#Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Districts The candidates were asked the following open-ended questions: 1. Texas is experiencing a shortage of mental health and addiction care providers, especially in rural and underserved areas. How will you make sure more people have access to mental health treatment and services? 2. State and federal law requires mental health parity, or the equal treatment of mental health conditions and substance During February 2020 and September-October 2020, NAMI use disorders, compared to physical health conditions, in Texas’ Public Policy Team and our volunteers sent out a six- insurance plans. However, individuals in Texas still often question mental health policy questionnaire via Google Forms to receive unequal coverage for mental health treatment and every individual running for a state legislative seat in a contested services. What will you do to improve coverage for race. Candidates were also provided information on NAMI Texas’ mental health care? public policy platform. We are only sharing the results for 3. At least 30% of individuals in local Texas jails have a candidates who are in a contested race. If we have not received a severe mental illness, and more than half of justice- completed questionnaire from a candidate, we will indicate that we involved individuals nationwide have at least one mental have not received a response yet. Reminders were sent on a weekly health condition. What will you do to divert people with basis to candidates who had not yet responded to the mental illness from the criminal justice system? questionnaire. 4. Almost a quarter of individuals experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness, and mental NAMI Texas is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) non-profit illness has been identified as the third leading cause of organization. We DO NOT endorse any candidates, or rank or alter homelessness nationwide. How will you help people with their answers in any way. We provide this information to educate mental illness who are struggling with housing? you on where candidates in your district stand on key mental 5. Half of mental health conditions begin by the age of 14 health issues and let you use this information to inform your vote and 75% begin by the age of 24, but these issues often go rd on November 3 . A candidate’s inclusion of answers here does not undetected and untreated until they reach a crisis point. indicate a preference or endorsement by NAMI Texas. Inclusion in How will you promote earlier intervention for people this guide does not indicate that NAMI Texas endorses any experiencing mental illness? candidate's positions provided in the questionnaire. We encourage 6. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country, and NAMI members and mental health advocates to continue asking has faced serious challenges in ensuring individuals in important questions of legislative and local candidates and underserved areas have access to health care. What will #Vote4MentalHealth! you do to improve access to health care and reduce our high uninsured rate? More information on the #Vote4MentalHealth campaign can be found at namitexas.org/vote4mentalhealth-texas. #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts

Senate District 1 show promising results, and I would work to expand access to Bryan Hughes (R, Incumbent) creative solutions like that as a member of the legislature. Bryan Hughes has not responded to the questionnaire yet. 4. Housing: We need to prioritize affordable housing options for Texans all over the state. This should include supportive housing, Audrey Spanko (D) but even access to affordable housing without extra services is 1. System Capacity: Medicaid expansion will play an important necessary to curbing homelessness in Texas. Additionally, it will role in increasing access to mental health services, as it will bring be important to ensure that people experiencing homelessness also coverage to over 40,000 East Texans, many of whom live in rural have access to quality mental and physical health services. areas. Especially during a pandemic, we need to work to expand 5. Early Intervention: In order to ensure Texans can access the use of Telehealth services; however, for rural Texans these mental health services before they reach a crisis point, we should services have proved critical, and it will be necessary to continue encourage mental health screenings to begin at a younger age. One the expansion of Telehealth, even when we are no longer facing a way we can accomplish this is increasing the number of school global pandemic. social workers across the state, this would allow public school 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: For too long, the legislature students access to a mental health professional whenever they are has allowed health insurance companies to go unchecked. We on campus. should focus our efforts on holding these for profit companies 6. Access to Health Care: Senate district 1 is currently home to accountable, so Texans can attain necessary mental health 134,000 individuals without health insurance and has the highest coverage, in addition to the physical health coverage they are infant mortality rate in the state. I plan to fight for Medicaid receiving. We should also work to increase Medicaid expansion. Over 42,000 uninsured individuals in Senate District 1 reimbursement, making it more competitive with Medicare rates. would gain medical coverage if Texas expanded Medicaid. This would incentivize health care workers to improve and expand Expanded coverage also means women and children will have the the services they provide. coverage they need to seek life-saving medical services. Over the 3. Criminal Justice: This is a part of a broad and necessary last nine years four rural hospitals have closed in District 1. discussion of reimagining our criminal justice system. In order to Expanding coverage and insurance could help save other hospitals truly provide justice, we need to provide services to individuals, at risk of closing. even before they become justice-involved. First of all, expanded Medicaid will bring coverage to thousands of Texans who may be Senate District 4 suffering from a mental illness that would otherwise go untreated (R, Incumbent) and potentially could lead them to involvement with our broken Brandon Creighton has not responded to the questionnaire yet. criminal justice system. Additionally, mental health resources in Texas need to be accessible to all Texans, not just to those who can Jay Stittleburg (D) pay top dollar. Other ideas, like supportive housing programs, also 1. System Capacity: I will support programs that provides incentives for people that want to seek education for becoming a #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts mental health and/or addiction care provider. I will also support 3. Criminal Justice: First off, I would legalize all drugs. When programs, such as public/private partnerships, to increase the there is no victim, there is no crime. This would significantly number of facilities that are available for treatment. reduce our prison population. We could encourage these 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will fight to ensure that individuals to seek the attention necessary once they are released health insurance programs provide adequate coverage for seeking from prison. As for the violent offenders, I would seek information mental health care and substance abuse treatment. from professionals to figure out how best to help them with their 3. Criminal Justice: I will support programs, such as mental mental illness. Our prisons are supposed to be "correctional" health courts and mental health officers, to ensure that we are facilities. Let's figure out what we can do to "correct" their getting people with mental health issues the help they need and not behavior. If it's mental illness, maybe we can find them the help simply incarcerating them as jail is no place for treatment and they need. unfortunately our jail system in Texas is the #1 mental health 4. Housing: I would get government out of housing. I would provider and that needs to change. encourage people to reach out and teach these people the skill of 4. Housing: I will support programs that provide training and building houses. If we provide them with skills that can provide education, rental and housing assistance and availability of them with food and shelter, then they can become entrepreneurs facilities to transition from homelessness to self-sufficient. through construction and growing food. This would get them 5. Early Intervention: I will support programs that provide outside, keep them busy, and feel productive. Government, availability of counselors and doctors in our public school systems however, is never the answer. to ensure that we can identify and treat mental health issues in our 5. Early Intervention: I would encourage people to find the help youth as early as possible to provide them the opportunity to lead a they need. full, healthy and productive life. 6. Access to Health Care: I would reduce government red tape. 6. Access to Health Care: My #1 priority if elected is to expand Government has failed and is the specific reason for all of these Medicaid in Texas. It is not the complete solution, but it is a good problems. Let the free market work itself. There is a stigma that we start and we need to start somewhere, because our state is doing need government in these underserved areas. People there don't nothing to address this issue at the moment. have much hope. Let's eliminate taxes, encourage entrepreneurship, encourage skill building and downsize state and Cameron Brock (L) federal government. 1. System Capacity: I would ease restrictions to access. 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I would get government out Senate District 6 of it. Let the free market work itself so people have easier access (D, Incumbent) including more affordable prices. The more government red tape Carol Alvarado has not responded to the questionnaire yet. there is, the higher prices are. Government is the reason people leave the country to find cheaper priced treatment around the Timothy Duffield (L) world. Timothy Duffield has not responded to the questionnaire yet. #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts

Senate District 11 Shadi Zitoon (D) Larry Taylor (R, Incumbent) 1. System Capacity: First, we have to expand Medicaid. So many Larry Taylor has not responded to the questionnaire yet. areas were left without any adequate healthcare due to the lack of expansion. We also need incentives to encourage healthcare Susan Criss (D) professionals to move and provide service to rural communities. 1. System Capacity: When I was a district court judge I was Chair 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: We have to acknowledge that of the Gulf Coast MHMR Task Force for Jail Diversion for the mental healthcare is healthcare and to work on removing the Mentally Ill. I lobbied for treatment dollars. This is a budget stigma associated with it. A large part of that is education and priority. teaching about mental care. We should be teaching about mental 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I spoke on the Capitol steps healthcare in school to increase the public knowledge. for parity for the mentally ill at a rally many years ago. I will fight 3. Criminal Justice: We need to have options for our law for parity. enforcement. Our prison and jails are one of the largest providers 3. Criminal Justice: As a district judge and Chair of the Gulf of healthcare in the state. We need to have addicts getting help Coast Task Force on Jail Diversion for the Mentally Ill I worked from people who are specialized in addiction treatment and mental on a multi-disciplinary task force to find ways to improve the health professionals treating people with mental health issues. criminal justice system in Galveston County for the mentally ill. 4. Housing: Medicaid expansion would provide coverage for those Mental Health courts and treatment dollars as well as process individuals to ensure they can get the treatment they need. We also changes are critical. need to create more programs to help those people without a home, 4. Housing: Housing is a major component of diversion and yet One thing we can do is increase the minimum wage to a livable the least dealt with. Miami has a great program with this wage so they can afford to house themselves. Also, we need to do component. I would explore ways to set up programs like theirs. more to encourage the development of affordable housing. 5. Early Intervention: This has to be something that school 5. Early Intervention: In school, we should be teaching about officials are taught and encouraged to look for. The juvenile justice mental health as well as physical health. This would help many system has begun this now with their intake procedure. people know the signs to look for in loved ones or themselves 6. Access to Health Care: We must accept the federal Medicaid before it gets to a crisis point, in addition to the expansion of dollars. treatment options for mental health issues that I have mentioned in previous answers. Jared Wissel (L) 6. Access to Health Care: First, we need to expand Medicaid with Jared Wissel has not responded to the questionnaire yet. a robust program. We need to increase education on mental health. We need lower costs for those who want to pursue healthcare as a career to ensure we have enough professions to meet the ever- Senate District 12 increasing need. (R, Incumbent) Jane Nelson has not responded to the questionnaire yet. #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts

Senate District 13 Roland Gutierrez (D) (D, Incumbent) Roland Gutierrez has not responded to the questionnaire yet. Borris Miles has not responded to the questionnaire yet. Jo-Anne Valvdivia (L) Milinda Morris (R) Jo-Anne Valvdivia has not responded to the questionnaire yet. 1. System Capacity: There need to be monetary incentives to go into the mental health fields and to serve in rural and underserved Senate District 20 areas. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D, Incumbent) 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will work with the Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa has not responded to the questionnaire yet. insurance companies to improve access to coverage for mental health care. Judith Cutright (R) 3. Criminal Justice: There needs to be an increase in options for Judith Cutright has not responded to the questionnaire yet. in- house psychiatric care in order to properly provide management and treatment. Jails become a substitute for mental health care. Senate District 21 4. Housing: The homeless with severe mental illness need to be (D, Incumbent) provided in-house psychiatric care and step-down facilities. Judith Zaffirini has not responded to the questionnaire yet. 5. Early Intervention: Access to mental healthcare counseling needs to be improved. Frank Pomeroy (R) 6. Access to Health Care: Access to care needs to be improved. In 1. System Capacity: We need to incentivize mental health care addition, fraud, waste, and abuse of the medical system needs to be workers to make the choice to open facilities in rural areas. This curtailed which would balance the increased cost of care. would provide more access and less migrating to the urban areas. We also need to promote the idea better that asking for therapy is Senate District 18 not going to be used against individuals at a later date. (R, Incumbent) 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I believe that the entire Lois Kolkhorst has not responded to the questionnaire yet. insurance program needs to be placed on the table and the most intelligent minds within the medical disciplines need to come Michael Antalan (D) together, and discuss together without political agendas, as to how Michael Antalan has not responded to the questionnaire yet. to help all of healthcare in the state, which includes mental health. 3. Criminal Justice: It is no secret that we need justice reforms in Senate District 19 our country. I think again we need to incentivize therapist to take Pete Flores (R, Incumbent) part within the judicial system to help non violent criminals be able Pete Flores has not responded to the questionnaire yet. to cope with the world. Then the state needs programs to train #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts them for some way of supporting themselves which would bring expand Medicaid, Texas is now only one of twelve States that has about self worth and personal value. not. Providing health care to 1.6 million Texans will help mitigate 4. Housing: Andrew Carnegie said that a wise man surrounds the impact of poverty, unhealthy life-style choices, economic himself with people who are smarter than he is. We need to have a uncertainty, and will improve the physical, emotional and mental symposium of the brightest minds on mental health and also health of those most in need. Second, increase Medicaid finance to discuss how to best house and support people who need reimbursements to increase more medical provider participation, extra help. including peer to peer support services. Third, grant APRNs full 5. Early Intervention: We need to de-stigmatize the idea of practice authority to reduce the shortage of "authorized" medical asking for help. We need let young adults know that we all go professionals. Forth, increase funding and support for mental through crisis and that by seeking help early that we can acquire health evaluation and treatment services available to schools. Fifth, the tools needed to address our issues before they grow to be develop and fund proven successful group, peer, maternal, insurmountable. provider and family support programs. 6. Access to Health Care: Nurse:patient ratios— these were raised 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: A major hindrance to several years back, resulting in nurses leaving, hospital healthcare reaching parity is our failure to expand Medicaid. Rural hospitals mainly, in droves. These ratios are unsafe and unrealistic are closing at an alarming rate in Texas, 21 in the last decade. expectation to provide quality patient care. Most of our large cities More than 75% of Texas rural hospitals are hanging on by a have programs in High School geared toward healthcare to start thread. Mental health services are normally and routinely more students on a pathway towards becoming nurses. We need reimbursed at a lower rate if at all. Scarce hospital resources are these programs in rural areas. Rural areas are hit hard with "saved" for those with emergency medical needs. Expand healthcare shortages, and it is difficult to find employees locally. Medicaid and Medicaid reimbursements and you save rural We also need to have a conversation with educated nurses and hospitals and expand mental health and substance abuse options. doctors and talk about how to both partner with faith based 3. Criminal Justice: Drug and substance abuse courts should be initiatives and audit the existing bureaucracy that hinders the established to divert substance addicted individuals into detox and health care industry. treatment programs.

Senate District 22 Fresh out of graduate school I started my professional career with a (R, Incumbent) Community Mental Health Center. Witnessing the Brian Birdwell has not responded to the questionnaire yet. deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, I wrote the first demonstration grant that created the HUD 202 Section 8 group Robert Vick (D) homes. We also created the "Open Door" psychosocial 1. System Capacity: Nine of the ten Counties that make up Senate rehabilitation program. We knew that housing, employment and District 22 are rural so this issue is of utmost important to my social skill were necessary to create an environment that reduced constituents. The State Legislature can do several things. First, the clients interactions with the police and the penal system. We #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts thought that the prior funding for inpatient mental health care when services are available in schools. I will introduce legislation, would flow to the community based approach, unfortunately it did and make it a priority, to increase funding for these positions and not. Housing, intervention and community based treatment will services. reduce costs compared to jail, prison and certain recidivism. It's an 6. Access to Health Care: Expand Medicaid and Medicaid investment we should make. reimbursement rates particularly in rural underserved areas.

When individuals are in jail, they should have access to needed Senate District 24 medication and support, should be signed up for our newly Dawn Buckingham (R, Incumbent) expanded Medicaid and should get help planning their release and Dawn Buckingham has not responded to the questionnaire yet. transaction back into society. This will also prove to be cost effective! Clayton Tucker (D) 4. Housing: Projects for Assistance in Transition from 1. System Capacity: We need to create a well-funded public Homelessness (PATH) and The Healthy Community Collaborative system of healthcare in Texas. Healthcare must include both and two excennely programs dealing with housing and mental physical and mental health. As we are creating a system that allows illness, They are only available to residents of major urban areas. people to seek mental healthcare without fear of abhorrent cost, we The rural residents of Senate District 22 have no such options. The will also need to change our culture to make it socially acceptable rural homeless, often shunned by family, frequently find for people to seek mental health. themselves in urban areas. There are housing options, Section 8, 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will work to create a public Section 811, supervised and supportive housing. The shortage is in system of physical and mental healthcare in Texas via the Healthy mental health professionals in rural areas to can direct and support Texas Act (HB 4127 in the 2019 session). The HTA will expand those in transition. I would defer to NAMI, but my first impression physical and mental healthcare coverage and will push us forwards is that these professionals would be community based working in towards greater parity. local rural hospitals recently saved by Medicaid expansion. 3. Criminal Justice: I will work to pass legislation that anyone 5. Early Intervention: In our schools, of course. In some cases, deemed likely to suffer from mental illness to receive treatment such as rural areas, schools provide the only mental health services rather than punishment. This can be done by building less in the community. Schools are ideal for instituting programs aimed jails/prisons and more hospitals, some of which can specialize in at mental illness and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and mental health. positive development. Schools also foster communication between 4. Housing: We need to expand physical and mental healthcare to school staff and families, and have the ability to address these everyone, regardless of if their rich or homeless. Once we expand issues. School psychologists, school counselors, school social affordable coverage for all, which can be done via the Healthy workers, and school nurses know the students, parents, and other Texas Act, we can start getting homeless folks the healthcare they staff, which contributes to an accessibility of services. In fact, need. research has shown that students are more likely to seek counseling #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts treatment and services. Currently, parity laws do not require We also need to expand Medicaid. insurers to provide mental health coverage for all plans. In 5. Early Intervention: We have to change our culture. Thankfully, addition, we must expand Medicaid under the ACA. the millennial and Y generations are becoming increasingly open 3. Criminal Justice: We need a holistic approach to addressing about mental health. We need to encourage and accelerate this mental health issues in defendants and those who are incarcerated. trend by simply being open and vocal about it, while making The police should not be doing the job of mental health experts. mental healthcare significantly more available and cheaper. People suffering from mental illness are not dangerous criminals 6. Access to Health Care: The easiest step is to expand Medicaid. by default, and we need interventions for mental health crises that Beyond that, I plan to promote the Healthy Texas Act that will do not involve the police as the first point of contact. We need to provide affordable coverage to all. end the school-to-prison pipeline by addressing the mental health of students and ensuring that behavioral concerns do not turn into a Senate District 26 criminal record for young people who need mental health services. (D, Incumbent) I support legislation that would accomplish these goals. Jose Menendez has not responded to the questionnaire yet. 4. Housing: Again we need a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of homelessness, including mental illness. The solution Julian Villarreal (G) is not more policing but rather services that provide unhoused 1. System Capacity: If elected to the Texas Senate, I will advocate people with housing, treatment, and the help they need to get off for much-needed funding for rural and underserved communities. the streets. Affordable housing, a livable wage, universal We are experiencing a crisis of hospital closures in rural Texas, healthcare should be our tools for dealing with these problems. The and the pandemic has had a devastating effect on poor state has largely neglected these areas and have left cities and communities across the state that were already hurting. I support communities to their own devices when dealing with drawing the state's rainy day fund to support increased health and homelessness, mental illness, and addiction. The current model of human services spending. In addition, the community health model criminalizing homelessness and its related behaviors is not only has shown great potential in addressing disparities. I support costly but ineffective. By providing a social safety net for increased funding for local municipal health authorities through the individuals and communities, we can keep people from state Health and Human Services system. In addition, the state experiencing homelessness in the first place. We need a concerted should provide more assistance to existing community health state effort to provide more funding for affordable housing, organizations through grants. Additional funding should be healthcare, and education. provided to school districts, community colleges, and university to 5. Early Intervention: I support funding for mental health help expand services to students of all ages. services in schools, community colleges, and universities. By 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: We need a universal single- providing services to students within the educational context, we payer healthcare system. Until that happens, I support legislation can promote mental health awareness and provide earlier requiring insurers to provide equal coverage for mental health intervention while avoiding severe problems that could lead a #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts young person to a crisis point. We should be encouraged that Areas. young people are growing up in a culture that does not stigmatize mental illness as in past generations, but they still might not have Because we have geographic areas in our state with a ratio of access to mental health services or the ability to pay. Those types 30,000 people to one psychiatrist, I co-authored Senate Bill 674 in of services should be provided in schools and community health 2017 to create an expedited licensing process for out of-state centers, and I support providing state funding to that effect. psychiatrists. With this bill, we directed the Texas Medical Board 6. Access to Health Care: Again, we need a universal single- will create an expedited licensing process for applicants who hold payer healthcare system. I support Medicare4All legislation at the an unrestricted license to practice medicine issued in another state, federal level. That should be our goal, and anything short of are board certified in psychiatry, and meet other general eligibility universal healthcare is morally indefensible. Until that happens, we requirements. can expand Medicaid in Texas and increase funding for community health programs. Additionally, I authored SB 578 and also co-authored SB 27 in 2017. Both of these bills address access to mental health providers Senate District 27 for our veterans and their families. Through SB 27’s Eddie Lucio Jr. (D, Incumbent) implementation, the Texas Health and Human Services 1. System Capacity: Addressing the mental health needs of Commission (HHSC) opened up six sites in different areas of the Texans in need has been a passion of mine. That is why during the state to increase access to clinical mental health treatment for 2017 Session, I worked with my colleagues in the Legislature to veterans, members of our armed forces, and their families. begin to address the health care shortage in Texas. I want to build on that effort and similarly increase access to In fact, I co-authored Senate Bill 1107 to provide more access to mental health treatment and services to everyone in the state. This doctors via telemedicine and to create a clear and accountable can be done by having increased collaboratives with our hospitals, regulatory structure regarding the establishment of a valid treatment centers, mental health professions. practitioner-patient relationship via telemedicine. We also updated the guidelines governing telemedicine to allow the creation of 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: First we need to have greater valid practitioner-patient relationship in a telemedicine increased access and make more mental health services available. encounter. We also need to work with our Managed Care Organizations to ensure that those who need mental health treatment and services We also took some positives steps forward to address the shortage are not denied care by implementing the right reforms, initiatives, of psychiatrists. As you are aware, by some reports, there are less and oversight to achieve that goal. than 2,000 psychiatrists actively licensed and offering direct care Additionally, I plan to provide a Task Force of Mental Health in Texas. As of January 2015, over two-thirds of the state’s Patient Advocates to the HHSC so that the overseeing state agency counties were designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage gets just-in-time feedback of how those needing mental health #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts services are being treated to ensure that we truly have improved state jail system. coverage for mental health care. Additionally, I just hosted a hearing in my district of the Senate 3. Criminal Justice: This is a very good question and something I Veteran Affairs Committee to see how we can increase the use of have been working on over the years. That is why I supported Veteran Treatment Courts to provide needed care and services to voted in favor of Senate Bill 292 which became law in 2017. With veterans so that they do not end up in the criminal justice system. this bill, HHSC is directed to establish a grant program to reduce My office is developing an initiative to not only increase access to recidivism, arrest, and incarceration among individuals with mental health providers, but to also encourage more of our local mental illness and to reduce wait time for forensic commitment to district attorneys to use diversion treat programs like Veteran a state hospital. With this bill, our state will be providing a grant to Treatment Courts to provide individuals the needed services that a county-based community collaborative in the most populous they need and to lower the possibilities of them ending up in the counties in the state for the same purpose. As supporters of the criminal justice system. Legislator’s efforts have stated, this will help the state by reducing the number of people with mental illness in county jails and 4. Housing: Mental health is indeed one of the biggest cause of thereby reducing the waiting time for a forensic commitment to a people ending up in homelessness. This issue is a complex one that state hospital requires a comprehensive solution. Last session, I began working on addressing homelessness in our most vulnerable population, our Regrettably individuals with Mental Illness do find themselves in 111,000 youth in Texas facing homelessness. By sponsoring House the Criminal Justice System. That I why I supported Senate Bill Bill 2564, I helped direct the Texas Department of Housing and 1849 in 2017 that directs local jails to increase mental health Community Affairs to update their Texas Housing Plan to include supervision and training to prevent suicides of prisoners. With this the unique needs of youth facing homelessness. bill we require law enforcement to complete training in de- escalating confrontations, in order to better handle inmates with As Chairman of the Senate Committee which has standing mental health issues, and jails to provide prisoners with access to jurisdiction over all housing matters, I am currently conducting the mental health professionals. Because of the bill, law enforcement necessary interim research to increase the availability of affordable officers must make a “good faith effort” to divert those arrested for housing in our state. One issue we are studying from last session is nonviolent misdemeanors to needed treatment for mental health or Senate Bill 1116 that I authored in 2019. Last session, I worked substance abuse. with interested parties who help people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations dealing with housing instability. Additionally, two interims ago, my office worked with By working with the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation representatives of the Big Urban Counties and HHSC Medicaid (TSAHC) and the Texas Homeless Network we want to be able to overseeing staff to see what steps Texas can undertake to ensure address the struggle special populations have in finding long-term, that individuals who need mental health services are not in our affordable housing. #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts to me. Our research indicated that according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the most successful model for housing As Sunset Commissioner, I am currently preparing for next session these individuals is Permanent Supportive Housing. As you may be by review the Early Childhood Health and Nutrition Interagency aware, this provides housing as well as services designed to build Council, a council that I created in 2009 with the passage of my independent living and tenancy skills, assistance with integrating Senate Bill 395. Health officials in my district have asked me to into the community, and connections to community-based health consider expanding this council the teenage years for the similar care, treatment, and employment services. reasons as your question poses. I will use my Sunset Commissioner position to ensure that mental health concerns are Because there is a significant gap between the permanent appropriately addressed by a stronger, more comprehensive supportive housing units being created and the need for these units, council during the 2021 Legislative Session. I want to create more permanent supportive housing units by having a mechanism to allow for more private investment in these 6. Access to Health Care: I have always been for Medicaid developments. That is exactly what my SB 1116 from last session expansion and have done everything to increase services. would have done. Regrettably, as Democrats we are part of a minority party and currently the decision for Texas to expand Medicaid and increase The Committee that I chair is currently working with TSAHC to coverage lands in the hands of the majority party and the Office of strengthen my SB 1116 from last session and to be able to provide the Governor. a state tax credit system that would be administered by TSAHC and the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas. Since coverage is so critical, especially for vulnerable populations, TSAHC would certify developments as permanent supportive over the years I have worked hard to expand coverage for our most housing eligible and award credits that could be assigned to an needed, children with special needs. entity with an insurance premium tax liability under Chapter 222 of the Insurance Code. In this way, we can incentivize the In 2007, I added my Senate Bill 419 to House Bill 1919 as a construction of these facilities to ensure that everyone needing Senate Floor amendment to provide critical health coverage to supportive housing, especial those with mental health illness, can children with Autism. I required health benefit plans in Texas to be appropriately served with specialized housing. provide early intervention coverage to 3- to 5-year-old children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In 2009, I 5. Early Intervention: I created several programs to help children required treatment of children with autism from the time they were with special needs, including providing children with autism diagnosed until they turned 10 years of age by sponsoring House disorder early screening, intervention, and made their treatment Bill 451. I further strengthened the coverage of children with accessible. As evidenced by my youth homeless law that I passed autism by removing the age restriction to ensure continuum of last session (HB 2564), the needs of our youth are very important services and coverage by co-authoring Senate Bill 1484 in 2013. #Vote4MentalHealth Senate General Election Candidate Questionnaire For all Texas Senate Districts Also, in 2013, I co-sponsored House Bill 3276 to require health enter the criminal justice system. For those who do enter the insurance companies cover screening of Autism Spectrum criminal justice system, we should maintain funding for post- Disorder. booking jail diversion programs, use solitary confinement Vanessa Tijerina (R) sparingly, improve medication continuity for inmates, and Texas Contact information for Vanessa Tijerina could not be located. should maintain the funding level of the Mental Health Grant Program for Justice-Involved Individuals enacted in 2018-2019. Senate District 29 We also should have adequate re-entry support programs to reduce César Blanco (D) recidivism. 1. System Capacity: According to Mental Health America, Texas 4. Housing: There are programs that provide rental assistance to ranks last in the 2020 Access To Care Rankings. Two-thirds of people with mental health problems. That will help keep more Texas’ licensed psychologists and over half of the licensed people in their home. We should look to provide more funding for psychiatrists and social workers practice in the five most populous clubhouses and employment support. We also need to improve counties, leaving the remaining 249 with a significant lack of home and community based services. mental health providers. The counties I’m running to represent are 5. Early Intervention: Ensuring that children have access to part of those 249 counties lacking mental health providers. During healthcare is vital. That way they will have access to mental health the 85th legislative session, HB 13 created the Community Mental services. Educating students and families about mental health is Health Grant Program. 50percent of the funding appropriated for important. Adults have to be able to recognize potential mental this grant program be reserved for programs in counties with a health issues in children whether in school, foster care, or in higher population of less than 250,000 education. Once detected, treatment needs to be available to those children or young adults. Funds for the grant program have to be appropriated each session 6. Access to Health Care: The needs to finally to continue the grant program. As we enter a tight budget year, we pass Medicaid expansion. need to prioritize programs like this that provide access to mental health treatment and services to people who might not otherwise Bethany Hatch (R) have access. Bethany Hatch has not responded to the questionnaire yet. 2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: When people have access to insurance, they have access to mental health coverage. First and Candidates Running Unopposed foremost, we need to expand Medicaid. Texas is first in the nation in people without health insurance. Medicaid expansion would Senate District 28 - Charles Perry (R, Incumbent) provide healthcare coverage to 1.7 million uninsured Texas families. 3. Criminal Justice: If we had more community programs available, we might be able to reach some individuals before they