BHAT members believe reforms are necessary to create a more competitive mental health system in Texas -- one that encourages public and private providers to work together to meet the needs of the community. Why immediate mental health reform is needed:
* According to a 2006 task force comprised of the 10 major academic institutions in state, there are 3.1 million adults and 1.2 million children at risk for developing some form of mental illness in Texas.
* One-quarter of the state’s residents are uninsured and must rely on state and local government or nonprofit organizations for mental health care.
* Texas’ mental health system earned a grade of “D” from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Grading the States 2009 report that measured each state’s progress in providing services as envisioned by the 2003 President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.
* Texas ranks 49th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia in State Mental Health Agency per-capita expenditures.
* Texas has nearly eight times as many people with serious mental illness in prison as it does in psychiatric hospitals.
* One in 20 Texans or their family members with a diagnosable mental disorder want and need access to treatment and medications.
* There are currently over 6,000 citizens with mental health issues requesting care that are on a waiting list.
