Access to mental health resources remains problematic in Texas foster care system
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The Texas Department of Family Protective Services and the Health and Human Services Commission now have less than 90 days to address the lack of accessibility to mental health resources in the Texas foster care system. On Jan. 11, Texas Judge Janis Graham Jack called for changes in the foster care system after a panel of experts presented weaknesses in the system, which included limited access to mental health services.
An issue that many foster parents face is finding doctors and therapists for their children, according to foster mother Jenni Olowo. She and her husband adopted two kids out of foster care.
“The foster system, they provide state-run Medicaid for all foster children but actually that makes it a lot harder to find providers because so few will actually take the Medicaid benefits,” Olowo said.
The foster mother said this was a problem before the pandemic, and it only escalated the issue. Olowo, who’s also the executive director of BCS Together, has had to travel to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston to seek care for her son.
“He had drug exposure, so we never know what exactly is going on and it took about six months to even get an appointment,” Olowo said.
While more access to mental health services would serve a lot of foster children and their parents, psychologist Adam Saenz said there aren’t enough resources in the Brazos Valley right now.
“And that’s not just true of the Brazos Valley,” Saenz said. “It’s true of Texas, and it’s not just true of Texas, it’s true nationally.”
A start to alleviating this could be more federal funding towards mental health services along with more therapists who take Medicaid, according to Saenz. He also said more local foster care support groups through churches and civic groups could be helpful for children and their parents.
“It just changes trajectories,” Saenz said. “It makes for really, really good outcomes.”
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