From our December 7, 2000, edition.

Mental health office to host public form 

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation (TPMHMR) will be holding a public forum on Monday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m. at the Burton Memorial Library in the Meeting Room, located at 217 S. Kearney in Clarendon.

The purpose of this public forum is to inform community members of the services currently being offered by the agency, as well as to gather feedback regarding satisfaction with these services and to address any unmet needs identified by the residents of Armstrong, Collingsworth, Donley, and Hall Counties.

Texas Panhandle Mental Health Authority merged with Amarillo State Center on September 1, 2000, resulting in the newly formed Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation.  Residents of Armstrong, Collingsworth, Donley, and Hall Counties are served by a regional satellite office that offers mental health services, as well as the Wellington workshop, which provides services to individuals with mental retardation.

The local outpatient psychiatric clinic offers mental health services to adults who suffer from severe mental health illness and to children and adolescents in need of mental health intervention.  This clinic has helped to stabilize the emotional and behavorial functioning of people with severe mental illness, reducing homelessness, harmful behavior, court commitments, and hospitalizations that are costly to the community.

Services in the Wellington Workshop include vocational training at the workshop and job coaching in community jobs.  Support is also provided in the area of nursing, psychology, and service coordination.  All of the above services listed aid in building self-esteem and improving the quality of lives for individuals with mental retardation.

Texas Panhandle Mental Health Mental Retardation would like to encourage all citizens with an interest in the issues of mental health and mental retardation to attend this forum, which is expected to last approximately one hour.  The mission of TPMHMR is “To respond to the diverse needs of all persons with mental illness and mental retardation by creating an accessible system of services which supports individuals choices and results in lives of dignity and independence.”

Persons desiring more information regarding this public forum may contact Donna H. Massey, Director of Managed Services, at 806-349-5645 or Dina Martinez at 806-349-5647.