Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

04/30/2026

Research shows that the consistent tracking of behavioral health symptoms and progress improves outcomes. However, despite its benefits, this approach is not yet consistently used in mental health care. Learn how AI is helping make that a reality — and helping patients live healthier lives as a result.

Learn how AI can integrate meaningfully into existing workflows in our latest use case:https://mmhpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI_UseCase_Measure.pdf

04/29/2026

An accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective mental health care. AI-enabled technologies can support traditional diagnostic methods by incorporating insights from multiple data sources – such as voice and facial analysis, neuroimaging, and data from smartphones and wearables – that can help clinicians make faster and more precise diagnoses.

Learn how AI can bridge the diagnostic gap in our latest use case:https://mmhpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI_UseCase_Diagnostic.pdf

04/28/2026

Mental health care is most effective when people receive support early and at the right level of care. When implemented appropriately, AI can streamline patient intake and care placement, flagging patients with urgent needs for immediate review by a clinician.



Learn how AI streamlines patient intake and care placement in our latest use case:https://mmhpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI_UseCase_Intake.pdf

04/27/2026

Exciting news: Our new collaborative care trainings are live!

Equip your care team to deliver high-quality collaborative care with our new interactive trainings. In partnership with West Health and Northwestern Medicine, we are pleased to announce an asynchronous e-learning program built for every member of a CoCM team:

• Behavioral Health Care Managers
• Primary Care Clinicians
• Psychiatric Consultants
• Billing Staff

Each interactive course combines practical exercises, case studies, and real-world workflows designed to strengthen care coordination, support patient outcomes, and streamline team efficiency. Each course is free, flexible, and available now.

Start with the course designed for your role today:

Free, self-paced online trainings on the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). Earn CE/CME credits while integrating behavioral health into primary care.

04/23/2026

AI is increasingly impacting nearly every aspect of our lives, including mental health care. To better understand how it can play a positive role in mental health services, the Meadows Institute has developed an overview of AI’s potential applications:

• Workflow Automation
• Provider Education
• Support in Clinical Decisions
• Predictive Tools

And more . . .



https://mmhpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI_UseCase_Overview.pdf

When used safely and responsibly, artificial intelligence has the power to improve mental health care by expanding access, giving clinicians more time with their patients, and helping deliver better outcomes through more informed, personalized treatment. AI should never replace the role of mental he...

04/22/2026

Artificial intelligence is one of the most talked-about topics in mental health. The Meadows Institute believes that when AI is used safely and responsibly, it can improve mental health care by expanding access, giving clinicians more time with their patients, and helping deliver better outcomes through more informed, personalized treatment.

To better understand the positive impact that AI is having on mental health care, our experts have developed five exclusive use cases that demonstrate the impact of AI. These overviews provide insights into the ways AI can support mental health and point the way to a future in which anyone who needs care can receive it quickly and effectively.

https://mmhpi.org/positive-use-cases-of-ai-in-mental-health-care/

04/08/2026

Please join us on April 15 for Growing Through Grief for Caregivers, a one-hour workshop designed to help caregivers better understand and support children and adolescents who have experienced loss. This free workshop is facilitated by clinicians at the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health at the Meadows Institute, and is sponsored by the Cullen Foundation and the Sarofim Foundation.

This workshop will teach participants to:

✅ Identify helpful versus unhelpful grief reactions in children and adolescents
✅ Understand the three primary bereavement-related challenges children often experience
✅ Recognize trauma and loss reminders related to grief
✅ Identify grief-related risk and protective factors
✅ Understand when to seek additional mental health support

Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8JScDlHuSDmj6K9hnE1QnA #/registration

03/30/2026

The behavioral health workforce shortage is one of the most urgent challenges facing our nation, making it harder for people to receive timely care. We conducted interviews with 11 organizations pioneering workforce innovations within integrated care settings throughout the United States to better understand those approaches are being implemented on the ground.

Here are five key takeaways from our new white paper, “Scalable Strategies to Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce,” courtesy of Senior Vice President for Health System Integration Clare McNutt, PA-C:

➡️ We cannot solve the workforce shortage with licensed clinicians alone. Expanding access requires rethinking who can safely deliver care, not just how many licensed clinicians we train.

➡️ The evidence is clear: Non-licensed providers can deliver evidence-based treatment, not just referrals. Global and U.S. data show that with the right training and supervision, community health workers, peers, and lay counselors can deliver evidence-based interventions and improve outcomes.

➡️The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a force multiplier. By using team-based care and psychiatric consultation, CoCM allows a small number of licensed clinicians to reach far more patients through thoughtful supervision and collaboration.

➡️ The best models don’t replace clinicians; they redesign teams. High-performing programs use interdisciplinary and tiered staffing models to achieve scale without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

➡️ Policy and payment must align on clear scopes of practice, competency-based training pathways, and sustainable reimbursement for team-based care. When those are bought into line, workforce expansion becomes not merely possible, but scalable.

To read and download the full white paper, visit our website: https://mmhpi.org/topics/policy-research/scalable-strategies-to-expand-the-behavioral-health-workforce/

03/10/2026

Texas colleges are home to nearly two million students who are balancing work, family, and academics on top of their coursework. Their mental health matters, and now there's a statewide plan to support it.

The Texas Postsecondary Student Mental Health Coalition has released Strengthening Texas College Student Mental Health: A State of Texas Playbook, a first-of-its-kind guide for higher education leaders built around a public health approach to student well-being, including the Minding College Minds™ framework as a core strategy.

The playbook offers college leaders practical, evidence-based guidance for building comprehensive campus mental health systems, from prevention and early intervention to crisis response, grounded in data and designed for real-world implementation.

This is how policy, practice, and partnership come together for students to support their mental health.

https://mmhpi.org/mindingcollegeminds/

Emotional stress and personal mental health challenges are the top reasons students in both two- and four-year degree programs consider stopping their coursework. Over the last decade, numerous studies have documented increasing rates of depression and anxiety among college students, negatively affe...

02/23/2026

As a result of the generosity of Communities Foundation of Texas, the Meadows Institute announced today that we have begun operating the Caruth Police Institute, the nation's premier resource for advancing public safety leadership, innovation, and officer wellness. CPI provides consulting, technical assistance, and training to police departments and municipal governments and helps improve relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

Scott Donaldson, the vice president of CPI, will serve as its director, and Tarrick McGuire, the chief of the Alexandria, Virginia, police department, will serve as the president of the executive board.

“The Caruth Police Institute has long served as a leading voice here in North Texas and across the state and nation for innovative efforts that support both officers and residents,” said Wayne White, the president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas. "A safer community is a stronger community, and increasing safety includes investing in training, education, and implementing best practices.”

Learn more about the important work of the Caruth Police Institute here: https://lnkd.in/gcHmGMtw

02/13/2026

Don't forget to register for our free, virtual training on Essential Foundation in Collaborative Problem Solving® (Level 1). Spots are filling fast!

This three-day training will equip frontline professionals and practitioners such as social workers, clinicians, QMHPs, caseworkers, educators and school staff, family partners, and residential staff with the tools to help children and families build skills in problem-solving, flexibility, and frustration tolerance, while also improving relationships and reducing challenging behaviors.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this training, register today!

http://www.mmhpi.org/think-kids

02/12/2026

Please join us on Thursday, March 5, for "From Awareness to Action: Creating a Culture Shift for Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Needs," a free webinar hosted by the Meadows Institute, AAIDD – Texas Chapter, and Integral Care.

Young people with developmental disabilities (DD) experience mental health concerns at higher rates than the general population. Despite this, they must navigate systems and environments that were not designed for and rarely accommodate their strengths or needs. This webinar will discuss how we can build a more inclusive and accessible mental health care system to better support young people with DD.

CEUs will be available for LMFT’s, LMSW’s, LCSW’s, LPC’s, and TX Addiction Professionals.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P0w7nNsdSGiqfRotHtIfxQ #/registration