Travis County officials presented a five-year plan May 19 to broaden youth mental health services, targeting barriers that prevent families from accessing care including high costs, provider shortages and lack of services in outlying areas, according to a summary document presented at the Travis County Commissioners Court.
Twenty-eight children and adults under 24 died by suicide in Austin last year, a decrease from 33 in 2022, Austin Public Health data shows. Suicide remains a leading cause of death for Texans ages 10-34, and 1 in 6 youth ages 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year nationally, the proclamation said.
"We want to make sure everyone can access [care], so people do not have to experience health care by getting arrested," Jeff Richardson, CEO of Travis County mental health authority Integral Care, said during the proclamation ceremony.
The breakdown
