TTUHSC hosts mental health training conference for West Texas professionals
“Most consumers suffer in silence because they don’t have access to resources.”
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center hosted the West Texas Regional Mental Health Conference on Wednesday, to help facilitate cooperation between providers and offer detailed training tips for professionals in our region.
Previously, there was no conference like it in West Texas and health professionals had to travel out of town or out of state just to get detail-focused training. The conference provides mental health professionals with the opportunity to learn ways to implement evidence-based intervention and share tips for working with special populations.
Dr. Nancy Trevino, director of the initiative, said “Every presentation is giving them additional skills and techniques that they can use in their own practices and in their own treatment of patients or clients.”
A lot of people were isolated during the pandemic, exacerbating underlying mental health issues.
“Most consumers suffer in silence because they don’t have access to resources,” Family Counseling Services Counselor Dr. Brian Moffitt said.
Moffitt said the most important thing he learned is that it takes a village to tackle a difficult problem. The pandemic shined a light on mental health awareness, but there’s always room for improvement.
“The opportunity to get together and work with different professions is vital. We’re a lot better than last time this occurred, but were still getting there. We still have a long way to go,” Dr. Moffitt said.
Tim Hayes, who has been in this profession for years, said his biggest lesson is remembering most patients come from a traumatic past.
“So a reminder to approach everything from that angle for me is very, very helpful,” Hayes said.
The conference allows these providers to serve their patients with a multitude of new resources and perspectives.
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