{"id":278922,"date":"2026-02-11T15:55:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T15:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/278922\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T15:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T15:55:16","slug":"making-mental-health-services-available-with-no-red-tape-how-mosaics-of-mercy-makes-every-cold-night-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/278922\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Mental Health Services Available With No Red Tape \u2014 How Mosaics of Mercy Makes Every Cold Night Count"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a night of florals and fascinators in below-freezing weather, supporters still gathered at The Woodlands Resort for the Mosaics of Mercy\u2019s Invincible Summer gala. The event raised nearly $425,000 to support access to mental health and substance abuse services in The Woodlands region.<\/p>\n

During the evening, board chair Dr. Paulraj Samuel reminded the crowd why that work matters. He spoke about the organization\u2019s mission and its growing impact across the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most people, finding the right resources in times of need feels excessively complicated,\u201d Samuel says. \u201cSlicing through the noise of misinformation, Mosaics<\/a> provides a single phone number to call.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, the call connects anyone in need to a trained mental health professional. They evaluate needs and curate a list of appropriate providers. Each recommendation reflects the caller\u2019s specific situation and available appointment times. The navigation service comes at zero cost.<\/p>\n

\"Mosaics<\/a>Mosaics of Mercy Board chair Dr. Paulraj Samuel greeted gala guests at check-in.<\/p>\n

As a result, the organization\u2019s impact continues to grow. From 2024 to 2025, calls for help increased by nearly 45 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe no longer stand by the phones waiting for them to ring,\u201d Samuel says. \u201cIn 2023, we piloted a referral program that allows clinics and hospitals to refer patients directly. Two years later, we expanded into mental health advocacy for children in the juvenile justice system.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur survival depends on demonstrating real value to the community we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healing with Mosaics of Mercy\u2019s Help<\/p>\n

Local father of two Beau Galvan shared his story of recovery with the audience. His remarks offered a personal view of the organization\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled with addiction for about 20 years,\u201d Galvan says. \u201cThose years were filled with coping, denial, lies and hopelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n

At his lowest point, Galvan described feeling trapped in a cage he built himself. Eventually, a trusted friend connected Galvan with Mosaics of Mercy. That introduction changed everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cDana McPherson was my first point of contact,\u201d says Galvan. \u201cShe was so kind and understanding. I could feel the care and compassion through the phone. I quickly learned that everyone at Mosaics operates with that same level of compassion for helping those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galvan later received a scholarship to The Last Resort treatment center. \u201cIt was truly a life-saving opportunity for me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"Mosaics<\/a>Florals and dapper duds were on display at the Mosaics of Mercy Invincible Summer gala at The Woodlands Resort. (Photo by Connie McNabb)<\/p>\n

Gala chair Gayle Cheatham also shared her reason for supporting the organization. She spoke about the people behind every decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always picture the person in crisis,\u201d Cheatham notes. \u201cWe make every decision through that lens. It keeps as much funding as possible on the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the front lines of that work, family navigators at Mosaics of Mercy play a critical role. They identify the best resources for each individual.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes people call thinking they need a psychiatrist,\u201d family navigator Dana McPherson says. \u201cMany people aren\u2019t sure what kind of support they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

In those moments, McPherson noted that many callers need education first. Navigators explain the differences between providers. They research options and identify the best possible fit.<\/p>\n

Follow-up is also a critical part of the process. McPherson said the work doesn\u2019t end when a list is shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Mosaics, we don\u2019t close the book on anyone,\u201d she says. \u201cNobody\u2019s file is ever completely locked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as temperatures drop, Mosaics of Mercy<\/a> continues offering warmth through connection, care and access to mental health support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a night of florals and fascinators in below-freezing weather, supporters still gathered at The Woodlands Resort for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278923,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-278922","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-mental-health","10":"tag-mentalhealth","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278922\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}