Behavioral Health

Political maneuvering late in the Texas Legislative session saved efforts to improve the effectiveness of and access to behavioral health care in Texas. Today’s TMA Legislative News Hotline video looks at the moves to save Senate Bill 10, which will provide community-level health treatment programs, and mental health research.

With a unified voice and a unanimous vote, the Senate passed a bill this week designed to identify children with mental-health needs and direct them to appropriate, timely treatment.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III (which covers education) met yesterday, giving TMA the chance to submit testimony supporting the Texas Education Agency’s Safe and Healthy Schools Initiative, known as Rider 74. Rider 74 would appropriate $37 million to equip Texas public schools with the resources needed to improve student mental health.

Suicide is a growing health problem. With the U.S. and Texas facing a long-standing shortage of psychiatrists, there's real opportunity for primary care physicians to reach vulnerable patients.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has created an ombudsman position to help your behavioral health patients understand their rights.

Most public health measures languished in the 85th Texas Legislature, but those for mental health care stood out as a giant exception. Lawmakers passed more than a dozen bills aimed at improving mental health care. And at a time when most state budgets were slashed, funding for mental health care rose ― by a lot.