What does this
indicator measure?
This indicator shows the
capacity for treatment of the mentally ill in communities in the
Greater Dallas area.
Why is this indicator
important?
If left untreated or inadequately
treated, mental health conditions can cause significant problems
for the individual as well as for their family members. It is
estimated that half of all Americans will experience a mental
disorder at some point in their lives, and that 4.3 million Texans
(3.1 million adults and 1.2 million children) experienced some form
of diagnosable mental health disorder in 2002, according to a
Mental Health Association in Texas report released in
2003. This indicator is important because the financial and
social costs of not dealing with the mental illnesses of residents
are much higher than the financial and social costs of adequately
serving the mental health population.
How are we
doing?
The Texas Department of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR) is responsible for providing mental
health services to Texans. TDMHMR contracts with 39 community
mental health centers and NorthSTAR to deliver mental health
services in communities across Texas. NorthSTAR is a Medicaid
managed care plan that serves seven counties in the Dallas Medicaid
service region. Some of the key findings with respect to the
region’s ability to adequately treat the mentally ill include
the following: