MMHPI Applauds Sen. Jane Nelson’s Initiatives to Strengthen Texas’ Mental Health System

On June 26, Sen. Jane Nelson announced plans for legislation to strengthen the state’s mental health system. This included creating a consortium to help coordinate state mental health initiatives across health-related institutions of higher education, and establishing the Child Psychiatry Access Program (CPAP), which will allow pediatricians to consult with psychiatry hubs at Texas medical schools.

MMHPI President and CEO Andy Keller, PhD, welcomed her initiatives, which will increase both access to care and positive patient outcomes:

Sen. Nelson should be applauded for her leadership on mental health, an issue that is vital to the well-being of all Texans.

“Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14. Establishing the Child Psychiatry Access Program would prove an efficient and effective way to leverage our system of primary care to more quickly identify, intervene and find treatment for Texas children with mental health needs. Not only would this improve the mental health of many young people, it would simultaneously ease the strain on our state’s short-handed behavioral health workforce.

“The creation of a statewide mental health consortium has the potential to increase collaboration across our state’s medical schools, improving the quality of their research and the delivery of innovative services to address our state’s mental health challenges.”

Read more about Sen. Nelson’s planned legislation from her press release