Methodist Healthcare Ministries Of South Texas Inc

Other program services owned and operated by mhm for low-income and uninsured patients/clients include: community counseling services: community counselors help people who are uninsured, whose existing coverage does not provide mental health services benefits, are low-income and lack the money to pay for counseling services, or who would not receive treatment any other way. Counseling services are provided by trained, licensed, professional counselors and social workers in local churches across the rio grande valley, laredo, kerrville and the coastal bend. Community health workers or promotores de salud: community health workers have the distinct ability to reach vulnerable, low-income and underserved members of the community through their specialized knowledge of the communities mhm serves and their unique ability to engage community members at a hands-on level. Community health workers support health education and prevention efforts and bridge access to community-based health programs and advocates. The get fit (families in training) program is a prevention program aimed at averting type ii diabetes, obesity and sedentary lifestyles, focusing on children and families in rural communities. In addition to the medical, dental, and behavioral health services identified under program service activity #3, the following programs are parenting programs designed to help parents and guardians learn parenting skills so they will be more confident and more competent leaders within their families. Programs include: peer parenting; parents helping parents; parents as teachers; and the nurturing parenting programs. Recreation & enrichment programs: available at mhm's wesley health & wellness center offers youth, adults and seniors free, safe and fun activities that promote health, wellness and learning skills. Programs consist of youth development programs such as camp wesley, a free 8-week summer camp for youth ages 6-18 and 'los mariachitos de wesley,' a free cultural arts program for youth ages 6-18. The youth development program at wesley health & wellness center is a neighborhood recreation program and is not regulated by state childcare licensing and is not a day care facility. Adult programming includes exercise classes, parent and family trainings and community-based support groups such as alcoholics anonymous and the community justice program. Health education & nutrition: offered at the wesley health & wellness center (whwc) and the dixon health & wellness center are designed to teach and model health and wellness through healthy cooking, direct health education with clients and through the provision of healthy and nutritious meals prepared by professional culinary artists at mhm's wesley cafe located at whwc. Health education is offered under the registered nurses and dieticians and is primarily designed for diabetic clients in one-on-one and group settings and includes distribution of glucometer strips to help manage their disease. The wesley cafe prepares healthy and nutritious meals for the children and guests of the whwc and serves as an emergency food pantry and bread line to those in need.

Mhm owns and operates two primary care clinics at two locations - wesley health & wellness center and dixon health & wellness center - in san antonio where medical, dental, and behavioral health services are offered to uninsured individuals and families who do not qualify for any type of benefits such as medicaid or medicare. Services are based on a sliding-scale fee determined by household income and family size. However, no one is denied based on their ability to pay. Mhm also operates school based health centers which provide primary medical care, dental care, and counseling to school-age children and their siblings up to the age of 21 in two school districts.

The wesley nurse program spans 80 sites throughout south texas and is mhm's largest geographic outreach program. A key component wesley nurses undertake in their communities is providing health education, health promotion, and facilitation of resources. While the wesley nurse program is a component of mhm's ecumenical outreach, and located within churches, it does not teach a particular set of denominational beliefs. All wesley nurse programs are free and all members of the community are welcome. Programs are offered to groups or on an individual basis.