NAMI Texas #Vote4MentalHealth Region 2 Candidate … · 2020. 11. 10. · NAMI Texas...

NAMI Texas #Vote4MentalHealth Region 2 Candidate Questionnaire

For NAMI North Texas, NAMI Southern Sector Dallas, NAMI Grayson, Fannin & Cooke, NAMI Kaufman County, NAMI Tarrant County,

and NAMI Texas of North Central Region

During February 2020 and September-October 2020, NAMI

Texas’ Public Policy Team and our volunteers sent out a six-

question mental health policy questionnaire via Google Forms to

every individual running for a state legislative seat in a contested

race. Candidates were also provided information on NAMI Texas’

public policy platform. We are only sharing the results for

candidates who are in a contested race. If we have not received a

completed questionnaire from a candidate, we will indicate that we

have not received a response yet. Reminders were sent on a weekly

basis to candidates who had not yet responded to the

questionnaire.

NAMI Texas is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) non-profit

organization. We DO NOT endorse any candidates, or rank or alter

their answers in any way. We provide this information to educate

you on where candidates in your district stand on key mental

health issues and let you use this information to inform your vote

on November 3rd. A candidate’s inclusion of answers here does not

indicate a preference or endorsement by NAMI Texas. Inclusion in

this guide does not indicate that NAMI Texas endorses any

candidate's positions provided in the questionnaire. We encourage

NAMI members and mental health advocates to continue asking

important questions of legislative and local candidates and

#Vote4MentalHealth! More information on the

#Vote4MentalHealth campaign can be found at

namitexas.org/vote4mentalhealth-texas.

The candidates were asked the following open-ended questions:

1. Texas is experiencing a shortage of mental health and

addiction care providers, especially in rural and

underserved areas. How will you make sure more people

have access to mental health treatment and services?

2. State and federal law requires mental health parity, or the

equal treatment of mental health conditions and substance

use disorders, compared to physical health conditions, in

insurance plans. However, individuals in Texas still often

receive unequal coverage for mental health treatment and

services. What will you do to improve coverage for

mental health care?

3. At least 30% of individuals in local Texas jails have a

severe mental illness, and more than half of justice-

involved individuals nationwide have at least one mental

health condition. What will you do to divert people with

mental illness from the criminal justice system?

4. Almost a quarter of individuals experiencing

homelessness have a severe mental illness, and mental

illness has been identified as the third leading cause of

homelessness nationwide. How will you help people with

mental illness who are struggling with housing?

5. Half of mental health conditions begin by the age of 14

and 75% begin by the age of 24, but these issues often go

undetected and untreated until they reach a crisis point.

How will you promote earlier intervention for people

experiencing mental illness?

6. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country and

has faced serious challenges in ensuring individuals in

underserved areas have access to health care. What will

you do to improve access to health care and reduce our

high uninsured rate?

http://namitexas.org/vote4mentalhealth-texas




Senate District 1

Bryan Hughes (R, Incumbent)

Bryan Hughes has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Audrey Spanko (D)

1. System Capacity: Medicaid expansion will play an important

role in increasing access to mental health services, as it will bring

coverage to over 40,000 East Texans, many of whom live in rural

areas. Especially during a pandemic, we need to work to expand

the use of Telehealth services; however, for rural Texans these

services have proved critical, and it will be necessary to continue

the expansion of Telehealth, even when we are no longer facing a

global pandemic.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: For too long, the legislature

has allowed health insurance companies to go unchecked. We

should focus our efforts on holding these for profit companies

accountable, so Texans can attain necessary mental health

coverage, in addition to the physical health coverage they are

receiving. We should also work to increase Medicaid

reimbursement, making it more competitive with Medicare rates.

This would incentivize health care workers to improve and expand

the services they provide.

3. Criminal Justice: This is a part of a broad and necessary

discussion of reimagining our criminal justice system. In order to

truly provide justice, we need to provide services to individuals,

even before they become justice-involved. First of all, expanded

Medicaid will bring coverage to thousands of Texans who may be

suffering from a mental illness that would otherwise go untreated

and potentially could lead them to involvement with our broken

criminal justice system. Additionally, mental health resources in

Texas need to be accessible to all Texans, not just to those who can

pay top dollar. Other ideas, like supportive housing programs, also

show promising results, and I would work to expand access to

creative solutions like that as a member of the legislature.

4. Housing: We need to prioritize affordable housing options for

Texans all over the state. This should include supportive housing,

but even access to affordable housing without extra services is

necessary to curbing homelessness in Texas. Additionally, it will

be important to ensure that people experiencing homelessness also

have access to quality mental and physical health services.

5. Early Intervention: In order to ensure Texans can access

mental health services before they reach a crisis point, we should

encourage mental health screenings to begin at a younger age. One

way we can accomplish this is increasing the number of school

social workers across the state, this would allow public school

students access to a mental health professional whenever they are

on campus.

6. Access to Health Care: Senate district 1 is currently home to

134,000 individuals without health insurance and has the highest

infant mortality rate in the state. I plan to fight for Medicaid

expansion. Over 42,000 uninsured individuals in Senate District 1

would gain medical coverage if Texas expanded Medicaid.

Expanded coverage also means women and children will have the

coverage they need to seek life-saving medical services. Over the

last nine years four rural hospitals have closed in District 1.

Expanding coverage and insurance could help save other hospitals

at risk of closing.

Senate District 12

Jane Nelson (R, Incumbent)

Jane Nelson has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




Shadi Zitoon (D)

1. System Capacity: First, we have to expand Medicaid. So many

areas were left without any adequate healthcare due to the lack of

expansion. We also need incentives to encourage healthcare

professionals to move and provide service to rural communities.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: We have to acknowledge that

mental healthcare is healthcare and to work on removing the

stigma associated with it. A large part of that is education and

teaching about mental care. We should be teaching about mental

healthcare in school to increase the public knowledge.

3. Criminal Justice: We need to have options for our law

enforcement. Our prison and jails are one of the largest providers

of healthcare in the state. We need to have addicts getting help

from people who are specialized in addiction treatment and mental

health professionals treating people with mental health issues.

4. Housing: Medicaid expansion would provide coverage for those

individuals to ensure they can get the treatment they need. We also

need to create more programs to help those people without a home,

One thing we can do is increase the minimum wage to a livable

wage so they can afford to house themselves. Also, we need to do

more to encourage the development of affordable housing.

5. Early Intervention: In school, we should be teaching about

mental health as well as physical health. This would help many

people know the signs to look for in loved ones or themselves

before it gets to a crisis point, in addition to the expansion of

treatment options for mental health issues that I have mentioned in

previous answers.

6. Access to Health Care: First, we need to expand Medicaid with

a robust program. We need to increase education on mental health.

We need lower costs for those who want to pursue healthcare as a

career to ensure we have enough professions to meet the ever-

increasing need.

Senate District 22

Brian Birdwell (R, Incumbent)

Brian Birdwell has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Robert Vick (D)

1. System Capacity: Nine of the ten Counties that make up Senate

District 22 are rural so this issue is of utmost important to my

constituents. The State Legislature can do several things. First,

expand Medicaid, Texas is now only one of twelve States that has

not. Providing health care to 1.6 million Texans will help mitigate

the impact of poverty, unhealthy life-style choices, economic

uncertainty, and will improve the physical, emotional and mental

health of those most in need. Second, increase Medicaid

reimbursements to increase more medical provider participation,

including peer to peer support services. Third, grant APRNs full

practice authority to reduce the shortage of "authorized" medical

professionals. Forth, increase funding and support for mental

health evaluation and treatment services available to schools. Fifth,

develop and fund proven successful group, peer, maternal,

provider and family support programs.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: A major hindrance to

reaching parity is our failure to expand Medicaid. Rural hospitals

are closing at an alarming rate in Texas, 21 in the last decade.

More than 75% of Texas rural hospitals are hanging on by a

thread. Mental health services are normally and routinely

reimbursed at a lower rate if at all. Scarce hospital resources are

"saved" for those with emergency medical needs. Expand

Medicaid and Medicaid reimbursements and you save rural

hospitals and expand mental health and substance abuse options.

3. Criminal Justice: Drug and substance abuse courts should be

established to divert substance addicted individuals into detox and

treatment programs.




Fresh out of graduate school I started my professional career with a

Community Mental Health Center. Witnessing the

deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, I wrote the first

demonstration grant that created the HUD 202 Section 8 group

homes. We also created the "Open Door" psychosocial

rehabilitation program. We knew that housing, employment and

social skill were necessary to create an environment that reduced

the clients interactions with the police and the penal system. We

thought that the prior funding for inpatient mental health care

would flow to the community based approach, unfortunately it did

not. Housing, intervention and community based treatment will

reduce costs compared to jail, prison and certain recidivism. It's an

investment we should make.

When individuals are in jail, they should have access to needed

medication and support, should be signed up for our newly

expanded Medicaid and should get help planning their release and

transaction back into society. This will also prove to be cost

effective!

4. Housing: Projects for Assistance in Transition from

Homelessness (PATH) and The Healthy Community Collaborative

and two excennely programs dealing with housing and mental

illness, They are only available to residents of major urban areas.

The rural residents of Senate District 22 have no such options. The

rural homeless, often shunned by family, frequently find

themselves in urban areas. There are housing options, Section 8,

Section 811, supervised and supportive housing. The shortage is in

mental health professionals in rural areas to can direct and support

those in transition. I would defer to NAMI, but my first impression

is that these professionals would be community based working in

local rural hospitals recently saved by Medicaid expansion.

5. Early Intervention: In our schools, of course. In some cases,

such as rural areas, schools provide the only mental health services

in the community. Schools are ideal for instituting programs aimed

at mental illness and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and

positive development. Schools also foster communication between

school staff and families, and have the ability to address these

issues. School psychologists, school counselors, school social

workers, and school nurses know the students, parents, and other

staff, which contributes to an accessibility of services. In fact,

research has shown that students are more likely to seek counseling

when services are available in schools. I will introduce legislation,

and make it a priority, to increase funding for these positions and

services.

6. Access to Health Care: Expand Medicaid and Medicaid

reimbursement rates particularly in rural underserved areas.

Senate District 24

Dawn Buckingham (R, Incumbent)

Dawn Buckingham has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Clayton Tucker (D)

1. System Capacity: We need to create a well-funded public

system of healthcare in Texas. Healthcare must include both

physical and mental health. As we are creating a system that allows

people to seek mental healthcare without fear of abhorrent cost, we

will also need to change our culture to make it socially acceptable

for people to seek mental health.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will work to create a public

system of physical and mental healthcare in Texas via the Healthy

Texas Act (HB 4127 in the 2019 session). The HTA will expand

physical and mental healthcare coverage and will push us forwards

towards greater parity.




3. Criminal Justice: I will work to pass legislation that anyone

deemed likely to suffer from mental illness to receive treatment

rather than punishment. This can be done by building less

jails/prisons and more hospitals, some of which can specialize in

mental health.

4. Housing: We need to expand physical and mental healthcare to

everyone, regardless of if their rich or homeless. Once we expand

affordable coverage for all, which can be done via the Healthy

Texas Act, we can start getting homeless folks the healthcare they

need.

We also need to expand Medicaid.

5. Early Intervention: We have to change our culture. Thankfully,

the millennial and Y generations are becoming increasingly open

about mental health. We need to encourage and accelerate this

trend by simply being open and vocal about it, while making

mental healthcare significantly more available and cheaper.

6. Access to Health Care: The easiest step is to expand Medicaid.

Beyond that, I plan to promote the Healthy Texas Act that will

provide affordable coverage to all.

House District 2

Bryan Slaton (R)

Bryan Slaton has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Bill Brannon (D)

1. System Capacity: Expand Medicaid. Better integrate mental

health professionals and training and into the school system. Put

mental health on an equal insurance footing.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Require the Attorney General

to enforce the law as a requirement for licensing.

3. Criminal Justice: Be sure counties have the diagnostic support

they need to properly identify problems and better finance

appropriate treatment programs.

4. Housing: Homelessness in general needs to be addressed.

Public support for private organizations that are working on the

issue should be encouraged along with potential subsidies for

partial rents. Job training should also be available.

5. Early Intervention: Again better integrate mental health

professionals into the school system and improve mental health

education for parents and teachers.

6. Access to Health Care: First, expand Medicaid under the ACA.

Consider financial and/or tuition inducements for doctors that

agree to practice in underserved areas.

House District 4

Keith Bell (R, Incumbent)

Keith Bell has not yet responded to the questionnaire yet.

K. Nicole Sprabary (L)

K. Nicole Sprabary has not yet responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 5

Cole Hefner (R, Incumbent)

Cole Hefner has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

LaWyanda Prince (D)

LaWyanda Prince has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 6

Matt Schaefer (R, Incumbent)

Matt Schaefer has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




Julie Gobble (D)

Julie Gobble has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 8

Cody Harris (R, Incumbent)

Cody Harris has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

R. Edwin Adams (L)

R. Edwin Adams has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 10

Jake Ellzey (R)

Jake Ellzey has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Matt Savino (L)

1. System Capacity: I don't have a solution or remedy of my own

but I'm open to hear any ideas there are.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: No response.

3. Criminal Justice: We need a recovery program. Rehabilitate

people in jails and prisons not just hold them. Other countries and

even areas in the US have done this with great success.

4. Housing: Stop limiting and putting restriction on agencies,

private programs and organizations that the government thinks it

needs to get involved in. More can be done if government is not

obstructing it.

5. Early Intervention: It is not the job of government to get

involved and I will do whatever I can to get government out of the

way.

6. Access to Health Care: Cut the red tape of government getting

in the way and let the free market handle medical needs.

House District 33

Justin Holland (R, Incumbent)

Justin Holland has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Andrew Rose (D)

Andrew Rose has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 58

DeWayne Burns (R, Incumbent)

DeWayne Burns has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Cindy Rocha (D)

1. System Capacity: We must accept Medicaid funding that Texas

currently refuses. That should be a starting point. Then getting

providers to areas that need help the most perhaps with college

debt relief as an incentive.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Lawmakers must understand

in layman's terms the harm that is done to our citizens because we

continue to ignore mental health. Follow the laws that are in place,

strengthen or change them.

3. Criminal Justice: Early diagnosis and treatment should help to

divert many. Non-violent criminals should be reassessed.

4. Housing: Professional diagnosis, treatment, placement in

available housing. Ask groups that have the experience, salvation

army and night shelters, for their help, ideas and opinions in what

has worked best.

5. Early Intervention: We have to be able to diagnose earlier to

help and to prevent crisis. Parents, counselors, teachers,

pediatricians concerns should not be ignored.

6. Access to Health Care: Start with accepting Medicaid funding.

Incentives to serve our underserved. Circuit doctors, telemedicine,

broadband. Emphasize preventative care and ask those that are




actually doing the work and providing services what may work

best.

House District 61

Phil S. King (R, Incumbent)

Phil King has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Christopher Cox (D)

Christopher Cox has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 62

Reggie Smith (R, Incumbent)

Reggie Smith has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Gary D. Thomas (D)

1. System Capacity:

1) I will introduce a Texas House Bill to establish a

medical tuition waiver program for anyone seeking any

type of medical professional degree/certification or

registry. Modeled on the current federal USPHS 'Costep"

program, graduates get 100% tuition waivers when they

work and equal number of years servicing underserved

communities throughout Texas. Years worked must equal

the same years of training and education. There is no

restriction on type of healthcare profession, up to and

including Ph.D., NP, PA, MD and DO. Graduates are paid

full time with full benefits, during this COSTEP work off

period. Republicans are constantly defunding these

COSTEP type programs to eliminate them. I would reverse

that, and expand it greatly.

2) I would also push for free/low cost rural Broadband 5G

WiFi internet, including remote rural areas. Online ZOOM

counseling and also construction of independent, free

standing Wifi kiosk booths would also be built for patients

who do not have access to internet. These kiosks would be

scattered throughout the district and be linked to mental

health professionals, physicians, NP's, PA's, educational

support facilities and teaching hospitals like UT

Southwestern.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity:

1) I would begin preparing Texas for a Public Option health

insurance program, to complete with private sector

insurance corporations, which currently are under no legal

obligation to compete with each other. Texas insurance

companies do not compete with each other. They collude to

fix prices with fellow "competitors" both inside and outside

markets and state lines. All Texas insurance companies are

exempt from anti-trust laws (see McCarren-Ferguson Act).

I would work to immediately repeal the MCCARREN-

FERGUSON ACT in Texas.

2) I would immediately start funding all medical and

mental health by accepting the MEDICAID EXPANSION

in Texas. The Republican led Texas legislature has rejected

the ME every year for the past ten years. That's $10 billion

a year left on the table, $100 billion total to date. The ME is

a payroll deducted tax rebate program that is supposed to

reimburse our rural hospitals for all their unpaid indigent

care. By refusing this critical healthcare tax rebate, the (R)

Texas House has caused 27 Texas Hospitals into

bankruptcy and foreclosure. The Clarksville Hospital in

Red River County closed their doors forever this year.

More hospitals, still struggling may be shut down by 2022.




3) We use the Public Option until MEDICARE-FOR-ALL

becomes law. I am 100% for M4A. I have over 20 years

work experience in the medical and insurance fields. I have

been a registered ultrasound tech since 1995, and I perform

exams daily, on the mentally challenged, psychiatric

patients, prisoners as well as the regular public. The more

people we have covered with healthcare insurance, the

cheaper it becomes for everyone.

3. Criminal Justice:

1) I would re-allocate law enforcement funds to develop and

expand mental health representation among all law

enforcement agencies, including County Sheriff's

Departments. All State law enforcement grants would be

withheld until the county and city law enforcement passes

the guidelines set by NAMI and NASW. Mental Health

professions should represent a minimum of 25% of any

Texas police force.

2) Funding, training and employment of these Criminal

Justice Mental Health professionals could be positioned in

underserved, 'trouble spots' using a Texas version of the

USPHS "COSTEP" educational model, that I mentioned

above.

4. Housing: Many success stories are already happening around

Texas, where federal and state grants for new construction are tied

to a percentage of low-income housing construction. It is

happening here in Denison, my hometown. The cottages are

beautiful and well built. And many are built within or near the

tourist spots and historical heritage neighborhoods. This makes for

a fun and interesting diverse community. Low income housing is

not something to be afraid of. It can be done and it can be

successful.

5. Early Intervention: My answers above cover this. M4A,

COSTEP educations, rural broadband internet are where you start.

Accepting the MEDICAID EXPANSION is where you start. In

rural Texas about one in every ten (1:10) primary and secondary

school children are not Shelter Secure. In some areas, a tenth of

any school population is a homeless population. These kids are

shuffled from house to house every night. Some kids sleep in cars

at night. Reading disabilities and other problems spin off

uncontrollably. Hunger is a problem. One girl became so

embarrassed, she dropped out of school altogether. She got head

lice sleeping in a car, and had to have her head shaved. The other

children made fun of her until she cried. So she left school, for

good. This should not be happening in America.

An expanded Texas Mental Health Program would partner

therapists with educators to spot and assist challenged children. I

had a rather severe reading disability as a child, that I did not

correct until my second year of college. It still revisits me from

time to time. So I know how bad this can get when left

undiagnosed.

6. Access to Health Care: Yes. We are #1 in the USA in the

uninsured. You've read my answers above. So let me conclude that

our greatest enemy is - ourselves. We must take back the Texas

House, and begin turning Texas BLUE. We must educate the

public to the evils of medical billing COST SHIFTING. We must

better explain that it is a FISCAL issue. Taxpayers are paying

twice for the poor's healthcare. By our (R)-Legislature not

accepting the ME annual rebate reimbursements, not only are you

denied the funds taken out of your payroll deductions, but you pay

AGAIN when the poor are treated at our local hospital. The




hospital (to keep from going bankrupt) will jack up their prices on

those folks with employer based health insurance. And the health

insurance companies will jack up the prices on your premiums and

also increase your co-pays, annual deductibles, while reducing

your services and in-network provider options. Your property taxes

and sales taxes also skyrocket when your public county hospitals

don't get paid. Fire and Police departments also get stressed. We

must do a much better at explaining how medical COST

SHIFTING works. It fleeces the regular middle class tax paying

Texan, in ways he/she is totally unaware of.

If I were elected, I'd try and get on the State Health House

Committee and advance a year long, broad based public

educational campaign (advertising, radio, TV, public relations,

internet blog, etc.,) to explain to how not having healthcare fleeces

the finances of the average working Texas taxpayer.

House District 63

Tan Parker (R, Incumbent)

Tan Parker has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Leslie Peeler (D)

Leslie Peeler has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 64

Lynn Stucky (R, Incumbent)

1. System Capacity: I have a proven record of supporting policies

that increases funding and expands care options for mental health

in Texas. As a state representative for a State Supported Living

Center, I am committed to protecting funding for these institutions.

I am open to discussing policies that open the door for community

mental health clinics, similar to free health clinics that are operated

on the local level. These would serve in coordination with local

MHMR representatives and could possibly become a resource to

ease the burdens on local law enforcement and hospitals.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Much like maintaining

physical health, we need options that make mental health care

affordable. I believe a starting point could be programs that

provide low-cost, entry-level education on mental health and

encouraging preventative practices. Many Texans are not aware of

small changes that can be made in their daily lives to improve

mental health and don't have local organizations promoting these

resources.

3. Criminal Justice: The biggest challenge is keeping these

individuals engaged in programs that improve mental health and

provide stability. Often times, when someone completes a prison

sentence they lose the mental health care they were receiving; or

the conditions outside of prison prevent them from easily accessing

MHMR resources. One possible solution would be to create a

connectivity component through the Board of Pardons & Parole

that helps these individuals continue to seek mental health

treatment as part of their parole program.

4. Housing: As a veterinarian, I am trained to treat the root cause,

not just the symptoms. Providing housing is only a portion of the

equation and fails to address the underlying cause. It all comes

back to providing access to care that gets these individuals on a

path to health and self-sustaining wellness.

5. Early Intervention: Early education about the positive effects

of diet and exercise on mental health is a great start. We also could

do a better job of educating our children on biology and how our

brains function. We easily recognize the extreme examples of

mental health reaching crisis. It's the understanding and

recognition of early warning signs -- be it by parents, relatives,




friends, teachers or other caregivers -- that could truly impact the

number of people reaching a crisis point.

6. Access to Health Care: Technology, I believe, could be the

missing piece of this puzzle. The expansion of telehealth services, I

believe, is a quick solution to both access to care and affordability

-- especially when it comes to mental health. Repealing the

regulations that block this access to care could be a major leap

forward on both of these fronts.

Angela Brewer (D)

Angela Brewer has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 65

Michelle Beckley (D, Incumbent)

1. System Capacity: Medicaid expansion, last session I worked on

a tele medicine bill that would have helped fill gaps in rural areas

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Medicaid expansion, county

by county Medicaid expansion option

3. Criminal Justice: Increase funding for county mental health

facilities, Medicaid expansion

4. Housing: We need a homeless shelter in Denton County,

Medicaid expansion

5. Early Intervention: We need to get additional funding to our

public schools for these programs

6. Access to Health Care: We need Medicaid expansion

Kronda Thimesch (R)

Kronda Thimesch has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 66

Matt Shaheen (R, Incumbent)

Matt Shaheen has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Sharon Hirsch (D)

1. System Capacity: First of all, expanding Medicaid would make

over a million more Texans eligible for health care. Expanding the

use of tele-health either through video or over the phone could

make services more available and more comfortable for those who

hesitate to meet in person. We could also partner with area

nonprofits to provide incentives to practitioners willing to work in

rural and underserved areas.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: At a minimum, we have to

ensure oversight, enforcement and compliance with state and

federal law. Requiring insurance plans to cover mental health and

prohibiting insurance policies that are short-term or have limited

benefits are options. We should increase funding to Medicaid

providers and community-based services.

3. Criminal Justice: I will continue the progress made in the 86th

legislative session to increase funding that helps local governments

keep nonviolent individuals with mental illness out of jail and into

treatment plans.

4. Housing: I’ve long supported group housing that offers

treatment and long-term solutions to address the needs of the

chronic homeless. So many of these individuals suffer with severe

health issues that require extensive interventions. Being in safe

surroundings with coordinated care over an extended period of

time offers stability and the best path to positive outcomes.

5. Early Intervention: I agree with your position that schools can

serve a critical role in identifying and treating children with mental

health conditions. They also have the opportunity to provide

education regarding mental health and options for treatment to

students and families. In my community, the school district piloted

a tele-health program for students in secondary schools so they

could continue sessions with their therapists without leaving the

campus. The key here is providing schools with the resources they




need to be most effective. We frequently ask our schools to do too

much with very little. Texas has a long history of underfunding

education and we must reverse that course.

6. Access to Health Care: As I mentioned in the first question, it’s

critical that Texas expand Medicaid. Rural clinics and hospitals

have shuttered due to uncompensated care cost. I also think it is

unconscionable that our state is fighting in court to dismantle the

Affordable Care Act. We must stop spending millions of taxpayer

dollars to deny insurance to Texans while other states have been

proactive and innovative in improving health outcomes.

Shawn Jones (L)

Shawn Jones’ contact information could not be found.

House District 67

Jeff Leach (R, Incumbent)

Jeff Leach has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Lorenzo Sanchez (D)

1. System Capacity: Expanding Medicaid is one way that we can

strengthen the healthcare networks in rural areas, by infusing more

federal money into the system. We also need to provide grants to

students who are studying to go into these fields, with the

contingency that they stay in Texas after graduating. I also would

like for Texas to add incentive pay through Medicaid for service

providers in rural areas to encourage more professionals to move

out there and do this work.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: The Texas Legislature should

explore more oversight for insurance plans, including fines or

penalties for managed care organizations who are declining to

cover mental health treatment for their patients.

3. Criminal Justice: Instead of regular police officers responding

to mental health calls, we need other professionals who are trained

in mental health and de-escalation tactics to respond. Every

municipality needs this resource so that we can reduce the amount

of unnecessary arrests that are made. Our judicial system also

needs to have diversion programs for people who have severe

mental health issues so that we can avoid placing them in prison.

Lastly, we need broader resources across the board to treat

people’s mental health issues so that we can prevent incidents that

involve the judicial system.

4. Housing: We need more funding for housing programs for

people who are mentally ill, such as group homes and other

settings. We need to ensure that people with mental illness or

substance use disorders are not discriminated against when they

are looking for housing. We also need to dramatically increase

access to treatment for mental health issues so that people will

have the support they need and have a better chance of staying

housed.

5. Early Intervention: We need universal healthcare so that

everyone can get the care they need. Many Texans do not see

doctors for mental health issues because of prohibitive costs, and

this definitely plays a role in delayed diagnosis. I also support

increasing funding for our schools so that they can hire more

counselors and support staff who can work with students who may

have a mental health issue and refer them to a doctor if an

evaluation is needed.

6. Access to Health Care: I support the immediate expansion of

Medicaid in the 2021 legislative session. I also support increased

funding for health care plans for our teachers and state employees,

so that the plans will cover more of the costs of mental health

services. In addition, I am advocating for a universal healthcare




program in Texas that would ensure all Texans have health care

coverage at all times, including for mental health.

House District 68

Drew Springer (R, Incumbent)

Drew Springer has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Patsy Ledbetter (D)

1. System Capacity: First, I would strongly support Texas'

expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act--this

is primarily why I decided to run for office. Many of my

constituents do not seem to be aware that this an option because

our political leaders so rarely even discuss it.

Existing mental health services in my district are woefully

underfunded, and providers are underpaid. I would work for

expanded state support because rural communities like mine

cannot afford the level of care we need. We can't attract care

providers without adequately compensating them. I volunteer for

the local family violence shelter, for example, so I see the impact

our state’s refusal commit to a strong program has on the quality of

life overall in our community.

Like most Texans, my own family has faced mental health crises. I

know that no family should have to worry about being destroyed

financially while confronting the emotional turmoil of dealing with

a loved one in crisis. Thank you for all you do to alleviate this

burden.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I would advocate

strengthening state oversight of insurance companies to prevent

them from avoiding the laws that require parity. A federal law

must receive local support in order to be meaningful, and the state

of Texas has not shown the commitment to enforcement that is

needed. I would also support putting in place a meaningful way for

consumers to seek redress when they are harmed by the failure to

provide parity.

3. Criminal Justice: This is one of the most serious contributing

factors to the mental health crisis in our state. It seems it's easier to

lock sick people up than it is to treat them. Our jails and prisons

should not be the front line options for mental health patients. I

support a putting in place a system that identifies those in need

early on in the criminal justice system so that the mentally ill are

redirected to mental health providers. I would seek help from

experts in groups like yours in working out details on how to make

this happen.

4. Housing: This is a predictable result from the overall

inadequacy of Texas' failure to have in place the means of

identifying, referring and staffing agencies that can intervene prior

to full blown mental health crises. I think the best approach would

be early treatment to prevent a mental health issue from escalating

until the sufferer loses everything, but I understand the difficulties

in detecting a crisis before it becomes overwhelming, especially

when complicated by poverty. I know that without family support

and economic resources, my own family crises could easily have

led to homelessness. When a mentally ill person is identified

among the homeless, a system should be in place to provide

treatment at that time, meaning that treatment must be an integral

part of any program for addressing homelessness. Again, I would

rely on the experience of those who work in this field to provide

details and procedures for putting this in place.

5. Early Intervention: We need more school counselors and better

trained personnel to identify problems and work with parents to get

help. My son is a lead teacher in a school for emotionally disturbed

children so I have personal insight into just how serious mental

illness is for children and how inadequate our care for them is. I'm




so proud of the work he does but I also see how tired he is at the

end of the day and how discouraged he can become when help is

not available for kids he loves.

A serious problem in dealing with children is the shortage of

mental health care providers available to help them specifically. I

have a friend whose pre-teen daughter has been diagnosed with

mental illness. He has almost gone bankrupt trying to get her help

and has to drive over an hour just to see a psychiatrist for a few

minutes a few times a year.

I teach in a community college and have noted an increase in the

number of students dealing with mental health problems. While we

have an excellent counseling staff, they do not have the personnel

to deal with this escalating crisis, and when about 30% of college

age youth have no insurance it is almost impossible to get them

help.

6. Access to Health Care: First and foremost, I would demand the

expansion of Medicaid in Texas. I determined I had to run for

office when I watched a young man die of skin cancer, a disease

that could have easily been treated in a doctor's office if he had had

the resources or if Texas had expanded Medicaid. Our rural

hospitals are dying because it is impossible to provide quality

medical care to people who can't afford it unless we get help

funding them. When the hospitals die, the entire community

suffers.

I believe the first step to reform is in the campaign process itself.

My goal is to run an issue-focused campaign that forces candidates

to address problems that actually impact Texans' lives, instead of

the name-calling and insult-trading process that our politics has

degenerated into. For example, I intend to hold a public forum on

the mental health crisis, inviting experts in the field to explain the

problems in an non-partisan, fact-based approach. Would your

organization be interested in participating in such a forum? I will,

of course, invite my Republican opponent to participate also. My

goal is for the campaign to demonstrate that health care, especially

mental health care, is not just an individual problem but a quality

of life issue for the entire community.

House District 70

Scott Sanford (R, Incumbent)

Scott Sanford has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Angie Bado (D)

Angie Bado has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 89

Candy Noble (R, Incumbent)

Candy Noble has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Sugar Ray Ash (D)

1. System Capacity: Insist that Texas opt into the Affordable

Care Act and take the $10 Billion that they refuse each year for

Medicaid expansion.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Follow the law.

3. Criminal Justice: Defund a portion of the police budget and

apply those funds to hire professionals trained in dealing with

these patients.

4. Housing: Allocate funds to Habitat For Humanity to build

more housing for the homeless.

5. Early Intervention: Teach about mental illness in high

school.




6. Access to Health Care: Insist that Texas opt into Obama

Care and expand Medicaid.

Ed Kless (L)

Ed Kless has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 90

Ramon Romero (D, Incumbent)

1. System Capacity: It is critical that we tackle the issue of mental

health provider shortfalls across our state this legislative session.

Texans are dealing with a recession, a global pandemic, and social

unrest - they need mental health supports now more than ever. My

office will support common-sense legislation that secures a living

wage for mental health providers and makes internet access a

reality for all Texans. In rural areas, internet access is particularly

crucial so that telehealth services can reach folks struggling with

mental health conditions and addiction. And in order to make sure

that we have the providers to help those folks, we need to pay a

wide range of mental health providers a living wage.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Mental health care is health

care. I have fought against the stigma associated with mental

health care on the house floor, in interviews, and in my time with

the Texas Veterans Commission. I look forward to continuing that

fight this session by improving how we reimburse mental health

care in our state and continuing to push for needed and overdue

Medicaid expansion.

3. Criminal Justice: The fact that our state's jails are the largest

mental health provider is simply unacceptable. I will support the

enhanced provision of mental health services and mental health

first responders in our communities. When someone calls 911

because of a serious mental health crisis, we simply cannot ask our

law enforcement professionals to act as trained mental health

professionals - the legislature must invest in mental health

response teams across our state.

4. Housing: Mental health services for our community members

experiencing homelessness are needed, especially as a growing

number of Texans are unable to pay their rent during the current

recession. A housing-first model for care is my focus because

safety and stability must be established alongside wraparound

mental health supports. This session, I look forward to working

alongside my colleagues in the House to find ways to expand and

support existing housing first models while keeping Texans who

are struggling financially in their homes.

5. Early Intervention: We need a mental health care system that

meets folks where they are, regardless of age. One concrete step in

this direction will be the provision of peer support services to

young people so that they can talk to someone that has lived with a

mental health condition. We must make these services available to

young Texans so that they have the support they need to thrive.

6. Access to Health Care: Texans need Medicaid expansion and

we need it now. We have waited too long while our governor plays

politics with our lives and wellbeing. We need postpartum

Medicaid coverage for women up to 12 months, and we need

increased coverage for children covered by Medicaid. I will fight

for all of these changes.

Elva Camacho (R)

Elva Camacho has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 91

Stephanie Klick (R, Incumbent)

Stephanie Klick has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




Jeromey Sims (D)

Jeromey Sims has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 92

Jeff Cason (R)

Jeff Cason has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Jeff Whitfield (D)

1. System Capacity: One of my priorities if elected is increasing

affordable access to healthcare, which must include mental health

treatment and services. I will work to make sure mental health

services are regarded as essential healthcare. We also must

adequately fund public sector services to ensure folks in rural and

underserved areas who qualify for those services are receiving

satisfactory care and attention.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will support any efforts to

make sure mental health services are regarded as essential

healthcare. We must ensure that current law is enforced so that

adequate mental health services are available to those who require

them.

3. Criminal Justice: I will encourage the creation and expansion

of trauma-informed prevention, diversion and treatment options to

reduce incarceration and recidivism rates among those with mental

illness or addiction. I'd also advocate for the increased

implementation of specialized mental health courts to encourage

options other than incarceration.

4. Housing: We should build upon the existing supportive housing

infrastructure to more adequately meet the needs of those

individuals with mental illnesses. I will also advocate for more

vocational training and employment programs specialized for those

with mental illness, in order to provide a more stable work

environment.

5. Early Intervention: I will advocate for more adequate funding

where our young people need it the most - in our schools. Within

increased public education funding, we should include funding for

professionals who are trained to detect and treat these mental

health issues before they reach a crisis point.

6. Access to Health Care: The fact that Texas has the largest

uninsured population in the country is not just ethically wrong, it’s

economically irresponsible. We must accept the billions of dollars

(of our own money, which we paid in taxes) from the federal

government to expand health coverage in Texas. I will fight to

expand access to affordable healthcare for every Texan. For this

issue and of the issues mentioned in this questionnaire, I will seek

input from the professionals in this space, such as NAMI, to listen

and learn how I can be the most effective in implementing

practical changes as a state legislator.

Brody-Andrew Mulligan (G)

Brody Andrew-Mulligan has not responded to the questionnaire

yet.

House District 93

Matt Krause (R, Incumbent)

Matt Krause has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Lydia Bean (D)

Lydia Bean has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 94

Tony Tinderholt (R, Incumbent)

Tony Tinderholt has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




Alisa Simmons (D)

Alisa Simmons has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Jessica Pallett (L)

Jessica Pallett has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 96

David Cook (R)

1. System Capacity: It is important that we find a way to expand

telemedicine for mental health care. This would go a long way to

eliminate the travel issues that are faced in many rural and

underserved Texas communities. We must also find ways to

increase funding for state schools and facilities that provide care

for those unable to care for themselves due to their mental illness.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I would work with our mental

health professionals to examine where, in our current law, we can

make improvements to ensure parity between treatments for mental

health and physical health in our insurance plans.

3. Criminal Justice: Texas should start by bringing back state

schools to give individuals, and their guardians, a choice to place

them in a facility that offers a safe, supervised environment, where

they can get the care that they need to recover. In the 90s, when

funding was cut to these facilities, many were forced out onto the

streets with little to no additional assistance, where they were

victimized. We must work to end the victimization and

exploitation of those suffering from mental illness.

4. Housing: In addition to increasing funding for state schools we

should look at adding community housing on campus so that as

individuals transition back to a more independent life they still

have access to critical mental health and job training resources to

help them re-establish themselves as contributing members of

society.

5. Early Intervention: The work starts in schools, we must offer

more training to our teachers and counselors to identify and help

get resources to students who may be dealing with mental health

conditions. We also must use schools as a way to educate parents

on mental health and introduce them to programs, like those

available through the CHIP program, that can help loved ones who

are at high risk.

6. Access to Health Care: Texas should continue to support the

expansion of programs that increase access to low cost

preventative health services. Telemedicine will also be a key cog

in increasing healthcare access throughout the state. Technology

can assist us in ensuring that all Texans, regardless of where they

live, are able to connect with high quality care.

Joe Drago (D)

1. System Capacity: Access to mental healthcare and addiction

treatment is crucial in these areas. I support a collaborative effort

among those in the local community, mental healthcare providers,

addiction treatment providers, and local officials to coordinate and

implement mental healthcare and addiction treatment in

underserved communities. Additionally, I support the expansion of

Medicaid in Texas so that all individuals in Texans have more

affordable access to quality healthcare, including mental healthcare

and addiction treatment. Funding the treatment of mental

healthcare is just as important as any other type of healthcare.

Mental illness is a real health issue just like any other and should

be treated as such. Finally, the opioid crisis must be addressed so

that early signs of addiction can be recognized and treatment

provided.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: As indicated above, coverage

for mental healthcare is just as important as coverage for any other

health condition. Even many with employee provided insurance




plans are unable to obtain affordable access to mental healthcare

needed. I fully support the expansion of Medicaid to support this

need and help close the gap of coverages being provided.

Additionally, we must take a closer look at private insurance and

the coverages provided to ensure that this health need is addressed

appropriately.

3. Criminal Justice: Pure and simple, those suffering from mental

illness must be treated. The fact that some individuals needing

treatment are incarcerated or justice-involved should not infringe

on one's basic human right to healthcare and mental healthcare.

The treatment of such individuals during their time in the justice

system will lead to reduced recidivism and hopefully address

underlying issues in individuals that hinder their continued growth

and meaningful contribution to their communities.

4. Housing: This is a community effort. I will work with cities and

counties to implement and sustain an outreach program to the

homeless community. Unfortunately, homelessness is becoming an

ever increasing issue. Mental illness can sometimes be the cause

and/or the product of homelessness. Without a real concentration

of services from the community through the local government, the

state and various non-profits, people trapped in the cycle of

homelessness with mental illness have a hard time escaping. A

community that takes care of its own, no matter what, is a

community that thrives to be a better place for all people living

there.

5. Early Intervention: Early intervention is the key. School

administration needs to be keenly aware that these issues are real

in children, adolescents and young adults. Many are often silent

because of the fear and stigma so often unjustly associated with

mental illness. Community based and school based mentorship

programs and outreach focused on the most vulnerable is necessary

to treat mental health issues before severe consequences occur. De-

stigmatizing mental illness is necessary so children and young

adults can feel like there is hope, there is someone to talk to, and

there is a way out from how they are feeling.

6. Access to Health Care: For a state like Texas to have the

highest uninsured rate in the country is unacceptable. Similar to

my response to question No. 1, the immediate expansion of

Medicaid in Texas is necessary. From there, improvements

regarding access, availability and affordability must be addressed

on the local, state and federal level with private healthcare

providers to make sure that those in underserved areas are able to

get the mental healthcare they need.

Nelson Range (L)

Nelson Range has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 97

Craig Goldman (R, Incumbent)

Craig Goldman has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Elizabeth Beck (D)

Elizabeth Beck has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Rod Wingo (L)

Rod Wingo has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 98

Giovanni Capriglione (R, Incumbent)

Giovanni Capriglione has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Debra Edmondson (D)

1. System Capacity: The state needs to help create a strong mental

health care system by offering greater incentives to join the mental




health workforce. We can offer incentives for people to return to

their own communities and expand the loan repayment program

passed by the Legislature in 2016. We must also also create

incentives and expand training programs for "community health

workers" in rural areas who have limited training but can work

with people with chronic diseases.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: The state can pass a mental

health parity bill wherein insurers will have to prove that their

behavioral health coverage is on par with what they offer for

physical ailments and require the companies to submit annual

reports to the state.

3. Criminal Justice: The state should establish integrated data

systems to maximize good outcomes and prevent people from

falling through “gaps” in the system. Data-driven strategies to

divert low-risk offenders with mental illness from the criminal

justice system to appropriate care should be established and

instituted. Law enforcement officials and first responders must also

be trained with protocols to assess and divert people to service

providers rather than the default of the criminal justice system.

Examples of gaps include people being incarcerated without

knowledge of the person’s mental health history and treatment

plan, people being released from incarceration into the community

without any effort to coordinate with the mental health system to

ensure follow up services, etc.

4. Housing: The state must work with local governments and help

them establish programs to connect homeless people having a

mental illness with vital services including talking with trained

social workers who can identify and assess them and then work to

provide them with the appropriate assistance. Social workers serve

in emergency rooms, libraries, shelters, jails, and food banks to

help those in need.

5. Early Intervention: Texas should pay for extra training for

health professionals who work in the schools so they can spot

potential mental health conditions in students. Implicit in the

public health model is the identification of risk and protective

factors—whereby risks increase the likelihood of a problem and

protective factors help to enhance resilience and/or mitigate such

risks. Family physicians must also have access to training in how

to recognize mental illness in patients at a young age.

6. Access to Health Care: Texas must begin to accept the full

amount of Medicaid money available to them. This was already

critical before the pandemic but since the pandemic started another

1.4 million Texans have lost their health insurance.

House District 102

Ana-Maria Ramos (D, Incumbent)

Ana-Maria Ramos has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Linda Koop (R)

1. System Capacity: I will work to increase telemedicine mental

health services. I will also propose more mental health psychiatric

slots at our medical schools and loan forgiveness programs for

those professionals willing to practice in underserved and rural

areas.

2.. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Propose legislation that

addresses increasing mental health coverage.

3. Criminal Justice: I will expand mental health courts and

encourage neighborhood mental health treatment groups.

4. Housing: Continue to work on adding SROs to the mix of low

income housing with wrap around services.

5. Early Intervention: I helped get a UTSW mental health

program in RISD. The program is a required program for every

middle aged student. It teaches them how to handle anger, stress




and other issues that could trigger mental health issues.

Additionally, it helps identify children who are having difficulties.

6. Access to Health Care: I will expand Medicaid for the

uninsured.

House District 103

Rafael Anchia (D, Incumbent)

Rafael Anchia has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Jerry Fortenberry II (R)

Jerry Fortenberry II has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 105

Thresa “Terry” Meza (D, Incumbent)

1. System Capacity: As a new member of the House Agriculture

Committee, I was pleased to learn that the committee is about more

than crops and cows, but also is concerned with the quality of life

in our rural areas. Of course, this includes health in general and

mental health in particular. The pandemic has exposed fault lines

that already previously existed but were made more pronounced by

the virus. One of those is lack of access to health care. Our

committee supports the use of telemedicine in underserved areas.

Having worked in the past on the education team for the Tarrant

Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, I understand the value of

having someone to talk to during times of sadness and stress.

Telemedicine helps provide that sympathetic ear. I would also add

the allocation of more funds to address the shortage if it were not

for the budget shortfall this next session.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Since state and federal law

already requires parity, improving coverage will necessitate

increased enforcement.

3. Criminal Justice: My home district is in Dallas County. Our

court system is blessed to have diversionary programs which are

not only supported by the judges but also by the District Attorney's

Office. One of the many diversionary programs is for mental

illness. Those who are mentally ill need services not imprisonment.

It's a disgraceful statistic that the County Jails in Harris and Dallas

are the biggest providers of care to the mentally ill in Texas.

Equally disgraceful is the fact that the biggest provider of mental

health services to our youth is Juvenile Detention. Programs like

those in Dallas County should be replicated throughout the state.

4. Housing: The City of Dallas has invested in a custom housing

project for the mentally ill. It will be worth watching to see if that

can be a model for housing for the mentally ill.

5. Early Intervention: Increasing the number of counselors in

schools would help. Peer-to-peer programs have also had some

success. Universities such as UT Arlington offer free counseling

for their students.

6. Access to Health Care: My voting record shows my support for

the expansion of Medicaid in Texas as the best way to address our

high number of uninsured. Expansion of access to health care not

only helps the uninsured individual but it also helps the hospital to

be reimbursed for patient care. It will also help address the loss of

hospitals in small towns in rural areas. It is our intent to support the

expansion of Medicaid again in the next session.

Gerson Hernandez (R)

Gerson Hernandez has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 106

Jared Patterson (R, Incumbent)

Jared Patterson has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




Jennifer Skidonenko (D)

Jennifer Skidonenko has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 107

Victoria Neave (D, Incumbent)

Victoria Neave has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Samuel Smith (R)

Samuel Smith has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 108

Morgan Meyer (R, Incumbent)

Morgan Meyer has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Joanna Cattanach (D)

1. System Capacity: Immediate expansion of Medicaid and

extended telehealth services that includes expansion of

broadband/Internet access to make these services accessible and

not interrupted by technical issues . I am from rural Texas and

know the limitations in these communities. We should also invest

in placement of individuals in these communities that could

include a student debt forgiveness for serving in under-served,

rural communities.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: We must improve coverage

for mental health care, especially in this pandemic as our children

and individuals are undergoing serious mental health issues and are

in need now more than ever. Beyond basic health care expansion

and telehealth expansion, being an advocate for comprehensive

mental health services that are affordable and necessary is a

priority for me in Austin.

3. Criminal Justice: Mental health-centered policing models in

which a mental health professional is sent with an officer, or an

officer with specialized mental health training is called to assist an

individual in a mental health crisis, are already being implemented

in HD108 and in a growing number of urban police agencies. I

support this type of community-based policing, and will support

the state funding that will be needed to help fund these types of

mental health models including diversion courts to better address

the full scope of mental health needs.

4. Housing: Our own county has begun to address this issue and

through the District Attorney's office following a similar model in

Harris County. Housing, wrap around services, making sure mental

health professionals are available and providing funding for both

are some of the ways we are addressing a mental health care crisis

locally in HD108, but at a state level that continued funding,

grants, and advocacy will be needed in Austin.

5. Early Intervention: Part of advocacy in Austin is making sure

that the public tax dollars used better address real issues our

students face, and the pandemic has only highlighted the need for

mental health access, mental health services and a broader, stigma-

free discussion on mental health needs in Texas. We cannot simply

pretend this pandemic has not affected families including the stress

of job loss, loss of housing, online learning, etc. and this next

session is an opportunity to talk about the need for early

intervention in schools and expanded mental health insurance

coverage.

6. Access to Health Care: EXPAND MEDICAID ACCESS!! We

cannot keep denying the need for these tax dollars back into our

health care system nor can we deny the partisan votes that stop the

needed expansion. As a former Medicaid recipient, as someone

who has also been uninsured, I know the fear of not having health

care coverage and the danger it poses should you get sick.




Ed Rankin (L)

1. System Capacity: Where appropriate and possible, we should

deregulate mental, along with other health services. This will help

facilitate creative solutions.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Additional deregulation of

insurance will create greater competition among insurers and

plans. I also support the expansion of Health Savings Accounts to

expand insurance coverage.

3. Criminal Justice: Decriminalizing drugs would help keep

people from being incarcerated for victimless crimes.

4. Housing: Relax zoning and housing regulations to reduce the

cost of housing construction and allow the free market to offer

solutions.

5. Early Intervention: Seems educating, parents, teachers and

school administrators on how to recognize early signs of mental

health issues.

6. Access to Health Care: We need to implement Health Savings

Accounts for all. These accounts could be subsidized by state and

federal governments to ensure everyone has access to healthcare.

House District 109

Carl O. Sherman (Incumbent)

Carl O. Sherman has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Eugene Allen (R)

1. System Capacity: Thank you for your question, I believe the

approach to the shortage to mental health care workers, would be

to partner up with, Government churches, on-profits and

technology companies that would develop skills schools run by

volunteers of Seniors who would be trained to be compassionate

care providers with incentives, and tax breaks on their homes. In

these schools there would be treatment and services.

In these schools the Government would provide grants to give

stipends to Instructors and students, would give tax breaks to the

tech company for developing and providing new and innovated

devices and technology that would assist the caregivers, and

develop a program that pay for housing, and benefits for care

providers.

As for the addiction, In these same schools ,I think we should use

some of the same initiatives to train the addicted, to teach the

addicted, train the mental health to teach the mental health at a

social level.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: Thank you for that question,

from a business and profit point of view I would be inclined to say

that coverage to treat physical illness, is probably less than mental

health and substance use disorders, but if the law states and calls

for equal treatment then coverage should be by the treatment, and

not the dollar. If elected I would initiate legislation to subsidize

coverage to improve the coverage and help the dollar.

3. Criminal Justice: Thank you for your question, If elected I

would support and develop legislation for programs that would

work with that which was considered a crime to be an illness to

identify and treat actions, educating lawmakers and policymakers

to the health conditions that cause actions and the different

treatments, educate the individuals of themselves.

4. Housing: Thank you for your question, as temple director, who

has helped individuals with illness and homelessness. If elected, I

would love to see legislation that required, or reserved special

homes for individuals diagnosed with mental illness with on site

director and staff to assist with housing, and structured living,

reporting developing

living condition to policymakers to improve the life and condition

of home life for individuals with disabilities and illnesses.




5. Early Intervention: Thank you for that question, If elected, I

would work for legislation to institute a program that would reward

2 year campaign of study to start early detection at the age of 12,

identify patterns of mental illness, develop strategy and treat by the

age of 14.

6. Access to Health Care: Thank you again for your question, If

elected as Texas Representative, I will seek incentives, tax breaks

and partnerships to develop micro-treatment centers ( hospitals). to

provide quick and accessible treatment to health care. To reduce

high insurance rates by reducing patient hustling, treat the

compliant, don't drive up the bill. Pay for only what you need and

get a good deal on that.

House District 112

Angie Chen Button (R, Incumbent)

Angie Chen Button has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Brandy Chambers (D)

1. System Capacity: My first priority is to expand Medicaid.

People won't get treatment if they can’t pay for it. Expanding

Medicaid will help with that. Secondly, I will work with

professional associations and agencies to:

1) speed up the credentialing process;

2) create and support loan forgiveness programs for service in rural

areas;

3) support tuition assistance programs with promise of service in

rural areas.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will work with professional

agencies to provide legislation which will require equal coverage

for mental health treatment through standard insurance policies and

not extra EAP coverages. Also, to ensure mental health providers

are classified the same as general practitioners for the purpose of

co-pay and deductibles.

3. Criminal Justice: Part of this issue is because Texas has

eliminated mental health facilities, leaving those with only the jail

to render treatment. The city of Dallas has created a diversion

program where addiction related crimes are not treated by prison

but into rehabilitative therapy. This should be mandated

throughout the state.

This model should be instituted regarding mental health issues.

Nonviolent offenders with mental health issues should be diverted

into therapeutic programs and not incarcerated.

4. Housing: Texas is at a loss for rapid rehousing structures. It is

nearly impossible for people to maintain mental health intervention

without having a stable place to live. Therefore, we should

prioritize providing rapid rehousing options in all areas of the state.

Also, we need to have a central repository, if you will, of

information to be able to coordinate interventions and guide

outcomes. Houston was able to do this. Dallas is currently working

on it. By providing stable housing alternatives, we will be able to

maintain structure mental health therapy.

5. Early Intervention: Add funding to the public school budget to

allow (and mandate) one mental health counselor per campus (or

up to 3 campuses- depending on campus size); provide paid

training for teachers for identifying mental health issues.

6. Access to Health Care: 1) expand Medicaid

2) support financial assistance to cities and local governments to

expand services to the public

3) support existing providers by blocking punitive legislation

aimed at abortion providers.




Shane Newsom (L)

1. System Capacity: Try to relax some of the laws that will allow

mental health providers to talk over phone or video. Support being

pro active on mental health and no need to look down on people

with mental health issues.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I would try to remove some

of the laws that the government has put in place that restrict a good

free market of insurance plans and fixable payment for docs.

3. Criminal Justice: Make sure each police area has the right

information to send metal health areas then the jail cell.

4. Housing: If they are picked up by the police, have them take to

a mental health facility and not jail. There is only so much we can

do if the person does not want help.

5. Early Intervention: Be proactive about metal health and the

symptoms. Voice the views of nothing wrong with having metal

health issues.

6. Access to Health Care: The issue is not being uninsured. The

issue is the high rates. High rates b/c of some of the laws that the

government has put in place. I would try to remove some of the

laws that the government has put in place that restrict a good free-

market of insurance plans and flexible payment for docs.

House District 113

Rhetta Bowers (D, Incumbent)

1. System Capacity: I will work with our hospital system leaders

and representatives to make sure mental health treatment and

services are a priority especially as needs arise as we continue

through this pandemic.

2. Mental Health Coverage/Parity: I will advocate for mental

healthcare and make sure equal treatment of mental health

conditions and substance use disorders is a priority when working

with insurance companies.

3. Criminal Justice: I will file House Bill 2405 again that asked

for more training for peace officers when dealing with the

homeless population. I conducted a Law Enforcement Listening

Series during the interim and I'm prepared to work with law

enforcement officers to make sure the right reforms are including

in the bill as we prepare to file this bill again, in the 87th

Legislative Session.

4. Housing: I will work with city officials to find and improve

housing opportunities for the homeless population and make sure

to include that as part of House Bill 2405, a bill I filed last session

that dealt with this issue. During my Law Enforcement Listening

Series one of my police chiefs in House District 113 mentioned the

need for places to take homeless individuals or organizations that

they can work with to assist them with housing. I will work to

include these types of reforms in my bill, next session.

5. Early Intervention: I will be an advocate and help educate my

fellow Texans on early intervention for people experiencing mental

illness. I believe that early interventions could save lives.

6. Access to Health Care: I will continue fighting for Medicaid

expansion.

Will Douglas (R)

Will Douglas has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

House District 114

John Turner (D, Incumbent)

John Turner has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Luisa del Rosal (R)

Luisa del Rosal has not responded to the questionnaire yet.




House District 115

Julie Johnson (D, Incumbent)

Julie Johnson has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Karyn Brownlee (R)

Karyn Brownlee has not responded to the questionnaire yet.

Running Unopposed

Senate District 28 - Charles Perry (R, Incumbent)

House District 1 – Gary VanDeaver (R, Incumbent)

House District 59 - Shelby Slawson (R)

House District 60 – Glenn Rogers (R)

House District 95 – Nicole Collier (D, Incumbent)

House District 99 – Charlie Geren (R, Incumbent)

House District 100 – Jasmine Crockett (D, Incumbent)

House District 101 – Chris Turner (D, Incumbent)

House District 104 – Jessica Gonzalez (D, Incumbent)

House District 110 – Toni Rose (D, Incumbent)

House District 111 – Yvonne Davis (D, Incumbent)

NAMI Texas #Vote4MentalHealth Region 2 Candidate … · 2020. 11. 10. · NAMI Texas...

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Transcript of NAMI Texas #Vote4MentalHealth Region 2 Candidate … · 2020. 11. 10. · NAMI Texas...