Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health

09/26/2025

Congratulations to JCMH Collaborative Council members Hon. Evelyn Keyes! Justice Keyes, who served on the Texas First Court of Appeals from 2002 to 2020, is being honored by her alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center, at a special event called "Judicial Pioneers Heritage Celebration."

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uh-law-center-to-honor-judicial-pioneers-dedicate-new-judicial-wall-302564638.html

09/25/2025

09/24/2025

JCMH Director of Policy & Education K**a Harris presented on recent legislative updates to Emergency Detention Orders at the Annual Texas Hospital Association Conference in San Antonio this week.

She was on a panel with Marie Alvarez of Acadia Healthcare and Angela Ott of Disability Rights Texas.

09/23/2025

Congratulations to JCMH Commissioner Matt Smith and Collaborative Councilmember Dr. Evan Norton on their new roles!

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Evan Norton on being elected Co-Chair of the State Behavioral Health Coordinating Council (SBHCC), and to Matthew Smith for joining the Council to lead the Children’s Behavioral Health Subcommittee. TJJD is made up of who are proud to help lead the way in building a more effective behavioral health system for all Texans.

➡️ Read the full story and learn more about how TJJD is advancing behavioral health services statewide: https://www.tjjd.texas.gov/tjjd-executives-elected-to-leadership-on-state-behavioral-health-coordin…

09/22/2025

The new Rural Issues Committee, led by JCMH Jurist-in-Residence Hon. Brent Carr and Legal Assistant Michael Garcia, held its very first meeting today. This marks an important step in our work to address the unique challenges faced by rural communities and to ensure their voices are represented in statewide conversations about mental health and justice.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue this important work!

09/19/2025

FREE WEBINAR! All Rise will soon release an updated standard on target population, and is hosting a webinar on September 24th at 12 p.m. to go over the updates.

The target population standard provides guidance on how to select the right participants for your treatment court program. Mismatched treatment and accountability services—whether too much, too little, or simply the wrong kind—can hinder progress and even lead to poorer outcomes.

The webinar will cover: the importance of objective eligibility and exclusion criteria, proactive recruitment strategies, identifying appropriate risk and need levels, and additional tools to help your program maximize its impact.

Register here:

Modernize workflows with Zoom's trusted collaboration tools: including video meetings, team chat, VoIP phone, webinars, whiteboard, contact center, and events.

09/17/2025

Our new bench books are ALMOST HERE! Hard copies of this resource will be given to attendees at the annual Judicial Summit on Mental Health in October, and the digital version will be available on the JCMH website next month as well.

09/15/2025

The Galveston County Mental Health Wellness Center is almost open! Construction is expected to be complete at the end of September; county officials are aiming for an October grand opening.

The 21-bed facility will offer intensive crisis services and an extended observation unit, which will focus on rapid stabilization of people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Read more:

Construction on the Galveston County Mental Health Wellness Center is expected to be complete at the end of this month, with county officials aiming for an October grand opening for

09/12/2025

We're on the road again! This week, Executive Director Kristi Taylor presented on Jail-Based Competency Restoration with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services Director of Forensic Services Jonathan Lemuel at the Jail Management Issues Conference in Galveston.

Communications Manager Rose McBride presented on how to use multimedia tools in judicial training at the National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE) Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

09/11/2025

As the final year of the JCMH's Court Liaison Pilot Program draws to a close, we're reflecting on the successes and lessons learned through the four years of the program in our three pilot counties: Denton, Grayson, and Smith. In partnership with the JCMH, the National Center for State Courts created an Implementation Guide for counties interested in creating a Court Liaison position.

https://www.texasjcmh.gov/media/kdyniftw/texas-court-liaison-implementation-guide-ncsc-final-6_25.pdf

09/09/2025

Registration for the 2025 Summit in person is FREE until this Friday, September 12, so register soon! Read our late change/cancellation policy 👇

Register here: https://web.cvent.com/event/e401bbc3-30ae-401f-be22-b1b385a958b7/summary

09/05/2025

NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW! 🎙

In this episode, we are joined by two guests from the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network. Kelli Guerrero is the Director of Child and Adolescent Crisis Programming, and Jessica Jimenez is the Youth Crisis Outreach Team (YCOT) Program Manager.

They tell us about the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network's YCOT, which provides 24/7 trauma-informed assessments and evaluations in the community, addressing immediate crisis intervention needs for children and families.

Podcast Episode · Reimagining Justice: Exploring Texas Innovations in Mental Health · 09/05/2025 · 32m