Last Tuesday, I attended a hearing at the Capitol where the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee was hearing testimony on two of its interim charges. Interim charges are like homework assignments for legislative committees: the House Speaker or Lt. Governor assign various committees to examine and make recommendations about certain issues before the next legislative session. The charges are telling, since they represent issues the legislature is almost certain to address during its next session. For each of the charges, you can expect to see some legislation related to it filed when the state legislature convenes again in 2011. Here's a link to interim charges related to children that Texans Care is following.
There's a shortage of mental health professionals across the state, and this shortage is especially pronounced for the workforce specializing in children's mental health, so I was at the hearing to ask the committee to include the children's mental health workforce in its consideration of broader health workforce needs of the state. Well, that was my plan, but Tuesday was the day it snowed here in Austin (snow!), and because my young daughter's school was closing early due to the wintery weather, I needed to leave the hearing before I had a chance to testify. Fortunately, even if you are unable to attend a hearing in person, you can still submit written testimony, and that is what I did. You can read a copy of my testimony here.
Did you know that you, too, can send in comments and recommendations to committees on any of their charges? You can. E-mail me to find out how, or learn more in our Advocacy resource pages.
Even though I had to leave early, I was still able to listen in to the Senate committee hearing by visiting the Texas Legislature's website. I was glad when, while my daughter was playing in the snow, I heard Dr. Ben Raimer, Chair of Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council, tell the Senate Committee that behavioral and mental health professionals were an "endangered species” in Texas. While I wasn't there to bring this issue to the committee's attention, Dr. Raimer made it happen, telling legislators Texas needs to take this health workforce shortage especially seriously.
I hope they heed his advice.
You can listen to an archive of the February 23, 2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services hearing on Medicaid Waivers and Health Workforce Needs by visiting this page on the Texas Senate's website.
