STEPHEN SIMPSON/The Texas Tribune

The Texas Tribune
Texas AG investigating insurance company accused of spying on lawmakers, journalists, other Texans
Superior HealthPlan CEO Mark Sanders was questioned Wednesday by members of the Texas House Committee on the Delivery of Government Efficiency about his company’s use of private investigators. The topic surfaced as lawmakers questioned company representatives about potential fraud and waste of taxpa
 
Obstacles slow Texas’ effort to improve conditions at substance abuse recovery homes
The 2023 law, which goes into effect in September, requires recovery homes to be accredited to receive state funding. That accreditation requires them to meet specific health standards, adhere to an established code of ethics and agree to inspections. But there aren’t enough people to inspect the ne
 
Nearly 900 Texas children are waitlisted for a mental health program
At Dell’s Children’s Medical Center, doctors told Heston that Quin’s suicidal ideations were so severe that he would need to be admitted into a state hospital or a residential treatment center. To add to the heart-wrench, entering those facilities would require her to give up parental custody and ca
 
Texas lawmakers eye sharing health care workers with other states to address provider shortages
The plan would allow Texas to join existing interstate compacts for nine professions: audiology and speech pathology, cosmetology, occupational therapy, physician’s assistants, counseling, dentistry, dietetics, respiratory care and social work. If a state agrees to join a compact, eligible professio
 
Amid a $7 million deficit to Texas’ suicide hotline, thousands of calls are abandoned monthly
The 988 number — a federally mandated, state-run service that connects callers to crisis counselors — fills an essential niche in the behavioral health care system because it gives catered mental health services in an emergency where 911 might not be appropriate. The hotline has been used thousands
 
Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges
“Almost every kid comes to school these days, regardless of background, regardless of socioeconomic status, they have some type of smartphone device in their hand. So they will have access to unfettered content most of the time, no matter what we try to do,” said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas Am
 
Board cancels costly psychologist licensing exam after pushback led by Texas
Currently, Texas licensed psychologists must have a doctoral degree and pass three exams: the $800 knowledge exam by the national testing board, a $210 jurisprudence test, and a $320 oral exam. This is in addition to the $340 a prospective psychologist must pay to do the required 3,500 hours of supe
 
Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative session
Jack Stinnett got life-changing news in 2020 when he learned the lump that appeared on the side of his neck was tongue and mouth cancer.
 
Mental health support for toddlers has lagged in Texas. That’s now changing.
The couple immediately fell in love with their soon-to-be adopted son but knew the future might contain some challenges.
 
Texas leads push for faster certification of mental health professionals
Aspiring Texas psychologists hope to earn certification and start work faster under a new licensing examination that would be created by the state.
 
How a lack of supervisors keeps new mental health workers from entering the field
Casillas is considered the perfect student for Texas Tech’s online program because she lives in the rural city of Dalhart, an hour and a half northwest of Amarillo, and is willing to work there when she graduates. However, a year had passed, and Casillas and the school had yet to find a supervisor f
 
San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselors
The training is designed to help clergy, and its members become part of the mental health workforce, offering brief counseling sessions to community members. This program is not meant to handle severe mental illness beyond depression, and trainees are taught to refer cases beyond their scope to a cl
 
Cook Children’s sues Texas over potential Medicaid contract loss
The proposed shake-up would remove Cook Children’s Health Plan in the state’s Tarrant service area, Texas Children’s Health Plan in the Harris region, and Driscoll Health Plan in South Texas in favor of private companies. Together, the three plans operate as managed care organizations that provide M
 
An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory loss
QUITMAN, Texas (AP) — Addy Lois Dunn’s memory became a concern after she began running red lights and forgetting well-worn routes.
 
Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals
Thousands of people are discharged from Texas mental health hospitals yearly, and so-called step-down programs like clubhouses can help them integrate back into the community.