Our Children’s Mental Health Work Focuses On

PROVIDING Services to CHILDREN WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WHEN AND WHERE THEY NEED THEM

Children and youth with mental illness need services and supports delivered in an effective, timely, and coordinated manner in the least restrictive setting possible. Services that are child-centered and family-guided help these children be successful in their homes, schools and communities and prevent them from unnecessarily being hospitalized, placed in residential treatment, or entering the foster care or juvenile justice systems.

MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

Schools can help students succeed by using a range of effective strategies that address student mental health. The state and communities can assist schools in training educators on the impact trauma has on student learning and behavior, promoting safe and supportive school climates, and partnering with community providers to offer mental health services in schools.   

PREVENTING CONCERNS FROM BECOMING PROBLEMS

We need to strengthen and support prevention and early intervention efforts that target factors linked to the development of mental health concerns in children, such as child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, truancy, delinquency, school dropout, suicide, and substance abuse.

ENDING RACIAL DISPARITIES

We must end racial disparities in access to mental health treatment, school discipline practices, and more.

THE INTERSECTION OF CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER ISSUES

Children’s mental health is central to early childhood development and health policy and is a key to helping children either avoid the foster care and juvenile justice systems or do well if they enter those systems.

 

Our Latest on Children’s Mental Health

SEE OUR RESOURCES ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH →

 

Additional Resources

Our June 2023 report on children’s mental health issues from the 2023 legislative session

Our June 2022 policy brief on children’s mental health

Our August 2021 blog about how schools can support mental health as students return amid the pandemic

Our July 2021 legislative recap on children’s mental health

Our March 2021 blog on Mathematica’s report regarding untreated maternal mental health challenges

Our February 2021 policy brief on addressing learning loss by supporting supporting student mental health in school settings

Our January 2020 policy brief on including our youngest kids as communities implement new student mental health resources

Our August 2019 report on early grade suspensions in Texas

Our June 2019 report on ways to improve behavioral health support for mothers during the year after pregnancy

Our 2019 legislative recap on children’s mental health policy

Our April 2019 policy brief on youth suicide prevention in Texas schools and communities

Our April 2019 policy brief on trauma-informed schools in Texas

Our June 2018 press release on Texas youth suicide data

Our 2017 legislative recap on children's mental health policy

Our November 2017 report on student mental health policy after Hurricane Harvey