By Representative Sylvester Turner, Representative Jim Pitts, and Representative John Zerwas, M.D.
On the heels of the last year’s considerable gun violence across this country, many critics arose sparking debates on gun control, public safety, and the state of our nation’s mental health. These have all involved strongly-worded and passionate discussions on both sides of the argument. Above any other concern, one immediate action which can positively affect Texas is a much greater focus on our state’s behavioral health system. This has not been lost in the Texas House of Representatives during this legislative session, and in fact, has been a specific interest during the House Budget process.
The House Appropriations Committee has recently passed a budget that will soon be heard on the House Chamber floor which holds a significant amount of new and increased funding opportunities to serve those populations requiring substance abuse and behavioral and mental health services in our state. Some have said for a time that the state needed to do more regarding mental health. While there are some services in place, there are long waiting lists or other factors making them inaccessible to some. Some even accessing out-of-state services such as the Honey Lake Clinic.
The Texas House of Representatives can be proud of these transformational budget recommendations supporting mental health and substance abuse initiatives, and it should be acknowledged that the overall program increases are a historic decision for the House Appropriations Committee and the entire Texas House of Representatives.
Regarding specific programs and actual funding, the House Appropriations bill contains $2.5 billion all funds in behavioral health and substance abuse funding. This amount contains just over $1.7 billion in state general revenue. These amounts are very indicative of the significance placed by the House Appropriations Committee on improving the behavioral well-being of Texans.
With these substantial amounts, we have opted to fund several unique and continuing opportunities within our state’s greater mental health and substance abuse programs. Our state’s network of county jails is currently one of the nation’s largest housing systems for the population of individuals with mental illness, and it is imperative that we relieve our jails of this burden and offer meaningful services for those incarcerated persons who require treatment. Placing individuals into treatment and mental health services offers opportunity that reduces criminal recidivism and promotes longer term wellness. It is the legislature’s hope that this session’s budget decisions will greatly address the ever-increasing need for higher quality, deeper, and more impactful services.
House Bill 1 entirely eliminates waiting lists for adults and children requiring community behavioral health services. The bill provides an additional 6,000 slots for clients in crisis over the 2014-2015 biennium. More than 1,000 new clients will be able to access services through public/private collaborative community opportunities. More than 2,900 new individuals will receive services through state substance abuse treatment programs than in the last state budget. Finally, more than 1,600 individuals in need will receive supportive housing services through our Housing Options for the Homeless program, contributing to a safer Texas, and allowing for these individuals to have an opportunity for personal success.
Finally, our state is currently at a crossroads in opportunity where we have the ability to make enormous changes that deeply impact those who require mental health and substance abuse treatment, through the state’s application to and approval of the federal 1115 transformation waiver. The $6 billion waiver allows for regional healthcare partnerships to develop and implement projects which affect local healthcare and mental health providers in individual communities. Because the 1115 waiver is a waiver of federal Medicaid requirements, this is not part of our state’s 2014-2015 budget, but the amount of funding within the waiver specifically applicable to mental health and substance abuse initiatives ($2 billion over the next four years) is overwhelmingly unprecedented. With this source of funding, it is clear that the state, in partnership with local communities, will commit to exceeding all previous accomplishments in serving those Texans with mental health and substance abuse needs.
Texans can be proud of the priority their House of Representatives has placed on mental health during the 83rd Legislature. With this transformative investment, our state will make large strides toward a healthier Texas.
