“It is critical for those entities working in behavioral health in Collin County to collaborate and leverage resources to improve the overall system of care.”  Tammy Mahan, CEO for LifePath Systems

Mental Health Crisis Background

With over 1.1 million people, Collin County is one of the fastest growing and healthiest places to live in the United States. Like the rest of the nation, however, the importance of good behavioral health is just being to be recognized. Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse/addiction) issues impact all parts of our society: families, friends, colleagues, schools, employers, hospitals, law enforcement, the justice system, first responders and religious organizations.

Individuals who receive timely and appropriate treatment can recover and continue to live productive lives. Those who do not receive care often languish in a debilitating cycle that results in lack of success in schools and employment, loss of friends, homelessness, poor medical care, and even early death. The State of Texas estimates one in five in our adult population and 17% of our youth from 6-17 years old will experience mental illness each year.

Treatment in Collin County is provided by numerous private providers, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies, including psychiatrists, medical doctors, counselors, hospitals, and others.

Different levels of treatment are necessary for each patient and may include crisis response, outpatient treatment (medications and counseling), inpatient treatment (hospital care), and other support systems.

The success of treatment in behavioral health is heavily influenced by several key variables:

  • Stigma associated with a behavioral health diagnosis keeps people away from treatment.
  • Insufficient affordable housing and homelessness perpetuates the inability of mentally ill people to properly care for themselves due to chaotic living arrangements.
  • The fast growing and changing Collin County population combined with significant adverse trends in mental health conditions are overwhelming current capacity for treating the ill. This results in our jails and prisons becoming the mental institutions of last resort.
  • Behavioral health workforce shortages are currently severe and getting worse, which limits treatment options.
  • Inadequate state and federal funding for community care continues to trail needs by a wide margin.
  • The COVID19 pandemic with lockdowns and isolation orders compounded and accelerated deteriorating pre-COVID trends and brought more patients with higher levels of severity to behavioral healthcare providers of all types, adding significant stress to a healthcare system already struggling with capacity issues.

Testimonials

Aaron Bickford
MSW, LCDC, Person living in long term recovery

In a post-COVID world, meeting behavioral health needs has become more crucial now than ever. At the very least, these needs have become much more visible, widespread, and acute, yet the stigma that comes with asking for help is still ever-present. Organizations like the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County are helping shed light on crucial issues that have been swept under the carpet for too long.

Kathi Cox
Chief Operating Officer, Ambulatory & Virtual Channel, Texas Health Resources

Demand for behavioral health services is high and growing, and employees and employers spent almost $77 billion on mental health disorders in 2020.  Over the next 10 years the demand for behavioral health services are projected to increase by 21%.  Our community cannot afford  to ignore this trend and how it affects our children and our families.

Jennifer Akins
Senior Director of Guidance and Counseling, McKinney Independent School District

The great strength of our coalition is the relationships and collaboration we enjoy as we work together at this critical moment to support the mental health of our community. It’s time to take action now, together, to support our youth and families.

Jason D. Isham, MS, LMFT, CCM
Senior Director of Integrated Behavioral Health for Children’s Health
Founding Board Member of the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County

The work of the Coalition’s subcommittee on schools and the relationships developed through that work have been indispensable to increasing access to behavioral health services in schools across Collin County.   

Aaron Bickford
MSW, LCDC, Person living in long term recovery

In a post-COVID world, meeting behavioral health needs has become more crucial now than ever. At the very least, these needs have become much more visible, widespread, and acute, yet the stigma that comes with asking for help is still ever-present. Organizations like the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County are helping shed light on crucial issues that have been swept under the carpet for too long.

Kathi Cox
Chief Operating Officer, Ambulatory & Virtual Channel, Texas Health Resources

Demand for behavioral health services is high and growing, and employees and employers spent almost $77 billion on mental health disorders in 2020.  Over the next 10 years the demand for behavioral health services are projected to increase by 21%.  Our community cannot afford  to ignore this trend and how it affects our children and our families.

Jennifer Akins
Senior Director of Guidance and Counseling, McKinney Independent School District

The great strength of our coalition is the relationships and collaboration we enjoy as we work together at this critical moment to support the mental health of our community. It’s time to take action now, together, to support our youth and families.

Jason D. Isham, MS, LMFT, CCM
Senior Director of Integrated Behavioral Health for Children’s Health
Founding Board Member of the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County

The work of the Coalition’s subcommittee on schools and the relationships developed through that work have been indispensable to increasing access to behavioral health services in schools across Collin County.   

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN COLLIN COUNTY

2022 Profile and Status Report on Capacity, Emerging Trends and Needed Services
Click to View the Report

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