Testimony to House Human Services Committee
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends using a
"system of care” approach for meeting the complex needs of children and youth with serious mental health issues and their families. Based on recommendations from the Sunset Commission related to eliminating various advisory bodies and councils from statute, the HHSC Sunset bill (SB 200) repeals Sections 531.251 of the Government Code. In addition to dissolving the Texas System of Care Consortium advisory body which was established by the Texas Legislature in 2013 (SB 421) to advise the state on policies related to preventing and treating mental illness, but it also removes provisions related to HHSC’s role in planning and coordination activities aimed at promoting the recommended "system of care” framework at the state level. HB 2048 would direct HHSC to continue promoting the use of this recommended approach after the advisory body is removed from statute.
What is a "system of care” framework?
A system of care framework calls for collaboration between child and youth-serving systems, such as child welfare, juvenile justice, education and mental health, and the families they serve that enables communities to develop a single plan of care, accessing the unique array of community-based supports and services the family needs. It seeks to improve access to services that are effective, community based, family-driven, youth-guided, and culturally and linguistically competent.