Adults

Working across the Texas mental health landscape

Untreated mental illness and substance abuse can devastate the lives of individuals, their co-workers, and their friends and family. The Meadows Institute focuses on all aspects of adult mental health – from the state hospital system, to law enforcement 911 calls for service, to workplace culture, to substance abuse treatment – to help ensure all Texans obtain the care they need, effectively and efficiently.

Did you know?
51.5 million

adults suffer from mental illness in the U.S.*

1 in 6

adults in Texas experience mental health disorder in a given year**

750,000

Texans have had suicidal thoughts in the last year***

61%

young adults (18-25) with mental illness receive no treatment*

1 in 5

adults experience a mental health disorder in a given year*

*National Institute for Mental Health, **Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, ***National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Our challenge

Ensuring Texas mental health systems are helping all Texans

Multidimendional Grief Therapy Author Julie Kaplow-Kline-Kline (small)

State hospitals

The Meadows Institute has partnered with universities, health systems, and other stakeholders across the state as part of Texas’s total rebuild of its state hospital systems. Far beyond simply repairing crumbling infrastructure and adding beds, the new Texas system will provide patients with specialized care in all phases of healing, from intake, throughout treatment, and into comprehensive continued care plans after they discharge from the hospital. The Meadows Institute is proud to play a role in this unprecedented opportunity to reshape care for people throughout Texas.

Multidimendional Grief Therapy Author Julie Kaplow-Kline-Kline (small)

Workplace mental health

For most people, the quality and availability of mental health care are directly related to how comprehensive their health insurance plan is. Meanwhile, how comprehensive their insurance plan is often based upon choices made by their employer. The Meadows Institute has been partnering with employers to help them make better choices for their companies, their employees, and their families, and to build a workplace culture more conducive to mental health.

Multidimendional Grief Therapy Author Julie Kaplow-Kline-Kline (small)

Suicide and addiction

With depression and suicide at record levels, it is more important than ever that every individual living with depression is not only treated, but treated as quickly as possible. The Meadows Institute is promoting universal screening by working with health systems across the state, so that depression may be detected and treated more quickly. We are also supporting legislative policy to make substance abuse treatment more effective and accessible for Texans.

our Approach

Driving change

The Meadows Institute continues to work in multiple issue areas by informing and assisting policymakers, health care providers, advocates, and others who are developing solutions to address Texans’ mental health needs. By bringing key stakeholders together to discuss evidence-based best practices, the Meadows Institute staff endeavor to drive change at the state level and at the local level, meeting the unique challenges in our urban and rural communities.

Multidimendional Grief Therapy Author Julie Kaplow-Kline-Kline (small)

Featured Case Study

Dallas County Smart Justice Project

SUMMARY – The Dallas County Smart Justice Project aimed to reduce the number of people with mental illness who receive primary treatment in jail or only after encounters with law enforcement. With the support of the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, the Meadows Institute provided policy guidance to Dallas County during planning and implementation of their Smart Justice project.

Featured Projects

view more
Updated on:
December 3, 2018

The Challenge of Identifying, Diverting & Treating Justice-Involved People with Mental Illness

SUMMARY - How to best manage the number of people with mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system is long-standing problem...

Updated on:
September 8, 2016

Best Practices in Integrated Behavioral Health

SUMMARY - Integrated behavioral health represents a seamless integration of mental health and primary care services, recognizing they are interdependent. Released in 2016, the...