Lydia Anderson joined Texans Care for Children as the Policy Fellow for Mental Health in 2024. In that role, Lydia works with the health policy team to analyze policy, collaborate with partners, and advocate for state policies that improve access to mental health services and health coverage. She also participates in the Hogg Foundation’s Mental Health Policy Academy.
Lydia previously worked as a case manager at Building Beginnings, a nonprofit treatment center for substance use disorders in Utah, for over two years. As a case manager, she connected clients to resources, such as helping them apply for rent relief and Medicaid. Her roles also included checking the accuracy of treatment notes for Medicaid billing, completing client intake assessments, and creating graphics for grant applications. In 2023, Lydia interned at the White House for eight months, in the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Office of Public Health, where she gained insight into the role of the federal government in policy areas related to drug prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. Her experience in the federal government continued when she later interned at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. While there, she learned about oversight and evaluation of government programs/policies in ensuring effective implementation.
Lydia holds a B.S. in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion from Brigham Young University and a M.S. in Addiction Policy and Practice from Georgetown University. In her free time, Lydia enjoys spending time outdoors, whether that be going for a run, hiking with her husband, or reading a good book on her porch.
