Texas Teens Cover - Senate

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY JANUARY 2001
services per child is approximately $344 per month or $4,128 per year. The
average child receives services for about six months.
Policy Implication: Improve the analysis of statistical information. Statistics collected
on children and youth in special education programs in Texas schools should be reviewed
to determine if the numbers accurately reflect the incidence of emotional disturbances.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), starting in 1975, and
other laws give physically and mentally disabled children the right to a free and
appropriate public education. Under IDEA, children with serious emotional
disturbances may be entitled to special education services in schools.
According to TEA statistics, approximately 35,728 students (7.1 percent of a
special education tally of students) receiving special education services were
emotionally disturbed, and 265,552 (54.2 percent of the tally) were categorized as
having learning disabilities.
A 1999 survey by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) found that 46
percent of parents of children with severe mental illness participating in the
study believed that schools resisted identifying children with serious mental
illnesses. Services can be expensive for school districts. Currently, IDEA pays for
about 8 to 10 percent of the costs of special education. The remainder of the costs
are assumed by state statutory formula special education payments, Medicaid
payments for eligible children, and school districts. A more thorough
identification of these children who receive special education services due to
mental health problems could bring in more federal Medicaid payments to help
school districts pay for some special education services.
Policy Implication: Increase opportunities for improved communication.
Nationally, over 55 percent of students with serious emotional disturbance drop
out of public schools, and 58 percent of these young people are arrested within
three to five years of leaving school. Texas should investigate ways to enhance
communication between educational systems, mental health systems, and
juvenile justice systems for youths with treatment needs.
Children may need a range of services, but programs are frequently split
between different state and local agencies, each with different criteria for
eligibility or other requirements. Texas should investigate how to improve
communication between the Center for Mental Health in Schools and school
district personnel. An Internet site for teachers and counselors could provide
this information. Children with severe emotional problems could potentially
receive services provided or funded by at least 10 state agencies, not counting
private providers or community organizations and services.
Policy Implication: Increase opportunities for improved insurance coverage for
mentally ill teens.
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SENATE RESEARCH CENTER
Safe Passages: Texas Teens on the Road to Adulthood - xvi