Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

EveryChild, Inc. receives policy project grant

April 4, 2011

AUSTIN, Texas – EveryChild, Inc. of Austin is one of four Texas recipients of $446,615 in grants awarded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health fto improve mental health services for children and adults across Texas. This is the third year of the foundation’s grant initiative to improve local, state and federal policies that affect Texas consumers of mental health services.

Texas children diagnosed with mental illness and developmental disabilities are overrepresented in child protective services, remain institutionalized longer, and are less likely to be permanently placed with a family. EveryChild, Inc. will use the $112,422 grant to research current state policies that affect children with dual diagnoses and develop recommendations to state policymakers to improve family placement, treatment and services for these children.

“The project is looking at ways to improve services and supports for some of the state’s most vulnerable children and youth,” said Dr. Nancy Rosenau, executive director of EveryChild. “In a tragic ‘perfect storm,’ children with dual diagnoses in child protective custody most in need of families are also those for whom the service system has been least successful in supporting family life. We want to find ways to provide them the anchor of a secure supported family life.”