Terrorism & Disaster Coalition for Child & Family Resilience – Gulf Coast Coalition
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center received funding to establish the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category II Treatment and Service Adaptation Center. The Center, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration established the Terrorism and Disaster Coalition for Child and Family Resilience program. The first project of the program was the Gulf Coast Coalition, established in 2017, comprised of representatives from state agencies in the states along the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Subsequently, the Northeast Coalition was established (Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York). The final coalitions to be established will be the Midwestern U.S. Coalition and the West Coast Coalition.
By Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. and Rudolph K. Metayer
Just under 43,000 Texans have died from COVID-19. That is a staggering figure. Something else that is just as astonishing? According to a study by the Episcopal Health Foundation, racial and ethnic disparities were responsible for an additional 5,000 deaths from COVID-19 as of September 2020, accounting for 30% of all deaths at that time. It is obvious that our state’s ability to stay healthy is harmed by the inequitable distribution of lifesaving health care services among Texans.
This unnecessary loss of life costs us in all respects. The toll is not just emotional or psychological but also financial. This same study estimates that health disparities cost Texans $7.7 billion in excess medical spending and lost productivity.
The 2021 Texas Mental Health Creative Arts Contest is now accepting original artwork, writing and photography through March 1. There are categories for different age groups including elementary, middle school (grades six through eight), high school and adults 18 and over.
This is an annual contest; previous winning art includes themes such as depression, body image issues and death.
The theme for 2021 is Why Does Mental Health Matter to You?
“While many Texans have experienced a mental health challenge or know someone who has, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding the topic.” – Texas System of Care project director Kisha Ledlow
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