University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
IN-49: Innovation C

Addressing and providing mental health education and services contributes to the wellbeing of a community, increasing its ability to grow sustainably. Stemming out of a conversation during the pandemic between Cynthia Cavazos-Gonzalez director of the UTRGV psychological clinic and other community mental health providers who were receiving calls from people asking for sessions to help cope with the anxiety, the university's clinic created a warm-line service to provide support to individuals experiencing emotional and mental distress.

The warm-line provides callers with resources and effective types of interventions, including stress management and mindfulness techniques, relaxation exercises, behavioral interventions for sleep and appetite issues and psycho-educational counseling. Staffed by UTRGV mental health clinicians and PhD. clinical psychology students (supervised by faculty members) the free telephone service that is meant to prevent crisis, physical, emotional and mental deterioration and provide a lifeline is open to the RGV community, including students, healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers. This innovative practice by UTRGV´s psychological clinic reduces inequalities by leveling up and promoting mental health care for all.