Jessie Higgins, Chief Mental Health Officer with the City of San Antonio, brought our briefing this week on Youth & Mental Health in SATX.
Jessie is an excellent follow-through to San Antonio’s Medical Director, Dr. Junda Woo’s briefing last week on CHIP: Community Health Improvement Plan. Dr. Woo’s video is here.
Quick recap
The Intersection meeting focused on youth mental health initiatives in San Antonio, with Jessie Higgins, Chief Mental Health Officer for the City, presenting an overview of current programs and challenges. Jessie detailed how mental health initiatives began in 2021 with COVID funding, including 20 youth mental health contracts serving over 6,000 children, and explained the transition of school-based services to permanent general fund funding. She highlighted the Bexar Area School Safety and Mental Health Summit series and discussed challenges with Senate Bill 12’s parental consent requirements affecting school-based mental health services. The meeting also covered the upcoming third annual summit in October and the current Teen Mental Health Survey open for responses from 12-19 year olds in Bexar County.
Summary
Mental Health Initiatives Planning Meeting
The meeting focused on mental health initiatives and upcoming events. Ann announced several key dates including a Sacred Action Lab on May 21st in partnership with NAMI, a Bexar County CHCS conference on May 29th, and the Pathways to Hope citywide mental health conference on August 28-29. Billy informed the group that they would be using AI companion for note-taking and summarizing during meetings, with notes to be posted on the blog. The conversation ended with an introduction to Jessie Higgins, who was scheduled to present a report on youth mental health as a follow-up to Dr. June De Wu’s previous presentation on the Community Health Implementation Plan.
Mental Health Office Overview Presentation
Jessie Higgins, Chief Mental Health Officer for the City of San Antonio, presented an overview of the Office of Mental Health and Resilience’s work, highlighting key initiatives and challenges. The presentation covered the office’s origins during COVID-19, when federal funding enabled the launch of various youth mental health programs, including school-based services and surveys. Jessie discussed the transition of funding from temporary grants to the city’s general fund, noting that current ARPA contracts will expire this summer, potentially reducing available services. The presentation also covered the Bexar Area School Safety and Mental Health Summit series and ongoing advocacy efforts regarding Senate Bill 12 and House Bill 2, with particular attention to how these laws impact school-based mental health services.
Mental Health Community Initiatives
The meeting focused on mental health initiatives and community involvement. Jessie discussed ways for community members to engage, including advocating at school districts, supporting mental health programs, and mentoring youth. Peter inquired about data on ARPA funding impact and community outreach effectiveness, to which Jessie offered to provide information via email. The discussion highlighted the importance of mental health support in schools, with statistics shared about chronic absenteeism and early suicidal ideation in children. The conversation ended with a reminder about a upcoming book discussion on mental health stigma.