Mental Health America of Greater Houston

Collaboration, education, advocacy, and connection to services are central to our mission, and we directly served over 6,600 unduplicated persons through various program components.We work with a diverse network of organizational partners, many of whom collaborate with us on common work agendas to create change to impact personal mental health and overall wellbeing. Our Center for School Behavioral Health program works with 52 school districts and child-serving organizations to improve the prevention, early identification and intervention, and treatment of mental illness among schoolchildren.See Schedule O for continued detailsOur Integrated Health Care Initiative works with diverse organizations, including healthcare providers, insurers, and universities, to advance integrated health care (coordinating mental health care with other health care), considered a best practice. In 2023, the program launched the first Behavioral Health Consultant Certificate Course in Texas, graduating twenty licensed professionals now equipped to operate in a primary care setting.Our Veterans Behavioral Health program partners with Veterans Treatment Court programs and other organizations to provide support, such as peer mentoring for justice-involved veterans with mental health concerns. The veteran team manager was recognized as the Outstanding Workshop Leader 2023 by the Texas Suicide Prevention Council for his outstanding training accomplishments.Our Mental Health Literacy programming provides training on topics such as understanding mental health, understanding trauma, coping through crisis, and caring for oneself to staff and clients of numerous organizations.In 2023, our Public Policy efforts focused on the 88th Texas Legislative Session, advocating for legislation addressing mental health service gaps and increasing available funding. MHA of Greater Houston's public policy team members also continued to play a key role in the Texas Education Agency's Mental Health Task Force.Our newest collaboration is taking on the role of the backbone organization for the Houston Area Suicide Prevention Coalition. The coalition aims to create something that goes beyond what each individual participating organization can do alone, closing gaps in suicide prevention in our community.Finally, through our outreach, 22,774 Greater Houston Region residents utilized Mental Health America's online, free, and anonymous mental health screenings. These screenings provide a direct, real-time measure of mental health/overall wellbeing in the Greater Houston Region. Upon completion of the screening, each person has access to tools and other resources to support their mental health.