FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Carrie Williams
Chief Communications Officer
512/465-1052 | [email protected]
Connect with THA:
(AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 9, 2019) – In advance of its 2019 Behavioral Health Conference, the Texas Hospital Association outlines public policy priorities focused on strengthening the state’s behavioral health system to meet the needs of Texas.
Among the priorities, Texas hospitals will advocate for:
- State funding for behavioral health care in line with the growing need for and cost of services.
- Increased access to community-based and emergency inpatient behavioral health and substance use services.
- A robust and diverse behavioral health workforce to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and aging population.
“Behavioral health is essential to quality of life and overall population health. Yet, behavioral health care needs often go unmet,” said Ted Shaw, THA president/CEO. “Ensuring a healthy Texas means meeting the physical and behavioral health needs of its residents. Our behavioral health priorities are a road map to help improve access to needed services and address barriers to care.”
With innovative projects and enhanced funding, Texas leaders have strengthened behavioral health initiatives in recent years and recognize that behavioral health must be a central focus going forward. THA supports behavioral health as a top priority for Texas.
Approximately 20 percent of Americans will experience a behavioral health condition each year, and more than two-thirds receive no treatment for their condition. Meanwhile, Texas’ behavioral health needs continue to increase with population growth. Mental health professional shortage areas hinder the state’s ability to meet Texas’ growing behavioral health needs. Behavioral health providers face challenges on many fronts: reimbursement, workforce, court decisions, legislation and funding.
THA’s behavioral health conference will help providers stay on top of the evolving landscape, and provide a forum for providers to share with their peers on how to best address these various challenges and more.
Texas hospitals’ behavioral health priorities are available from www.tha.org/behavioralhealth.
###
Information about the Behavioral Health Conference is available from www.tha.org/behavconf.
Members of the media interested in attending THA’s Behavioral Health Conference should contact Carrie Williams for additional information.
About THA
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents 452 of the state’s non-federal general and specialty hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 400,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/texashospitals.