The Need for Integrated Behavioral Health
Access to mental health care remains a significant challenge across Texas. Texas ranks 50th out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for access to mental health care, according to Mental Health America’s State of Mental Health in America 2025 report. These barriers can be especially consequential for children, adolescents, transition-age youth, and families in underserved communities, where timely, high-quality behavioral health services may be difficult to access.
Integrated behavioral health care offers an important strategy for addressing these disparities by bringing behavioral health services into the settings where children, youth, and families already receive care and support. By addressing physical health, mental health, substance use, and social needs together, integrated care promotes a whole-person approach and can improve access, coordination, and health outcomes. For children, adolescents, and transition-age youth, integrated care also creates opportunities to identify concerns earlier, engage families in care, and provide developmentally appropriate support during critical periods of growth and transition.
The Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars Program at The University of Texas at Austin helps strengthen Texas’ behavioral health workforce by preparing the next generation of providers to deliver evidence-based, integrated care. Scholars develop the knowledge and skills to work collaboratively across disciplines and to recognize and address the social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to health disparities. The program places particular emphasis on preparing behavioral health professionals to provide high-quality, culturally responsive care to underserved children, adolescents, transition-age youth, and families in communities across Texas.
Students in the program specialize in one of two concentrations. The Youth and Family concentration prepares scholars to meet the behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, transition-age youth, and their families through developmentally tailored, trauma-informed, family-centered, and integrated approaches to care. Scholars gain experience serving young people and families in underserved Texas communities while developing the skills needed to expand access to behavioral health services and promote healthier outcomes across the lifespan. There is also a critical need for integrated care for individuals at risk for or living with substance use disorder in Austin and Travis County. The Youth Substance Use concentration fills this need in educating behavioral health providers in the prevention, screening, treatment and recovery for adolescents and transition-aged youth with substance use disorder, including opioid misuse.
The IBH Scholars Program is supported by grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program has also received support from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.