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Most people experience stress reactions following a traumatic event such as the recent flood events. Texans Recovering Together (TRT) is a team of licensed counselors from The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD who reach out to survivors to offer free grief and loss crisis counseling, disaster education and resource referrals to help meet immediate needs.
Most people experience stress reactions following a traumatic event such as the recent flood events. Texans Recovering Together (TRT) is a team of licensed counselors from The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD who reach out to survivors to offer free grief and loss crisis counseling, disaster education and resource referrals to help meet immediate needs. Crisis counseling helps reduce the intensity of an individual’s emotional, mental and physical behavioral reactions to this type of trauma, which is essential for recovery. TRT provided services to approximately 39,000 survivors of the May 2015 flood event. The team has plans to continue providing this assistance to more individuals affected by other floods. Through canvassing affected neighborhoods, participating in community outreach events and by utilizing the FEMA registration list provided by state partners, the team continues to complete follow-up visits with survivors to ensure that needs have been met. As part of their outreach and awareness activities, TRT held educational groups in Spring Independent School District. A Spring ISD representative shared his experience with the TRT team. “Spring ISD loves TRT. Jermaine and the rest of the team have been wonderful. They have provided parents, students, faculty and staff with all of the tools necessary to be ready when disaster strikes. Thank you all for educating Spring ISD.” Texans Recovering Together works under the auspices of The Harris Center, through the Texas Department of State Health Services. Funds for this program are provided by FEMA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Individuals who would like more details about TRT may contact 844-279-6036 or send an email to trt@mhmraharris.org for more information.
The blue skies and shiny green leaves dancing to the rhythm of the friendly summer breeze were the perfect background for the many smiling faces at Bayland Park.
What makes a good listener? Common responses to this question include someone who is attentive, engaged, non-judgmental, helpful, knowledgeable and empathetic.
April 6, 2017 was one of those California-weather-like days in Houston with a bright sky and breeze just right as a crowd gathered for the grand opening of the new home of the Houston Furniture Bank, a long-time partner of The Harris Center. The large new building contains an entire warehouse of furniture, a mattress recycling area, a retail outlet and the big hearts of the Houston Furniture Bank employees.
Getting to this point was no small feat. Two and a half decades of hard work, innovation and partnership have allowed the Houston Furniture Bank to serve families throughout Harris County, including quite a few consumers of The Harris Center.
The connection between the Houston Furniture Bank and The Harris Center goes back to 1992 when a housing support employee at The Harris Center, then the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority (MHMRA) of Harris County, saw a void in consumers’ residences. There were no beds, tables, chairs, sofas or other signs that they were actually homes. That employee, Oli Mohammed, had an idea. What if the Agency found donated furniture to turn these houses into homes? With the support of the Agency’s executive director, Dr. Steven Schnee, he began what became the MHMRA of Harris County Furniture Bank. “If Dr. Schnee didn’t see the virtue in this, the furniture bank wouldn’t exist,” said Mohammed.
Recovery: one word with countless possibilities. Because there is not one definition of recovery, everyone has their own meaning and their own story.
“The Agency slogan is Transforming Lives, and so, when we think of that and we think of recovery, it means to help someone progress in finding meaning in their life. They are not merely progressing towards eliminating symptoms, but to be able to live a meaningful life past the mental health challenges that they face,” said Ana Oyarvide, Recovery Manager for the Mental Health Outpatient Services Division of The Harris Center.
While the recovery journey is unique for each individual, it is a tie that binds. Those who have lived experience in recovery from mental illness, commonly referred to as peers, offer an insight that is invaluable to those who are either just starting their process or those who find it beneficial to talk to others who understand what it is like to live with a mental illness.
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The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD strives to provide high quality, efficient, and cost effective services so that persons with mental disabilities may live with dignity as fully functioning, participating, and contributing members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay based on a sliding scale rate schedule. Privacy Statement Contact Us