8/20/2008 5:13:48 AM
As part of the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant (MHT-SIG) awarded to the Governor of Texas by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Texas Transformation Workgroup (TWG) set out to develop a comprehensive plan to transform state mental health systems. After listening to the needs and preferences of Texas consumers, family members and youth, the TWG established six content area workgroups for further study:
The President's New Freedom Commission, in their report to the President, concluded that the current system not only does not meet the needs of consumers and family members but also includes barriers which impede care. To investigate these challenges, Texas leaders are committed to exploring the issues which block individuals' access to services and identifying system improvements.
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.
The Consumer Voice Workgroup is developing specific work plans to ensure consumer involvement is inherent and valued throughout the Transformation effort and results in a consumer-driven mental health system. Specific strategies include implementation of recovery and resiliency metrics, public education, social marketing, anti-stigma campaigning, development and support of a statewide consumer network, expansion of peer supports, and a two-way information sharing system between consumers and policymakers so that policies are consumer-driven.
The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (NFC) and the Institute of Medicine's Crossing the Quality Chasm identified improved data integration and technology as strategies to transform mental health systems. In their report, the NFC concluded that "advanced communication and information technology will empower consumers and families and will be a tool for providers to deliver the best care."
Recovery from mental illness is difficult, if not impossible, without adequate housing. Unfortunately, in Texas, there is a dearth of safe and affordable housing. This shortage is exacerbated further by the numerous funding streams, programs, and eligibility requirements which often differ across municipality lines - leaving prospective tenants confused and all too often homeless. Lack of housing opportunities - both permanent and transitional - is an issue commonly voiced as a frustration by Texas consumers.
Texas state agencies identified training and workforce development as a significant barrier to providing adequate mental health services in Texas. Unless action is taken, they argue that Texas will be facing a shortage of all behavioral health providers - nurses, social workers, chemical dependency counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists - in the coming years. Furthermore, those individuals graduating from higher education programs are not adequately trained in the most current treatment protocols.