The House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety has released its interim report to the 89th legislature. The report covers the implementation of legislation from prior sessions and includes recommendations for behavioral health services for at-risk youth. Reps. Lacey Hull (R-Houston), Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa), and J.M. Lozano (R-Kingsville) did not sign the report. See below for a spotlight on recommendations from the report.
Monitor the programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature.
- Increase the School Safety Allotment: Allocate additional funding to ensure the full cost of HB 3 implementation is covered.
- Increase Funding for Mental Health Services: Establish a dedicated mental health allotment, or similar funding, to ensure districts can invest in necessary mental health support for student and staff.
- Expand Resources for Preventative Measures: Provide funding for additional staff such as social workers, mental health professionals and school counselors.
- Support Comprehensive Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Implementation: Provide schools with sufficient resources to implement MTSS programs effectively at all academic levels, ensuring students receive tiered mental health support through preventative guidance and responsive services.
- Support a HB 3 clean-up bill: Support efforts made by the 89th Legislative Session to improve the implementation of HB 3.
Behavioral Health Services for at-risk youth
- Ensure coverage for mental and behavioral health services through Texas Medicaid. Increase reimbursement rates for the YES Waiver program.
- Increase funding for the state’s current evidence-based programs and invest additional funding to expand access to a wider array of evidence-based services.
- Revise procurement processes to allow other qualified entities to provide evidence-based services in their respective communities.
- Invest in community-based services to significantly reduce and divert families from DFPS and TJJD involvement.
- Create greater access to relinquishment prevention programs.
- Create access to in-home and out-of-home crisis support such as crisis stabilization and respite care.
- Create a sustainable plan to continue and expand the Texas Family First Pilot Programs.
- Broaden criteria for federal matching funds as it relates to evidence-based family preservation services.
- Support infrastructure development for dual-diagnosis youth, including adolescent substance use treatment.
- Create a dedicated mental health allotment, or similar funding, to ensure children and adolescents have access to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in schools.
- Ensure school district adherence to state statute relating to school counselor duties.
- Continue and expand the Collaborative Care Model initiative.
- Continue to the study root causes of the rise in mental health conditions.
- Continue the multi-agency coordination and planning efforts to address the increased needs of children’s mental health services in the community.
