MHMRA of Harris County - Annual Report Fiscal 2013-2014 | Page 6

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HMRA services and community
initiatives are supported by
dedicated clinical staff and direct
service providers. As you can see by
the number of individuals served
identified in the following information,
this is no small task. Although
MHMRA of Harris County and
other local community organizations
provide essential mental healthcare
and IDD supports, the past decade
has been marked by the outcry for
more vital supports as the population
of Harris County continues to grow
exponentially, and the cases of mental
illness and IDD increase.
In 2012, an estimated 19,300 children
and adolescents with serious emotional
disturbance needed services from the
public mental health system, yet 74
percent - 14,335 children - received
none. Almost 69 percent of the 9,100
children referred to the Harris County

Juvenile
Probation
Department
reportedly had a diagnosable mental
illness.3
In the same year, an estimated 69,800
adults with severe mental illness were
unable to access treatment from the
public or private mental health systems.
The Harris County Jail was reportedly
the largest mental health institution
in the state, with 24.1 percent of the
inmates experiencing severe mental
illness.3 By the end of 2013, 3,059
people died by suicide across Texas.4
For individuals with IDD, the outlook
was not better, especially for those with
a dual diagnosis of IDD and a mental
illness. The treatment and service
options for these individuals were
scarce to non-existent, as the number
of professionals who could provide
supports for them decreased over the
years due to cuts in state funding.

In the early months of Fiscal Year 2013,
the outcry of families and advocates
seemed to finally make a breakthrough
in the years-long plea for more
supports. And although the results
would not be immediate, the 1115
Medicaid Waiver revealed rays of hope.
With the goal of transforming
the
Medicaid-funded
healthcare
system through improvements in
care outcomes, increased patient
satisfaction and reduced costs,
MHMRA of Harris County ultimately
had 27 DSRIP projects approved to
enhance and expand services for the
people we serve, as part of the initial
requirements of the 1115 Medicaid
Waiver, which could potentially bring
over $187 million over a five-year
period.

the outcry of families and advocates seemed to finally make a breakthrough
This unprecedented process, which
began in December 2011, also
brought many questions. Payments for
approved programs would be based
on their value to the community, not
the cost of operation. In addition, our
Center would have to initially invest
close to $3.5 million in order to draw
new funds. MHMRA staff and other
community experts evaluated these
calculations and developed measures
that could prove meaningful change,