Five years after Texas’ first COVID death, the state spends less on public health, vaccination rates have dropped and a distrust of authority has taken hold.
Stephen Simpson
Stephen Simpson is the mental health reporter, based in Austin, where he covers behavioral health in schools, treatment in the judicial system, substance abuse and the state mental health system, among other topics. He previously worked in his home state of Arkansas as a politics reporter, where he covered the state's Supreme Court, House of Representatives and correctional system for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Stephen's earliest career experiences include reporting and copy editing at The Jonesboro Sun and The Pine Bluff Commercial. He earned a degree in online and print journalism with a minor in filmmaking from the University of Central Arkansas.
Posted in
Health care
Obstacles slow Texas’ effort to improve conditions at substance abuse recovery homes
A new law was meant to uphold standards at homes where substance abusers are trying to rebuild their lives. But compliance is proving difficult.
Posted in
Health care
Texas Senate advances bill to start a $3 billion dementia research fund
The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually.
Posted in
Health care
Texas mental health licensing board gives initial OK to remove training requirement associated with DEI
Officials say the motive for the change to the rule requiring mental health providers to receive cultural diversity or competency training for license renewals has been misunderstood.
Posted in
Texas measles outbreak
Measles cases reported in Texas as vaccine rate against the disease has fallen
Two of the four cases are in Lubbock, which hasn’t seen a case in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, measles vaccination rates in Texas have fallen over the last four years.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Every month, hundreds of Texas children are waitlisted for a mental health program billed as an alternative to foster care
Despite a long waitlist, the number of children served in the YES Waiver program has declined because of provider shortages.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Social media isn’t the only cause of mental health woes among Texas youth, advocates say
Social media’s danger on youth mental health has captured the attention of Texas lawmakers, at times, eclipsing focus on bigger threats — provider shortages and funding cuts to programs.
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Health care
Texas lawmakers eye sharing health care workers with other states to address provider shortages
Advocates say interstate compacts, which allow professionals to use their work licenses in multiple states, can solve Texas’ workforce shortage. Skeptics fear Texas would send more workers than it would receive.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Amid a $7 million deficit to Texas’ suicide hotline, thousands of calls are abandoned monthly
The state’s 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year.
Posted in
State Government
Texas driver license offices reopen after systemwide outage
The outage appeared only to affect the Texas public safety department. Driver license offices reopened after the New Year’s Day holiday.