Our Policy Work

89th Legislative Session

The Texas Coalition for Healthy Minds focuses on mobilizing interested stakeholders to work with state leaders to improve policies and increase funding for mental health services and access to care in Texas. Find our one-pager or priorities here.

View Our Testimony from the Session

Our Priorities

Behavioral Health Workforce

Enable licensed
master’s level
professionals to
bill Medicaid for
services
Dedicate $5
million for
Behavioral Health
Innovation Grant
Program.

Behavioral Health
Information &
Technology

Expand
interoperability
among LMHAs &
state hospitals
Provide technology
grants for
freestanding
psychiatric
hospitals.

Substance Use Disorders

Fund more
recovery housing
accreditation
Update patient
brokering and
deceptive
marketing laws
Expand access to
drug checking.

Youth Mental Health

Ensure schools
have resources to
support student
mental health
Expand
community
based SMART
Grants.

Institutional Rights & Civil Liberties

Expand
successful OBI
Pilot to five new
locations
Increase funding
for jail Continuity
of Care (COC)
liaisons.

One-Pagers and Fact Sheets

Our Drivers

Our coalition of clinicians, professionals, and organizations are laser focused on these drivers for the session.

Open

Behavioral Health Innovation
Grant Program

Budget support for the legislature to dedicate $5 million per biennium in Article III for the Behavioral Health Innovation Grant Program.

Open

Substance Use Disorders

We recommended the Legislature expand accredited recovery housing, update patient brokering and deceptive
marking statutes, and expand access to drug checking.

Open

HB 1716 (Darby) / SB 469 (Sparks)

Support for HB 1716 (Darby) / SB 469 (Sparks) to help expand the mental health workforce

Open

Expand the Outpatient
Biopsychosocial Approach Pilot to Additional Sites

Support for expanding the number of Local IDD Authorities (LIDDA) offering OBI services.

Open

Institutional Rights & Civil Liberties

Support for further investment in the jail
continuity of care liaisons program.

Open

HB 1621 / SB 151

Support for HB 1621/SB 151 to fund technology grants for psychiatric hospitals.

Open

School Mental Health

Support for adequately funding
community-school
partnerships.

Open

In the interim…

TCHM and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health are cohosting the 2024 Behavioral Health Policy Summit on October 10. Learn more and attend:

Policy Summit Eventbrite

View the Summit Recordings

800+ Attendees Learn About the Loan Repayment Program for Mental Health Professionals | View the Recording Here

HHSC Legislative Appropriations Request

TCHM developed and provided comments to HHSC regarding behavioral health funding. This is the first time the coalition has formally provided input on behalf of our membership.

House and Senate Interim Charges Recommendations for 89th Legislature

After the fourth called special session, House members submit interim charges recommendations. The Coalition, through its workgroups, developed a series of study requests. We submitted the same requests in the Senate through Senator Johnson.

House Recommendation

Senate Recommendation