Andy Keller, PhD,leads the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, which works to provide independent, non-partisan, and trusted policy and program guidance to create systemic changes so that all Texans can obtain effective, efficient behavioral health care when and where they need it.
A primary focus of the Meadows Institute over the last two years has been supporting development and implementation of policies to support best practice mental health services in educational settings in the wake of the twin tragedies of Hurricane Harvey and the Santa Fe High School shooting.
Dr. Kelleris a psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health policy and is a recognized leader in health and human services integration and behavioral health financing. His work has centered on helping local systems implement evidence-based and innovative care, as well as helping local and state governments develop the regulatory and financial framework to support them.
Dr. Keller previously worked as a founding partner of TriWest Group, a national behavioral health systems consulting firm focused on evaluation, community collaboration and management. Prior to forming TriWest, Andy worked in Colorado at the health plan level with a leading Medicaid HMO and at the provider level with the Mental Health Center of Denver, where he directed and led a range of community-based programs.
SESSIONS
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Responding to Tragedy by Building Capacity: A Mental Health Toolkit for Texas Schools
Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast in late 2017, affecting 1.4 million students in over 200 districts. While a Task Force of over 70 state/local partners worked to address higher rates of severe mental illness (50% to 100% over time), a second tragedy at Santa Fe High School in May 2018 showed again how complex issues of safety and trauma at school can be. We will share lessons learned. Learning Objectives and Participant OutcomesUnderstand the impact of disasters and trauma on students and identify best practices to respond and recover over time by improving baseline capacity.
Learning Objectives- Understand the effects of disasters, adverse childhood experiences, and other traumas on students.
- Identify best practices to respond and recover over time from trauma and associated mental health needs.
- Develop strategies to better prepare schools to support the mental health needs of their students to improve academic achievement.
Participant Outcomes
- Be able to describe the effects of disasters, adverse childhood experiences, and other traumas on students.
- Be able to identify best practice responses to trauma and associated mental health needs.
- Be able to identify strategies to better prepare schools to support the mental health needs of their students to improve academic achievement.