February 17, 2017      5:27 PM

House Appropriations scratches surface on mental health care coordination

The House has proposed two increases in funding: About $62.6 million to reduce waiting lists and $95.6 million to streamline mental health services

This week’s presentation on behavioral health funding before the House Appropriations Committee barely scratched the surface of the work being done – and will be done this session -- to improve the use and coordination of such funding across 18 agencies.

Behavioral health is a top priority for the Texas House, and the suggested $95.6 million in the baseline House budget does not convey the vision set out in a five-year plan released during the interim: To ensure Texas has a unified approach to behavioral health services that allows Texans to have access to care at the right time and places.

Analyst Mike Diehl of the Legislative Budget Board laid out the high-level numbers at the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday morning.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright February 17, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved