The Angelina County Local Advisory Board of the Rural East Texas Health Network (RETHN) recently met at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin. Board members reviewed admissions data for Burke’s regional Mental Health Emergency Center, as well as discussed the mental health emergency delivery system for Angelina County.
The RETHN was established in 2006 by Burke in response to the tremendous need within our rural communities for a strategic plan/infrastructure to improve the mental health delivery system for our region. The purpose of the RETHN is to maintain a line of communication between stakeholders within communities; maintain communication between counties and the local mental health provider; promote education and awareness about issues concerning the mental health delivery system; and to provide a collective voice working towards common goals.
The RETHN is comprised of local advisory boards that represent the twelve counties of our Deep East Texas region, as well as a Regional Board of Directors. Each local advisory board meets on a regular basis throughout the year.
Shown here at the meeting are (front row, left to right): Laura Rucinsky, Hope Bridge Hospital; Sherian Durham, Woodland Heights; Whitney Burram, Family Crisis Center of East Texas; Jackie Evans, Woodland Heights; Gale Culpepper, Burke; Anne Bondesen, RETHN; (back row) Brett Maisel, Burke; Crystal Bonner, Burke; May McAnally, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin; Kenneth Hadnot, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin; Mike Ferrigno, Mental Health Advocate; Board Chairman Gerald Williamson, Lufkin Police Chief; Keith Smith, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council; Jerry Smith, Lufkin Police Department; Scott Cagnon, Lufkin Police Department; Roy Owens, Angelina County Sheriff’s Department; Belinda Espree, Burke; Greg Sanches, Angelina County Sheriff; Stacy Seymore, Angelina County Sheriff’s Department; and Alton Lenderman, Angelina County Sheriff’s Department. Also attending but not shown, Michael Rankin, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin.
