Travis County unveils children's mental-health plan

Travis County officials used a May 19 Commissioners Court meeting to launch a new children’s mental-health plan as Austin leaders faced renewed scrutiny over youth violence and access to care. The plan, called “Connecting the Dots for Children’s Mental Health,” is described by county and partner agencies as a five-year strategy for Austin and Travis County. County leaders said the plan is meant to strengthen families, expand services and make it easier for children and caregivers to get help before problems escalate. KXAN reported the rollout came as three teens faced charges in a string of weekend shootings and robberies in the Austin area. ### What exactly did Travis County launch? “Connecting the Dots for Children’s Mental Health” is a behavioral health strategic plan for Austin and Travis County that was released in May 2026, according to Kids Living Well, the local coalition overseeing the planning process. The plan updates earlier local work on children’s mental health and substance misuse and sets out a community-wide framework rather than a single county-run program. (kxan.com) The May 19 launch took place during Travis County Commissioners Court, where county leaders formally introduced the initiative. KXAN said the strategy focuses on building resilience early in life, improving access to culturally competent care and expanding services for children with more complex needs. ### What problems is the plan trying to address? (kidslivingwell.org) Travis County officials tied the rollout to rising concern about how mental-health needs intersect with schools, families and the justice system. County Judge Andy Brown said the county had linked jail data with healthcare data “for the first time ever” to better understand those overlaps, according to KXAN. (kxan.com) Integral Care served more than 25,000 Travis County residents in 2025 and fielded more than 100,000 crisis calls, Brown said, figures KXAN cited as evidence of demand across the local system. Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said roughly 40% of people in the Travis County Jail are living with a serious mental illness and said people in crisis need options “other than a jail cell.” (kxan.com) ### What does the plan say will change for children and families? The plan’s published priorities call for prevention, early intervention, crisis response and system accountability. Kids Living Well’s executive summary says the strategy aims to promote wellness and resilience, provide a continuum of intervention services, improve crisis response for children and families, and strengthen outcomes and accountability across the system. (kxan.com) The county and its partners say that means more school-based approaches, expanded community-based services, home visits, telehealth and mobile care options, along with better coordination among healthcare providers, schools and law enforcement. KXAN said the plan also targets barriers families often face, including cost, provider shortages and difficulty navigating services. (kidslivingwell.org) ### Who helped build the strategy? Kids Living Well said its Children’s Mental Health Plan Steering Committee guided the five-year update to the 2021 local plan. The February 2026 presentation listed participants from Travis County Health and Human Services, Integral Care, Austin ISD, Dell Medical School and Dell Children’s Medical Center, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Central Health, United Way for Greater Austin and other local partners. (kxan.com) The same presentation said the plan drew on 16 focus-group sessions with 95 participants and a caregiver survey with 78 responses. Those findings were also aligned with recommendations in the Texas strategic plan for children’s behavioral health, according to the presentation. ### What happens next? Travis County planning materials say the next step is implementation through a governance structure and timeline developed with the county’s Health and Human Services research and planning division. (kidslivingwell.org) The plan document and Kids Living Well materials indicate the strategy is intended to guide local action over the next five years, with county agencies and community partners responsible for carrying it forward. The May 19 Commissioners Court archive page lists the meeting where the plan was launched, and Kids Living Well hosts the plan and executive-summary documents for public review. Those materials identify the named agencies and committees that will handle the next stage of implementation. (countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov) (services.austintexas.gov)