The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute Announces Additional $10 Million Contribution from The Meadows Foundation

DALLAS – A $10 million gift from The Meadows Foundation will help the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute make mental-health care available to more Texans.

“Ten years ago, The Meadows Foundation saw an opportunity to fundamentally change mental health care in Texas through a data-driven approach to policy and a rethinking of the ideal system of care, leading to the creation of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute,” said Andy Keller, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the Meadows Institute. “Their initial investment was the catalyst for true change and has enabled us to attract additional partners and support to make that vision a reality. We are exceedingly grateful for their ongoing support and belief both in our organization and in our mission, especially at a time when multiple state and national officials are declaring an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages in the U.S.”

This most recent gift brings the Foundation’s total contributions to the Institute to $31 million, all toward ensuring Texans have access to effective, efficient behavioral health care.

The Meadows Institute has developed innovative mental-health programs for children, families, and veterans. It works hand-in-hand with law enforcement agencies to develop ways for police to respond to mental health emergencies safely and compassionately. Overall, the Foundation’s and the Meadows Institute’s partnership expands the ability to better detect and treat mental-health related issues statewide.

“The Institute has made historic progress over the last 10 years in mental health care and improved the lives of millions of Texans,” said Peter M. Miller, president and CEO of The Meadows Foundation. “The Foundation is committed to making meaningful changes in how mental health is seen and treated through innovative and collaborative ideas. We are excited to continue our partnership with the Institute as they work to improve mental health illness detection, treatment, and outcomes.”

What’s more, the Foundation’s support has provided the Meadows Institute with flexibility when responding to mental health crises. In recent years, Meadows Institute staff members have helped address the mental health needs of students and school personnel after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, published data-informed guidance around the nation’s growing mental health crisis for children, youth, and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided expert support to communities suffering the devastation of mass shootings, including El Paso in 2019 and Uvalde in 2022.

The Foundation’s philanthropy also strengthened the Meadows Institute’s work on state and national efforts to end untreated depression. This includes supplemental efforts with Lyda Hill Philanthropies to scale the Lone Star Depression Challenge, an unprecedented program aimed at raising depression care in Texas to levels provided to cancer and heart disease statewide. The Meadows Institute also worked with the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at the Communities Foundation of Texas to establish the successful RIGHT Care program in Dallas, which is changing the way municipalities respond to mental health emergencies across the country.

“Our work in Texas is increasingly seen as a national example and is being scaled and replicated in other cities and other states responding to communitywide mental health needs,” said Keller. “This is particularly important for youth and adolescents, as well as underrepresented and vulnerable communities, that are bearing the inequitable burden of this nationwide crisis.”

View the PDF version of the press release here.