#  Implementation & Evaluation in Urban and Rural Settings the Lower Rio Grande Valley Region in Texas 

 



An ongoing project (2026-2029).

### The Aim of the Study:

This project partners with community-based organizations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas (LRGV), supported by Methodist Healthcare Ministries, to build their capacity to respond to mental health needs within their respective communities.

### The Background:

Depression is the leading contributor to the mental health burden in the US, yet access to care remains severely limited in underserved communities. The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas faces some of the most pronounced gaps: poverty rates between 24 and 35%, a high proportion of uninsured residents, and far fewer mental health professionals per capita than the state average. Community-based organizations in the region are well-positioned to help fill this gap, providing trusted, local access to support.

### The Project Plan:

The project unfolds in three phases.

- **Phase 1**: The team engages organizational leadership to map implementation plans, trains members of at least two community-based organizations in EMPOWER BA, and establishes referral pathways with FQHCs and academic medical centers to enable ongoing supervision and crisis support. Qualitative interviews with providers and community members will explore barriers to care and contextual factors.
- **Phase 2**: The team rolls out the intervention, reaching individuals with depressive symptoms while tracking outcomes, quality of delivery, and implementation costs.
- **Phase 3**: Qualitative and quantitative data are brought together for convergent analysis and dissemination of findings from the pilot evaluation.

### Supporters and Project Duration:

This project is funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries (2026-2029). The HMS team works closely with community partners in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, including ARISE Adelante, Gracious Hearts, Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas, and Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA).

### Next Steps: 

As of June 2026, frontline providers across community organizations are taking the EMPOWER BA course. Providers in training will proceed to an internship phase, engaging in case-based learning and demonstrating the skills needed to begin delivery within their communities.

### Publications: 

2025:

- [Scaling Up Task‐Shared Depression Care in Texas: Evaluating the Preliminary Effectiveness and Acceptability of a Digital Program for Training Non‐Specialist Providers](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oh1kV_2fOfeCO6I8G5cSPy44XF6OpCEu/view?usp=sharing)
- [Development of a digital program for training non-specialist providers to deliver a psychosocial intervention for depression: a formative study to support scaling up task-shared depression care in the United States](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1228HGypmYU4FpcDgt43lS8oMpuUMGeRS/view?usp=sharing)