In October 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a two-year planning grant to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to develop a strategic plan for improving publicly funded youth substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring disorder (COD) treatment services. This led to the formation of the Alliance for Adolescent Recovery and Treatment in Texas (AART-TX), an interagency group of state and local representatives, advocates, researchers, young people in recovery, and their families, which worked to enhance treatment and recovery services for youth. The AART-TX completed several key initiatives, including a communication plan, financial and workforce maps, a three-year statewide workforce training implementation plan, a provider collaborative plan, an evaluation plan, and a comprehensive three-year strategic plan for adolescent SUD and COD treatment. The work of AART-TX has been supported by the state’s Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (BHAC), which provides feedback and input to HHSC, along with oversight from its Children and Youth Behavioral Health Subcommittee (CYBHS). This state infrastructure, established under 42 U.S.C. §300x-3, ensures consumer and stakeholder input on behavioral health services and funding, with BHAC making recommendations to the HHSC Executive Commissioner to guide improvements in Texas’ behavioral health system.
