Margie, Plain & Simple

08/30/2025

📣 Parents and caregivers - you are not alone!

💚 Sign up for our upcoming Family-to-Family class and learn vital information and strategies for taking care of the person you love.

📚 This free 8-session educational program is for adult family members, caregivers, and friends of adults living with a mental health condition.

🧠 Learn:
- from other families’ mental health journeys
- how to connect with resources

🧠 Topics include:
- insights on mental health conditions
- self-care & compassion
- mental health recovery process

💪🏼 Taught by those with lived experience, this 2½-hour course provides support, guidance, and understanding.

🗓️ Every Tues., Sept. 2 - Oct. 21
⏰ 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 St. Mark Catholic Church (11700 Pebble Hills Blvd.)

⭐ Special thanks to for helping us bring mental health awareness to the borderland!

📲 Register today at namiep.org/upcoming.

08/30/2025

🧠 Join us for NAMI Family & Friends, a free 90-minute seminar that informs and supports family members, partners, friends and significant others who have loved ones with a mental health condition.

📚 Topics include:
- Understanding diagnoses, treatment, and recovery
- Effective communication strategies
- The importance of self-care
- Crisis preparation strategies
- NAMI and community resources

🗓️ Fri., Sept. 19
⏰ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
📍 Virtual on Zoom

💚 Special thanks to for supporting mental health in our community!

📲 Register now at namiep.org/upcoming.

08/28/2025

💡 My education is not a loss for today’s workplace. It’s an investment that strengthens what I bring right now and multiplies the value I can offer in the future.

Yesterday reminded me of this truth. During what should have been a quick, routine drug screening, I spent 30 minutes with someone who needed to be heard. I listened, shared resources, and offered encouragement.

That moment reinforced why I continue to grow in my education. Every new skill, every new lesson, makes me better equipped to serve, not just in clinical settings, but in the everyday encounters where people need connection and guidance.

✨ Please keep this in mind when interviewing candidates who have invested in returning to school. Their growth is not a loss. It’s a direct investment into the quality of care and service they can bring to your organization today and in the future.

08/23/2025

El agotamiento no te hace débil… te hace humano 💙
Cuidadores, este es su recordatorio: el autocuidado es esencial, no opcional. 🗣
✨ No puedes servir desde una taza vacía. ✨

✅ Tómate un descanso de 10 minutos.
✅ Bebe agua antes de tu próxima tarea.
✅ Escribe 3 cosas por las que estás agradecido/a.
✅ Sal a tomar aire fresco.
✅ Programa una actividad que te dé alegría esta semana.

Cuidar de otros es significativo, pero también agotador. El agotamiento del cuidador es real, pero el apoyo marca la diferencia. 💙

Aquí tienes recursos locales y nacionales para cuidadores en los que puedes apoyarte. Por favor, si conoces otros, compártelos en los comentarios:

📍 Recursos Locales en El Paso

☑ Amistad (Bilingüe) – Grupo de apoyo mensual bilingüe (915) 298-7307
☑ Thrive After 60 – Grupos de apoyo en la Biblioteca Pública de El Paso
☑ Asociación de Alzheimer – Capítulo de El Paso – Educación, grupos de apoyo y oportunidades de recaudación de fondos (800) 272-3900
(https://www.communityresourcefinder.org
)
☑ NAMI El Paso – Grupos de apoyo para cuidadores y familias de salud mental (915) 778-5726
☑ Sociedad de Autismo de El Paso – Apoyo para familias y cuidadores de personas en el espectro (915) 772-9100
☑ Programa de Apoyo a Cuidadores del VA de El Paso – Servicios para cuidadores de veteranos (915) 564-6100
☑ Agencia del Área sobre el Envejecimiento (Río Grande) – Recursos para adultos mayores y cuidadores (915) 533-0998
☑ Centros de Recursos de Envejecimiento y Discapacidad – Apoyo estatal y conexión con servicios (855) 937-2372

También puedes contactar a otros proveedores como The Legacy at Cimarron o Tender Care en Ambrosio Guillen para preguntar sobre sus grupos de apoyo.

🌎 Recursos Nacionales

💻 Family Caregiver Alliance – caregiver.org
📱 Línea de Apoyo a Cuidadores del VA – 1-855-260-3274
💻 Programa Texas STAR+PLUS – Apoyo de Medicaid para cuidadores y cuidado de respiro

💡 Recuerda: Cuidarte a ti mismo/a no es egoísta, es necesario.

08/22/2025

Burnout doesn’t make you weak... it makes you human 💙
Caregivers, this is your reminder: self-care is essential, not optional. 🗣
✨You can’t pour from an empty cup. ✨

✅ Take a 10-minute break.
✅ Drink water before your next task.
✅ Write 3 gratitudes.
✅ Step outside for fresh air.
✅ Schedule one joy activity this week.

Caring for others is meaningful, but it’s also exhausting. Caregiver burnout is real but support makes a difference. 💙

Here are local & national caregiver resources you can lean on. Please feel free to list any others you know about in the comments:

📍 Local El Paso Resources

☑ Amistad (Bilingual) – Monthly bilingual caregiver group (915) 298-7307
☑ Thrive After 60 – Support groups at El Paso Public Library
☑ Alzheimer’s Association – El Paso Chapter – Education, support groups, and fundraising opportunities (800) 272-3900
(https://www.communityresourcefinder.org)
☑ NAMI El Paso – Mental health caregiver & family support groups (915) 778-5726
☑ Autism Society of El Paso – Support for families and caregivers of individuals on the spectrum (915) 772-9100
☑ El Paso VA Caregiver Support Program – Services for veteran caregivers (915) 564-6100
☑ Area Agency on Aging (Rio Grande) – Resources for seniors and caregivers (915) 533-0998
☑ Aging & Disability Resource Centers – Statewide support & connections to services (855) 937-2372

Contact other providers such as the Legacy at Cimarron or Tender Care at Ambrosio Guillen to inquire about their support groups, as well.

🌎 National Resources

💻Family Caregiver Alliance – caregiver.org
📱VA Caregiver Support Line – 1-855-260-3274
💻Texas STAR+PLUS Program – Medicaid caregiver support & respite care

💡 Remember: Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, it’s necessary.

08/07/2025

✨Still here… just had to take a step back✨

When I said I was coming back to writing last time, I truly meant it. But right as I was ready to return, life had other plans and I had to take an unexpected step back from the work that had once fueled so much of my content.

Losing that rhythm threw me off more than I expected. That role meant a lot to me, and shifting away from it was never part of the plan.

But I’m still here. Still a nurse. Still in FNP school. Still deeply passionate about health education, especially for the community that raised me.

Thank you for your patience while I’ve been quiet. I’ll be back soon. This time for real for real!

It feels good to be finding my voice again.
One post at a time.

07/16/2025

Life’s been full lately: FNP school, work, family….so I’ve been quiet on here 🫣 but this journey is helping me gather resources to share on a daily basis!

I’ve also been reflecting on how it all started 🫶🏽

Should we have a story time on how I ended up in nursing (even though I never planned to)?

It all began when I said: “I just want a job where I can wear scrubs.” 🤭

In honor of back to school season, I’ll share the journey. Next week, I’ll gather resources to help YOU (or someone you love) go back to school or start a new career. Stay tuned 💻✨

07/05/2025

07/04/2025

¿Necesitas atención dental a bajo costo o gratuita en El Paso? No estás solo.

🦷El dolor dental no puede esperar, pero a veces ir al dentista se siente imposible. Por eso hice esta guía con clínicas locales que ofrecen servicios dentales a bajo costo o hasta gratis.

🧠La salud no se trata solo de visitas médicas. La salud dental también importa. Problemas dentales sin tratar pueden causar infecciones, ausencias al trabajo y complicaciones serias, especialmente en niños, adultos mayores y personas con condiciones crónicas.

🪥Desde limpiezas hasta extracciones, conductos y dentaduras, estas clínicas están aquí para ayudarte y muchas veces sin necesidad de seguro.

📍Project Vida Health Center
Montana Vista y Maxwell Ave
📞Llama para citas: 915-533-7057
💡Escala variable según ingresos
⏰Lunes a jueves, 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Edades: Desde 6 meses hasta adultos mayores
🦷Servicios: Exámenes, limpiezas, limpiezas profundas, empastes, extracciones (algunas muelas del juicio), tratamientos de conducto, coronas, carillas, exámenes dentales prenatales

📍Rawlings Dental Clinic (Departamento de Salud de El Paso)
3301 Pera Ave, El Paso, TX 79905
📞915-212-8000
💡Escala variable, aceptan Medicaid/CHIP
⏰Lunes a viernes, 7 AM–6 PM
🦷Servicios: Preventivos (limpiezas, flúor), radiografías, empastes, coronas, mantenedores de espacio, tratamientos de conducto, extracciones
👧🏻👦🏻Edades: De 6 meses hasta 21 años

📍Centro San Vicente Dental
8061 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX 79915
📞915-859-7545
💡Escala variable disponible, no se rechaza a nadie
⏰Lunes a jueves 8 AM–6 PM, viernes 8 AM–5 PM
🦷Servicios: Preventivos, restaurativos, extracciones, tratamientos de conducto (si están disponibles), dentaduras, pediatría, emergencias, periodoncia

📍Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
Múltiples ubicaciones (Principal: 700 S. Ochoa St, El Paso, TX 79901)
📞915-545-4550 o número local de la clínica
💡Escala variable, no se rechaza a ningún paciente por falta de pago
🦷Servicios: Exámenes, limpiezas, empastes, extracciones, coronas, tratamientos de conducto, dentaduras
⚠️Debes registrarte como paciente

📍Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic
Campus TTUHSC El Paso
📞915-215-6700
💡Atención brindada por estudiantes bajo supervisión a una fracción del costo regular.
⏰Lunes a viernes, 8 AM–5 PM, Citas pueden duran de 2 a 4 horas
⚠️Póliza de cancelación estricta, llega temprano
🦷Servicios: Según disponibilidad y evaluación previa; se requiere identificación y forma de pago


📍Rio Grande Border Health Clinic – EPCC
Rio Grande Campus, Rm H105
📞915-831-4017
💡 Servicios brindados por estudiantes supervisados; no se acepta seguro
⚠️ Llama antes, se requiere cita
🦷Servicios: Higiene dental básica y asistencia dental
💻 Debes pagar en línea después de agendar la cita

📌 Qué llevar a tu cita:
• Identificación con foto vigente
• Comprobante de ingresos (talón de cheque, declaración de impuestos)
• Comprobante de domicilio (recibo de luz o contrato de renta)
• Lista de medicamentos y alergias
• Tarjetas de seguro (si aplica)

☑️ Tu salud también incluye tu sonrisa. ¡Comparte con alguien que lo necesite!

07/03/2025

Need Low-Cost or Free Dental Care in El Paso? You’re not alone! (Información en español esta tarde)

🦷 Dental pain can’t wait, but care can feel out of reach. That’s why I created this easy-to-read guide of local dental clinics offering low-cost or even free services.

🧠Healthcare doesn’t stop at medical visits. Your oral health matters too. Untreated dental issues can lead to infections, missed work, and serious complications, especially in children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions.

🪥From cleanings to extractions, root canals to dentures, these clinics are here to help, no insurance needed in many cases. *Note* information provided may change. Please call the locations directly for more up to date information.

📍Project Vida Health Center
Montana Vista & Maxwell Ave
📞Call for appointments: 915-533-7057
💡Sliding scale based on income
⏰Mon–Thu, 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Ages: 6 months through elderly
🦷Services: Exams, cleanings, deep cleanings, fillings, extractions (some wisdom teeth), root canals, crowns, veneers, prenatal exams

📍Rawlings Dental Clinic (El Paso Health Dept.)
3301 Pera Ave, El Paso, TX 79905
915-212-8000
💡Sliding scale, Medicaid/CHIP accepted, Title V
⏰Mon–Fri, 7 AM–6 PM
🦷Services: Preventive (cleanings, fluoride), X-rays, fillings, crowns, space maintainers, root canals, extractions
👧🏻👦🏻Ages: 6 months to 21 years

📍Centro San Vicente Dental
8061 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX 79915
📞915-859-7545
💡Sliding scale available—no one turned away
⏰Mon–Thu 8 AM–6 PM, Fri 8 AM–5 PM
🦷Services: Preventive, restorative, extractions, root canals (if available), dentures, pediatric, emergency, periodontics

📍Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
Multiple locations (Main: 700 S. Ochoa St, El Paso, TX 79901)
📞915-545-4550 or local clinic number
💡Sliding scale, no patient turned away for inability to pay
🦷Services: Exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns, root canals, dentures
⚠️Must register as a patient

📍Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic
El Paso – TTUHSC Campus
📞915-215-6700
💡Care provided by dental students under supervision at about half the usual cost
⏰Mon–Fri, 8 AM–5 PM
Expect 2–4 hour appointments
⚠️Strict cancellation policy, arrive early
🦷Services: Based on availability and screening; ID & payment method required

📍Rio Grande Border Health Clinic – EPCC
Rio Grande Campus, Rm H105
📞915-831-4017 (dental/PT/sonography)
💡Services provided by supervised students; no insurance accepted
⚠️Call ahead, appointments required
🦷Services: Basic dental hygiene & assisting services
💻Must pay online after appointment is set

📌What to Bring to Your Appointment:
• Valid photo ID
• Proof of income (pay stub, tax return)
• Proof of address (utility bill or lease)
• List of medications and allergies
• Insurance cards (if applicable)

☑️Your health includes your smile. Please share this with someone who might need it!