Mental health care is out of reach for 1 in 5 Texas children, mothers say
One in five Texas mothers say they’ve been unable to access mental health care for their child when needed, according to a new national survey that represents 2,700 U.S. mothers.
Cost was reported as the most prominent barrier to care in Texas, which was reflective of a national trend showing families with private insurance face greater barriers compared with families using public programs like Medicaid, according to the survey. Nationally, one in four mothers reported being unable to access mental health care for their child. Of these parents, 80% have private insurance, while 13% have Medicaid. The survey, released on Sept. 22, was conducted by Count on Mothers, a national research organization, and Inseparable, a mental health advocacy organization.
Kathleen Daughety, senior vice president of campaigns and communications at Inseparable, said in a statement she’s unsurprised and “deeply worried” by the findings of the survey. It should be easy and affordable to obtain quality mental health care for children, but that’s currently not the case, she said.
“Cost and long wait times stand in the way of families getting help when they need it most. There’s hope, though — the majority of moms said expanding school-based services and improving private insurance coverage are essential to addressing the youth mental health crisis — and we have seen bipartisan progress in many states doing just that,” Daughety said.
During Texas’ regular legislative session earlier this year, investments were made across a handful of programs that focus on or impact youth mental health, according to child advocacy nonprofit Texans Care for Children. This includes the Texas Family First pilot program, which received $23 million in state funding to continue the program aimed at preventing children from entering foster care through supports such as mental health and behavioral health services.
“Legislators modestly increased funding for children’s mental health, including an additional $40 million for mobile youth crisis outreach teams. They nearly doubled their investment in the Children’s Mental Health Innovation Grant since the last biennium from $15 million to $29 million. Lawmakers also passed HB 5342 by Rep. (Brooks) Landgraf… to create a trust fund supporting both mobile crisis and the state’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which offer support to children and adults,” the nonprofit noted in a legislative roundup report.
Texas lawmakers decreased funding, though, for the Youth Empowerment Services Waiver, a Medicaid program that provides youth mental health support. It has seen a declining number of providers in recent years, driven partially by low payment rates and underinvestment, according to Texans Care for Children.
Participants in the national survey called on lawmakers to increase affordability and accessibility to care across insurance types and income levels, improve school-based mental health supports and regulate tech safety to shield children from harmful online content.
“Across the country, families are sounding the alarm: Our healthcare system is failing children and parents when they need help most,” said Jennifer Bransford, founder of Count on Mothers. “In addition to participating in our critical survey, mothers courageously shared real stories of long waits, missed care, and confusion navigating the system. Private insurance requires parents and children to jump through time-consuming hoops to access care instead of meeting the children where they are. This report is a call to action: Our children’s mental health — and their futures — are at stake.”
