In February, Governor Greg Abbott called on the Legislature to give Texas parents more options when they are desperately looking for help for their children with the most complex mental health challenges. He wrote in his budget, that the Legislature should “make additional investments in behavioral health services and supports for children in this state with the most complex needs.”
Today, the Texas House Subcommittee on Disease Prevention & Women’s & Children’s Health is considering a package of three bills that answers the call from the Governor. These bills will help all families with children needing this higher level of treatment. By giving parents more options, these bills will also help keep children with their families and out of foster care — and help them remain stable if they do enter foster care.
We urge the Committee to support the following package of bills:
- HB 2036 by Rep. Tom Oliverson ensures Medicaid covers Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), which provide structured, short-term treatment for youth who need more than weekly therapy but do not require inpatient care.
- HB 475 by Rep. Ann Johnson ensures Medicaid covers Multisystemic Therapy (MST), an intensive, in-home model that gives parents more tools and consistent support to address serious behavioral challenges in coordination with other systems the family interacts with.
- HB 488 by Rep. Ann Johnson ensures Medicaid covers Functional Family Therapy (FFT), a home-based program that supports parents who feel out of options by helping them strengthen family relationships and guide their child’s behavior and mental health.
Watch Kate Murphy’s testimony in support of HB 488 on April 17, 2025:
