Texas youth are facing a mental health crisis, with sharp increases in sadness, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. In fact, from 2005 to 2023, the number of Texas high school students reporting suicide attempts rose by 31 percent. Demand for the YES Waiver, a program for children with complex mental health needs, has grown by 43% since 2021, while the number of youth served has declined by 19% during the same period.
Insufficient access to mental health care often forces families to relinquish or share custody of their children with the state to secure necessary services. In FY 2024, 6% of children who entered foster care did so due to mental or behavioral health concerns unrelated to abuse or neglect, and even more families agreed to share custody to access care. Texas leaders should ensure that no child enters foster care solely because their family cannot access adequate mental health services.
This policy brief offers a short overview of four opportunities to improve access to services for children with complex mental health challenges, including those at risk of entering foster care due to their own unmet health needs.
Those four opportunities are:
- Medicaid coverage for certain children’s mental health services,
- the YES Waiver,
- Family First Pilots, and
- services eligible for federal matching funds through the Family First Act.
Read the full policy brief here:
Want to go deeper?
Take a look at our policy brief about the way the Legislature can leverage the YES Waiver this session to improve access to children’s mental health services:
