Our Projects
From the Gulf Coast to West Texas and from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle, The Meadows Institute is helping communities and organizations improve services and systems of care that make mental health and substance use treatment better in a myriad of ways. Each of these projects represents a step forward in making Texas a national leader in mental health care.
Projects list
Caruth Police Institute at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Empowering Leaders, Elevating Excellence
Minding College Minds Inaugural Learning Community
The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute launched the first-ever Minding College Minds Learning Community for Texas community colleges, offered in partnership with the Texas Success Center. Through participation in this learning community, thirteen community colleges will develop a comprehensive postsecondary mental health action plan for their system using the Minding College Minds Postsecondary Mental Health Framework.
The Need for a Pediatric Treatment Resistant Depression Center of Excellence
SUMMARY – Treatment resistant depression is a growing problem for children in Texas and the United States. Twenty percent of children experience an episode of major depression before adulthood and rates of reported depression symptoms among children and youth grew to over 40% during the pandemic (receding in the years since to approximately 30%). Unfortunately, only about one third of these children receive needed care, and as many as 40% receive no treatment at all. Research demonstrates that untreated depression is the largest driver of suicide, which is the second and third leading cause of death in youth ages 10–14 and 15–24 in the United States, respectively. However, current models of care are inadequate to provide effective treatment, especially for children aged 12 and under. In this report, made possible by generous support from the Bette Rathjen Foundation for Emotional Health, the Meadows Institute lays out the programmatic elements necessary to implement a pediatric treatment resistant depression Center of Excellence, including indepth examination of services, staffing, and related expenses.
A Texas Solution to a National Challenge: How Telehealth Can Bolster Youth Mental Health in the Near-Term
SUMMARY – The nation’s young people are facing a growing mental health challenge, one that has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health workforce shortages. This extends to Texas children and youth who face serious mental health issues despite the Texas Legislature’s unprecedented investments in behavioral health over the last decade. Ninety-nine percent of Texas counties still have partial mental health shortage designations, and rural areas face particular challenges to providing youth access to high-quality mental health care given the insufficient workforce. While a multi-pronged approach is needed to meet the mental health needs of Texas’ young people, one important near-term strategy centers on expanding access to and use of telehealth services. Importantly, there are opportunities for both the public and private sectors to act today to advance solutions for increasing access to quality mental health services for youth.