Harris County, Texas Mental Health Needs and Services Assessment

The purpose of this research was to describe mental health services in Harris County and to identify areas for improvement. Of the approximately 500,000 adults and 186,000 children in Harris County with mental illness, over 147,000 adults and 108,000 children suffer from a severe mental illness. 51.7% of the adults and 76% of the children with severe mental illness will not receive services. Background information related to mental health diagnoses, prevalence data, mental illness stigma, Harris County demographics, and environmental determinants was compiled through extensive literature reviews. Additional organizational information was obtained through literature reviews and site visits and was organized into three categories: authority, assessment, and advocacy. Key informant interviews were conducted with facility administrators, community members, and local mental health advocates within these three respective categories. Snowball sampling techniques were utilized to locate other key informants who provided additional informational support. Informants categorically agreed that the mental health system in Harris County is severely underfunded and cannot properly address concerns related to facilities, staffing, and beds without increased funding. Another theme that emerged was lack of community awareness regarding symptoms of mental illness and knowledge of available community resources for treatment and support. Furthermore, there is a need for the separation of the mental health system and the courts, to reduce the problem of criminalization of the mentally ill. Finally, more research is needed into diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders, as well as evaluation of efficient, successful and cost-effective methods of treating the mentally ill population.