone what are maybe some
signs that you can look out for that you think
someone might be on that path that way, you know
to bring to have those conversations with them.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Always know that signs of suicide are going to be
different for everybody, And I always like to preface with
that because oftentimes people will say, well, I had a
loved one who committed suicide and they didn't show any
of those signs, and so really want to preface with that.
And some of the more common signs that we tend
to see in individuals who either attempt suicide, have suicidal thoughts,
or have completed suicide is black isolation, so pulling themselves
(33:10):
away from loved ones they may not even be interested in.
For example, if somebody maybe is isolating themselves but they're
still talking to family, but you know that they love
to take their dog on a walk, but all of
a sudden, they stop taking their dog on the walk.
Their dog starts going to the restroom inside and they're
not feeding their dog, they're not grooming their dog, And
you're like, hey, you would do this like every day,
and now all of a sudden You're not I know
(33:31):
how much you love your dog.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (33:33):
So looking for changes in personality, changes in their routines,
somebody is giving away possessions or there Sometimes when people
have a really positive outlook on something that was really
negative that happened in their life, and that's where it
can be confusing. So sometimes people will feel at peace
with something because they're getting ready to end their life.
(33:55):
Yes and so, and I say that just because I
want to bring awareness to sue side. Looking out for
different signs is just going to be different for everyone.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
So trust your gut.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
If you see somebody, you see a loved one, and
you know that they're struggling, or you think they're struggling,
you're not sure. That's like what we're talking about. That
check in is so important, just asking them, Hey, I'm
just what's up. You want to talk, Let's chat, Let's
talk about things and bring up what you're noticing and
what you're observing.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And that's really important.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
But you got to look for those changes and personality
changes and behaviors. What is it? What are things that
they would usually do that now they're not doing. I
think that's one of the biggest things that people can
look out for.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
And like you said, trust your gut, take them somewhere impartial.
There's that number nine eight A if you find that
maybe they are and you don't know what to do,
because really, I mean, what do you do in that situation? Absolutely,
so that way people have that resource. And you know,
with children versus adults, that's another question that I want
to ask you. You know, what are the differences and
(34:54):
maybe the way you would approach mental health awareness or
advocacy for children versus adults.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I think the similarities for both is it goes back
to I think the environment. It goes back to creating
a safe space that both an adult or a child
can come and talk to. I think with adults it
has a lot to do with empathy. I think, so
starting the conversation and addressing things that way, and then
what children and adolescents, the recommendation is to just sometimes
(35:23):
you just got to sit and listen, you know. So
I love to use the acronym love, so elle means listen,
you means understand, and V means validate. So sometimes kids
just want to be heard, like they don't want Sometimes
they don't want to hear the fixing of the problems.
Sometimes they don't want to hear the solution. Maybe you
have to, and so there's going to be circumstances where
(35:44):
you may have to address something immediately. But a lot
of times adolescents they're looking to just feel heard and
they just want somebody to sit down, listen to them,
maybe laugh at them a little bit, right, talk about things,
but just kind of be this non judgmental person. And
when you set the tone, you set the stage for that.
As a caregiver or an adult with a child or adolescent,
I think people underestimate the power that that has of
(36:05):
just giving them that space, going in and saying, I know,
I may have to come out of this with actionable
things that I need to do or solutions, but for now,
I just need to sit here and talk to my
child or talk to my adolescent. And I think that
can be really great with adults too, but I think
it's so impactful with children and adolescents because that's really
what they want to do. They want to be heard,
(36:26):
they want to be validated, and you don't have to
agree with them to validate how they're feeling. You also
don't have to understand where they're coming from because they're
so upset because their Instagram video got deleted and it
couldn't be uploaded to their feed. And that could send
somebody into a crisis too. It could send somebody and say,
you know what, I'm going to lock my door. I
don't want to talk to anybody. So a parent or
caregiver may not understand why they're feeling a certain way
(36:50):
because of something, but still know you can show up
for them and you can still be there for them
without always understanding what they're going through.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Yeah, and bra I might add, and I'm going to
give these some kudos because as part of our program,
our services, not only do they treat, for lack of
a better word, or you know, help the child or
the individual a lot of time, as you mentioned, it
is a family thing. They teach the parents how to
better connect with the children and just listening because you think,
(37:19):
as a parent, okay, I'm gonna know how to handle
my kid, right, but sometimes we don't. And I have
learned a lot from listening to these guys that probably
my kids appreciate now that I, you know, probably wouldn't
have even done beforehand. So it is it is treating
the not just the individual, but the whole family and
support system.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Oh yeah, you know when Emergence helped my daughter, they
interviewed me first and they're like, Okay, you're gonna come
to therapy. I'm like, you know, because you have to
know how to happen, because I would explode or I
would do this, or I would do that. So again,
going back to that whole I don't need therapy. Well,
if you're doing these same things with your kids, you're
getting the same results. They're not talking to you, or
they're hiding these things. It could be a way that
(37:59):
you're handling it. So being able to know why you're
reacting the way you're reacting, what you grew up with
will also help to better serve your family. And unfortunately
we are running out of time. Could we talk with you?
I know really I do really need to have you
back sooner. But if you want more information, you can
go to Instagram or Facebook. Emergence Health Network on both.
(38:20):
Their website is Emergence HealthNetwork dot org and also on
Power No. Two Sunday ninety nine point nine and ninety
six point three K Country. I will have the phone
numbers there, the information, the website there pictures them there
that way, If you want to learn more about Emergence
Health Network and how it can help your family, please
please do so. I think like ninety nine percent, maybe
(38:41):
even more than that, can benefit from your services. So
Noreen and Krista, thank you so much for.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
Being here with me today and thanks for sharing this
important information.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
We appreciate, yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Of course, you've been listening to El Paso Public Forum,
a weekly public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso. If you,
your organization or event would like to be featured on
an up coming program, please email to Epforum at iHeartMedia
dot com or call us at nine one five three
five one five four zero zero. Tune in again next
(39:10):
week for another additional of El Paso Public Forum. The
preceding program was recorded at the studios of iHeartRadio El
Paso
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