In anticipation of our annual conference online session scheduled for October 3, the Rio Texas Wellness Program will be offering free wellness conversations for active, appointed clergy and their spouses. This has been an exhausting year, with many challenges weighing heavy on our minds and hearts.

Whereas normally we offer free wellness conversations onsite as a part of the in-person annual conference in Corpus Christi, this year we will be offering this resource online, through Friday, October 9. We have partnered with several counselors, listed below, to provide one free, confidential session to each active, appointed clergy person and their spouses, covered by clergy wellness funds through our Methodist Healthcare Ministries grant.

Be in touch with one of the counselors below to set up a time that works for both of you. Please use the code RTX-AC2020 when making your appointment. You may instead choose to schedule a conversation with another counselor of your choice during this time period, and it will be reimbursed up to $65. You will need to pay for that session and submit a receipt for reimbursement to evealbert@riotexas.org, also using the RTX-AC2020 code. Wellness sessions provided through this code are not eligible for the $50 wellness incentive; use that incentive on a different session. Access more information on wellness incentives here.

Other mental health resources can be accessed through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by persons covered by the conference health insurance. Call 866.881.6800 for an EAP authorization number; up to eight free sessions are available per authorization. Depending on which health plan you’ve chosen, you may also have coverage for the cost of ongoing counseling. A summary of the coverage offered by the different plans is available here.

The following counselors have contracted with Rio Texas to offer conversations at no cost to active, appointed clergy and their spouses (one free session per person through October 9):

New Life Institute
https://www.newlifetexas.org/contact-us
• Rev. Jeana Martin, MDiv, MA, LPC
• Kathryn Ehlert, LPC
• Hannah (Kiba) Ndika, MA, LPC
Kiba has indicated her interest in working especially with people of color. To schedule
with Kiba, you will need to go through the EAP authorization process described above.

Note: There may be other New Life counselors also available who are not listed here. Inquire
and schedule at the above link.

West Texas Counseling and Guidance
https://www.sanangelocounseling.org/staffMembers/view/ben-hubert-lpc
• Ben G. Hubert, MDiv, MS, LPC
Phone (325) 944-2561

Spanish-speaking Resource
• Rev. Dr. Esteban Montilla, Ph.D – Bilingual in English and Spanish
Holds conversations via phone, Zoom and Skype.
o Phone: (210) 378-0412
o Email: remontilla@gmail.com
o Zoom ID: 913 9899 9717
o Skype ID: remontilla

Please contact Eve Albert (evealbert@riotexas.org) or Laura Merrill (lmerrill@riotexas.org) with any questions. We offer this resource with many prayers for your wellbeing and that of your loved ones during this challenging time. Thank you for your faithfulness and all you give to your ministry.