Mental Health Awareness Month Spotlight: Strengthening Care Through Collaboration

During Mental Health Awareness Month, Prosper Waco is highlighting the ongoing collaborative work taking place across McLennan County to strengthen behavioral health services, improve crisis response and build a more coordinated system of care for the community.

Through facilitation of the Behavioral Health Leadership Team (BHLT), Prosper Waco works alongside healthcare providers, law enforcement, local government and community organizations to address behavioral health challenges through shared strategies and long-term planning. The BHLT Steering Committee includes leadership from McLennan County, City of Waco, HOT Behavioral Health Network, Waco Family Medicine, Ascension Providence and Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest.

In recent years, this collaborative effort helped secure significant state investment in behavioral health initiatives for McLennan County, including $5 million in new appropriations during the 89th Texas Legislative Session and renewal of $8 million previously appropriated to support the Diversion Center. Those investments are now helping move several key initiatives from planning into implementation.

“This funding marks an important step forward in our shared commitment to improving behavioral health in Waco and the surrounding communities. It empowers us to strengthen the systems of care that so many individuals rely on, and to do so in partnership with others who are equally dedicated to this cause. Together, we can build a healthy future for Central Texas.”

— Chris Lancaster, Chairman, Waco Behavioral Health Leadership Team and President, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest

Current efforts underway focus on strengthening the full continuum of care — from prevention and early intervention to crisis response and post-crisis stabilization.

Initiatives now in progress include expanding inpatient psychiatric bed access for uninsured and underinsured residents, increasing school-based mental health screening and intervention services for youth, launching a Multi-Disciplinary Response Team for behavioral health crisis calls and improving care coordination and medication support for individuals transitioning from the jail system back into the community.

“Waco Family Medicine (WFM) provided primary care to 27% of McLennan County children in the past year. With new state funding, WFM will expand partnerships with local schools and families to provide timely, high-quality mental health screening, diagnosis, and care—helping more children receive support before challenges escalate. When we invest in early screening and intervention, we're not just addressing symptoms—we’re helping children stay safe, succeed in school, and build healthy futures.”

— Dr. Jackson Griggs, CEO, Waco Family Medicine

The collaborative is also conducting a comprehensive behavioral health needs assessment to help identify service gaps, guide future investments and better align resources across the region.

“These efforts represent what is possible when organizations and leaders come together around a shared goal,” said Jessica Attas, CEO of Prosper Waco. “Behavioral health challenges affect every part of our community, and meaningful progress requires coordinated solutions that connect healthcare, public safety, education and community support systems.”

Behavioral health needs continue to grow locally and across the country. In McLennan County, local emergency departments average more than 500 behavioral health visits each month, while nearly 44% of inmates in the McLennan County Jail receive mental health treatment. Community leaders say these realities highlight the importance of investing in earlier intervention, improved access to care and stronger crisis response systems.

State Representative Pat Curry (HD-56), who was instrumental in securing additional funding, issued this statement: “It is an honor to work with our Behavioral Health Leadership Team and secure $13 mm to help support our local mental health crisis and lay plans for more future support from both local communities and the State of Texas to build even better solutions in the years to come.”

“This investment reflects the power of local collaboration and shared commitment,” Attas said. “We are grateful for the leadership of Representative Pat Curry and all of our partners who recognize that improving behavioral health outcomes strengthens families, public safety, healthcare systems and the long-term well-being of our community.”

As implementation efforts continue, Prosper Waco and its partners remain focused on building a more connected, responsive and sustainable behavioral health system for McLennan County and the surrounding region.