Mesilla Valley Hospital hosts continuing education luncheons onsite each month. Our Psych Cuisine training series is a great resource for professionals who need CEUs and who want to enhance their understanding of topics related to mental health and addiction treatment.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – (October 21, 2019) –Mesilla Valley Hospital, the only UHS facility in New Mexico, recognized National Recovery Month & National Suicide Prevention Month in September by participating and sponsoring multiple events across the state. Mesilla Valley sponsored three events in Las Cruces, NM, including the Third Annual Recovery & Suicide Awareness Night on Sept. 6th; Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 7th; and the Out of Darkness Walk to Fight Suicide on Sept. 21st. As outreach in Northern New Mexico, the hospital sponsored Albuquerque Celebrates Recovery on Sept. 25th.
“Mesilla Valley Hospital plays an important role in our community and across the State of New Mexico,” said Mesilla Valley Hospital CEO Anna Laliotis, “with a purpose of not only providing mental health and substance use treatment, but to help reduce the stigma of getting help.”
National Recovery Month was celebrated in Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico, with the Third Annual Recovery & Suicide Awareness Night, hosted on the Plaza de Las Cruces on September 6th. The event presented an opportunity for Mesilla Valley Hospital to showcase its services and reach out to community members who need behavioral healthcare. Mesilla Valley has always taken the lead in recognizing Recovery Month. This year’s event was the third time the hospital collaborated with other community providers on the event that was originally started by the hospital nearly 15 years ago.
“Recovery Night is always a special night, with people sharing their stories of recovery and giving hope to others,” said Mesilla Valley Director of Business Development Jeanne Resendez, “And, the most gratifying words to hear are ‘You guys saved my life’, which was a repeated theme throughout the event.”
Mesilla Valley was the only hospital to sponsor the Las Cruces Out of Darkness Walk to Fight Suicide on September 21st. This was the second time the event had been held in Las Cruces and presented an excellent opportunity for the hospital to showcase the services it offers to individuals suffering from mental health concerns like suicidal thoughts and behaviors, major depression, anxiety, and more. In addition to sponsoring the Las Cruces Walk, staff participated in the Walk to Fight Suicide in Albuquerque as well.
“Getting our staff involved in events like the Walk to Fight Suicide is our way of giving back to the community, and it allows us to reach people at-risk for suicide,” said Laliotis, “After all, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we lose 129 people every day in the U.S. to suicide, and Mesilla Valley strives to be part of the solution to save lives.”
As a sponsor of Albuquerque Celebrates Recovery on September 25th, Mesilla Valley was able to reach out to several thousand people who visited the event that took place on the Civic Plaza in Albuquerque. The event featured entertainment, education, guest speakers and more, all in the name of celebrating recovery.
“Because Mesilla Valley Hospital receives over a fourth of its patients from northern New Mexico, it’s important for us to have a presence in that area,” said Resendez, “And, we are very proud to make a difference in the lives of New Mexicans who come to us from all areas of our state.”
In addition to the above-mentioned events, Mesilla Valley Hospital also sponsored the local Walk to End Alzheimer’s, an event the hospital has sponsored for over ten years. This year’s walk was on September 7th, and MVH staff was on-hand to promote mental health and substance use services.
As another means to recognize National Recovery Month & National Suicide Prevention Month, the Employee Engagement Committee at Mesilla Valley Hospital developed an internal outreach campaign and special hashtag for social media outreach. The hashtag “#YouMatter” was used to inspire patients to create drawings and collages based on that theme, and several of the art pieces were shared on Mesilla Valley’s Facebook page.
“It was so important to get our patients involved in our educational campaign, as they had such meaningful input,” said Laliotis, “Because we were able to share their creativity and insight on social media, their message of hope and recovery was spread throughout the community.”
About Mesilla Valley Hospital
Mesilla Valley Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in Las Cruces, N.M., offering a wide range of mental health and addiction services for children & adolescents (10 – 17 years) and adults. In operation since 1987, Mesilla Valley Hospital’s mission is to provide superior behavioral healthcare services to residents from New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. Mesilla Valley Hospital is fully-accredited by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), The Joint Commission, and is TRICARE®-certified. For more information, please visit mesillavalleyhospital.com.
Mesilla Valley Hospital’s professional staff are here to help. Call 800-877-3500 for a no-cost, confidential assessment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.