The Hogg Mental Health Policy Academy recently celebrated its 5th anniversary, and we made a video to help commemorate this important milestone. The Academy is a learning community facilitated by Texans Care for Children with support from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.

Participants in the academy--including a network of mental health policy fellows around the state, their mentors, and a cohort of family and consumer participants--receive training each month, along with other professional development to enhance their effectiveness as advocates. They network with legislative staff, policy experts, and direct service providers, while learning first-hand about:

identifying policy challenges, assessing options for addressing them, and developing policy solutions;
the landscape of Texas and national mental health policy;
strategies for working with and educating decision-makers in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government; and
best practices in mental health and effective means for implementing these practices in Texas.

In the video below, previous and current members of the Hogg Academy reflect on their experiences as mentors, fellows, and community members. The video was a great way to reflect on the Academy's successes as together we continue onward in our efforts to promote policies that benefit the mental well-being of all Texans.