Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

04/08/2026

Please join us on April 15 for Growing Through Grief for Caregivers, a one-hour workshop designed to help caregivers better understand and support children and adolescents who have experienced loss. This free workshop is facilitated by clinicians at the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health at the Meadows Institute, and is sponsored by the Cullen Foundation and the Sarofim Foundation.

This workshop will teach participants to:

✅ Identify helpful versus unhelpful grief reactions in children and adolescents
✅ Understand the three primary bereavement-related challenges children often experience
✅ Recognize trauma and loss reminders related to grief
✅ Identify grief-related risk and protective factors
✅ Understand when to seek additional mental health support

Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8JScDlHuSDmj6K9hnE1QnA #/registration

03/30/2026

The behavioral health workforce shortage is one of the most urgent challenges facing our nation, making it harder for people to receive timely care. We conducted interviews with 11 organizations pioneering workforce innovations within integrated care settings throughout the United States to better understand those approaches are being implemented on the ground.

Here are five key takeaways from our new white paper, “Scalable Strategies to Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce,” courtesy of Senior Vice President for Health System Integration Clare McNutt, PA-C:

➡️ We cannot solve the workforce shortage with licensed clinicians alone. Expanding access requires rethinking who can safely deliver care, not just how many licensed clinicians we train.

➡️ The evidence is clear: Non-licensed providers can deliver evidence-based treatment, not just referrals. Global and U.S. data show that with the right training and supervision, community health workers, peers, and lay counselors can deliver evidence-based interventions and improve outcomes.

➡️The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a force multiplier. By using team-based care and psychiatric consultation, CoCM allows a small number of licensed clinicians to reach far more patients through thoughtful supervision and collaboration.

➡️ The best models don’t replace clinicians; they redesign teams. High-performing programs use interdisciplinary and tiered staffing models to achieve scale without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

➡️ Policy and payment must align on clear scopes of practice, competency-based training pathways, and sustainable reimbursement for team-based care. When those are bought into line, workforce expansion becomes not merely possible, but scalable.

To read and download the full white paper, visit our website: https://mmhpi.org/topics/policy-research/scalable-strategies-to-expand-the-behavioral-health-workforce/

03/10/2026

Texas colleges are home to nearly two million students who are balancing work, family, and academics on top of their coursework. Their mental health matters, and now there's a statewide plan to support it.

The Texas Postsecondary Student Mental Health Coalition has released Strengthening Texas College Student Mental Health: A State of Texas Playbook, a first-of-its-kind guide for higher education leaders built around a public health approach to student well-being, including the Minding College Minds™ framework as a core strategy.

The playbook offers college leaders practical, evidence-based guidance for building comprehensive campus mental health systems, from prevention and early intervention to crisis response, grounded in data and designed for real-world implementation.

This is how policy, practice, and partnership come together for students to support their mental health.

https://mmhpi.org/mindingcollegeminds/

Emotional stress and personal mental health challenges are the top reasons students in both two- and four-year degree programs consider stopping their coursework. Over the last decade, numerous studies have documented increasing rates of depression and anxiety among college students, negatively affe...

02/23/2026

As a result of the generosity of Communities Foundation of Texas, the Meadows Institute announced today that we have begun operating the Caruth Police Institute, the nation's premier resource for advancing public safety leadership, innovation, and officer wellness. CPI provides consulting, technical assistance, and training to police departments and municipal governments and helps improve relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

Scott Donaldson, the vice president of CPI, will serve as its director, and Tarrick McGuire, the chief of the Alexandria, Virginia, police department, will serve as the president of the executive board.

“The Caruth Police Institute has long served as a leading voice here in North Texas and across the state and nation for innovative efforts that support both officers and residents,” said Wayne White, the president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas. "A safer community is a stronger community, and increasing safety includes investing in training, education, and implementing best practices.”

Learn more about the important work of the Caruth Police Institute here: https://lnkd.in/gcHmGMtw

02/13/2026

Don't forget to register for our free, virtual training on Essential Foundation in Collaborative Problem Solving® (Level 1). Spots are filling fast!

This three-day training will equip frontline professionals and practitioners such as social workers, clinicians, QMHPs, caseworkers, educators and school staff, family partners, and residential staff with the tools to help children and families build skills in problem-solving, flexibility, and frustration tolerance, while also improving relationships and reducing challenging behaviors.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this training, register today!

http://www.mmhpi.org/think-kids

02/12/2026

Please join us on Thursday, March 5, for "From Awareness to Action: Creating a Culture Shift for Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Needs," a free webinar hosted by the Meadows Institute, AAIDD – Texas Chapter, and Integral Care.

Young people with developmental disabilities (DD) experience mental health concerns at higher rates than the general population. Despite this, they must navigate systems and environments that were not designed for and rarely accommodate their strengths or needs. This webinar will discuss how we can build a more inclusive and accessible mental health care system to better support young people with DD.

CEUs will be available for LMFT’s, LMSW’s, LCSW’s, LPC’s, and TX Addiction Professionals.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P0w7nNsdSGiqfRotHtIfxQ #/registration

02/10/2026

In the immediate aftermath of last summer's Central Texas floods, caring for those affected was the number one priority. But we know that tragedies like these cause intense trauma and grief that must be addressed to support long-term healing.

We are grateful to Spectrum News 1 Texas for the featuring results of our Rapid Mental Health Needs Assessment, and proud to work alongside The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country to support recovery efforts.

A Kerr County Rapid Mental Health needs assessment revealed there will be a surge of new post-traumatic stress disorder cases across Texas.

02/09/2026

📢 📢 Applications for our 2026 Summer Internship Program are now live! To learn more and apply, visit: https://mmhpi.org/about/careers/2026-summer-internship-program/

Our culture embodies continuous learning, growth, and advancement with a dedicated focus on employee work-life balance. Join us as we guide and create equitable systemic change so all people in Texas, the nation, and the world can obtain the health care they need.

02/06/2026

What if children lack the skill, not the will, to behave well?

The Meadows Institute invites you to join us March 3-5 for a free, three-day, virtual training on Essential Foundation in Collaborative Problem Solving® (Level 1).

This evidence-based, trauma-informed approach is grounded in research showing that children with challenging behavior often lack the skill, not the will, to behave well.

Participants will learn practical strategies to help children and families build skills in problem-solving, flexibility, and frustration tolerance, while also improving relationships and reducing challenging behaviors.

We are pleased to partner with Think:Kids to expand access the Collaborative Problem Solving intervention across Texas. This training will equip front line professionals and practitioners such as social workers, clinicians, QMHPs, caseworkers, educators and school staff, Family Partners, residential staff, and others to utilize the Collaborative Problem Solving approach to support children and their caregivers.

*Participants will receive 12 CE, PDP, or Certificates of Attendance for attending this training.*

Learn more and register today! http://www.mmhpi.org/think-kids

SUMMARY - The Meadows Institute, in partnership with Think:Kids, is expanding the impact of Collaborative Problem Solving® across Texas and offering no-cost trainings to child and family-serving professionals. This evidence-based, trauma-informed approach helps children build skills in problem-solv...

02/02/2026

The Meadows Institute believes that strong mental health systems improve lives—and save them. In 2025, we helped shape how mental health care is delivered across Texas and the country, turning evidence into action and expanding access to care where it matters most. With the support of our partners and donors, this work improved systems, increased quality, and helped more people get the right care at the right time.

We invite you to explore our annual report to see how these efforts are changing mental health care today and building a stronger system for the future.

https://2025report.mmhpi.org/

01/30/2026

A.I. is rapidly reshaping health care, and it offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform mental health services. In a new opinion piece for Behavioral Health Tech, Meadows Institute Chief Innovation Officer Kacie Kelly walks us through some of the most promising uses for A.I. in mental health:

A.I. is rapidly reshaping health care, and it offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform mental health services.

01/29/2026

When natural disasters or school shootings occur in local communities, first responders are put into difficult situations where they may experience traumatic stress reactions. So who provides support to those who are supporting us?

Julie Kaplow, executive vice president of trauma and grief programs and policy at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and executive director of the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health, joined former Ohio Gov. John Kasich for a special conversation on proven strategies to promote healing and resilience for first responders and the communities they serve.

Watch the full video here: https://johnkasich.substack.com/p/helping-those-who-help-us?r=48b9u9&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web

Learn how support services help our first responders and and communities heal