The City of El Paso utilizes funds from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to implement a Senior Peer Counseling Program. Senior Peer Counseling is a program where volunteers, 60 years old and older, are trained and prepared to provide peer counseling to older adults who are experiencing mild depression due to issues of isolation, loss of a loved one, chronic health problems, and who would normally refuse to visit a mental health professional for various reasons including the social stigma attached to mental health issues.

Volunteers receive on-going training at least twice a month in order to strengthen their counseling skills and also to become familiar with all aspects of aging issues. In addition, the volunteers are required to meet once a week for supervision meetings at their respective site with their respective supervisors to discuss their weekly visits including any problems that they may have encountered, referrals for services and other issues.

If you are interested in volunteering or know of an elderly person in need of these services, please contact Nancy Melendez-Forbes at (915) 541-4236 or email her at Melendez-ForbesN2@elpasotexas.gov.

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