Across the nation, young people are facing an ongoing mental health challenge, one that was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be impacted by mental health workforce shortages. According to Mental Health America’s “The State of Mental Health in America 2023,” as of June 2022, only one mental health care provider is available for every 350 people in the country. In all, about 152 million people – nearly half the U.S. population – are in what’s referred to as a “mental health workforce shortage area.” Nearly two-thirds of these areas are in rural or partially rural areas.
With Hopelab’s support, our partners at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute examined the state of youth mental health in Texas, a diverse state with a mix of urban, suburban, and rural communities, and where in the last decade, the Legislature has made unprecedented investments in behavioral health. In “A Texas Solution to a National Challenge: How Telehealth Can Bolster Youth Mental Health in the Near-Term,” Meadows conducted a series of key informant interviews with Medicaid and commercial health plan leaders, as well as leaders from telehealth companies that serve young patients.
Drawing upon analysis of the interviews and additional research, the report highlights several near-term actions state government and health plan leaders can take to facilitate the entry and expansion of telehealth companies in the Texas marketplace. To accelerate the availability of these services there are several possible near-term and low-risk opportunities to begin this work. Leaders and policymakers can prepare now to enact feasible changes during upcoming legislative sessions. Health plans can also take action to make the adoption of high-quality telehealth services more likely, while simultaneously helping to address Texas’ mental health workforce shortage.
