12/3/2008 8:08:31 PM
Like other state mental health service areas, demand for youth and adolescent programming has strained mental health, juvenile justice, and school systems. Experts suggest that establishing early detection and intervention programs in preschool and school settings will reduce long-term system demand and juvenile justice involvement. With 1,129 state school districts in Texas functioning independently, the state has chosen to take the lead in developing strategies for youth and adolescent system transformation.
Texas has committed to reviewing existing systems and expanding early intervention systems. To identify improvement areas, the TWG charged the Children and Adolescent Workgroup with developing goals, objectives, and action plans that would:
The workgroups goal is to create a system that recognizes mental health problems in children and adolescents and provides early intervention and treatment with the most up-to-date evidence-based practices.
After an initial system review, the workgroup recommended the following strategies:
The workgroup efforts are supported by various other state initiatives including Texas Department of Family Services Symposium (October 11, 2007). Programming advanced evidence-based practices with children and adolescents was co-sponsored by DFPS by several TWG agencies, universities.
Texas Models for Change: The Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice awarded Texas a grant to improve juvenile justice mental health services. The multi-agency team headed by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission will work with other states and national experts to improve the response to youth with mental health needs in the juvenile justice system.