Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation:

An Inventory of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board Minutes and Agenda at the Texas State Archives, 1965-1984, 1986-1987, 1989-2004

Agency History

The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR) was created in 1965 (House Bill 3, 59th Legislature, Regular Session), to conserve the mental health of Texas citizens and to help mentally retarded citizens to achieve their full potential. It replaced the Board for Texas State Hospitals and Special Schools, which had been created in 1949 (House Bill 1, 51st Legislature, Regular Session). The governing body of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was the nine-member Texas Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms. Members represented the general public, but (beginning in 1995) were required to include at least one consumer (or family member of a consumer) of mental health/mental retardation services. The governor appointed the chair. Administration of the Department was through the Commissioner of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, appointed by the board. The Commissioner appointed an assistant commissioner, a medical director, a human resources director, a managed care administration director, a state operations director, a financial services director, and directors of each of the state facilities.

The Mental Health Services Division (reorganized in 1995 and renamed the Managed Care Division) operated seven state hospitals providing general psychiatric services to patients within their geographic regions (located in Austin, Big Spring, Kerrville, Rusk, San Antonio, Terrell, and Vernon-Wichita Falls); and a Waco Center for emotionally disturbed youth.

The Mental Retardation Services Division (reorganized in 1995 and renamed the State Operations Division) operated eleven state schools (in Abilene, Austin, Brenham, Corpus Christi, Denton, Lubbock, Lufkin, Mexia, Richmond, San Angelo, and San Antonio) and between two and three state centers (in Amarillo, Beaumont, and Laredo up to 1999; in El Paso and Harlingen in 2001), which provide short-term and long-term residential care, education, training, health care, and rehabilitation services.

Community-based mental health and mental retardation services were provided by state-operated community health services, community organizations, and state centers, and also by 36 community MHMR centers under contract with the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Every Texas county has a mental health authority (MHA), and the Department was required to ensure that each provides the following community-based mental health services: crisis stabilization, emergency screening/referral, a plan of services for each individual based on multidisciplinary assessments, medication services, case management, family support programs, and psychosocial rehabilitation programs. Every Texas county also has a mental retardation authority (MRA), and the Department was required to ensure that each provides the following community-based mental retardation services: in-home support, respite care, family services, case management, and an array of vocational and employment programs. The Department's ultimate goal was to transfer all state-operated community MHMR services to local operation and control by the year 2005.

A number of changes in the 1990s affected MHMR responsibilities. In 1991, the Genetic Screening and Counseling Services program was transferred to the Department of Health, and the newly created Health and Human Services Commission was designated the single state agency for Medicaid. In 1993, inpatient single-diagnosis substance-abuse treatment was transferred from the state hospitals to the Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Also in 1993, the duty of licensing private psychiatric hospitals and of investigating complaints of abuse or neglect and clients' rights violations was transferred to other agencies, except that the Department of MHMR continued to establish standards for the private psychiatric industry. In 1995, the Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR) program was transferred to the Texas Department of Human Services. In 1997 several state hospitals were added and several state hospitals/state schools were eliminated.

House Bill 2292 (78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003) merged twelve state health and human services agencies into five, officially abolishing the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (effective September 1, 2004) and creating the new Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) and the new Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

The new Texas Department of State Health Services took over mental health and state hospital operations formerly under the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. (In addition it assumed the duties of the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and the Texas Health Care Information Council.) The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division of DSHS is divided into two sections: the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Section, and the Hospitals Section. The governing body is the DSHS Council, composed of nine members of the public appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state senate. These nine members, representing all geographic areas of the state and reflecting the ethnic diversity of the state, "must have demonstrated an interest in and knowledge of problems and available services related to public health, mental health, or substance abuse." They serve staggered six-year terms.

The new Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services took over mental retardation services and running of state schools for the mentally retarded, formerly under the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. (In addition, it includes community care and nursing home services formerly run by the Texas Department of Human Services, as well as aging services formerly run by the Texas Department on Aging.) The governing body is the Aging and Disability Services Council, composed of nine members of the public appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state senate. These nine members, representing all geographic areas of the state and reflecting the ethnic diversity of the state, "must have demonstrated an interest in and knowledge of issues and available services related to the aging and persons with developmental disabilities or mental retardation." They serve staggered six-year terms.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was created to conserve the mental health of Texas citizens and to help mentally retarded citizens to achieve their full potential. These records document the work of the Department's governing body, the Texas Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board, and consist of copies of agenda (which announce the work planned for each meeting of the board and its committees), and minutes and supporting documentation (which document the work actually accomplished at those board and committee meetings), dating 1965-1984, 1986-1987, and 1989-2004.

Agenda were included routinely with minutes dating 1972-1984 and 1989-1993. The files for 1986-1987 consist of agenda only (no minutes), for three meetings. Agenda packets (which begin in January 1994) include, for the entire month, the following: meeting schedules for the board and all committees, board agenda, committee agenda, plus all briefing documents (status reports, updates, reviews and recommendations, proposed rules, etc.).

Minutes document the work of the board at each meeting. They typically include the following: a list of attendees; a "commissioner's calendar" section giving various status reports (e.g., quarterly employee reports, budget request reports, task force reports, psychiatric hospital progress reports, presentations on MHMR services in specific areas, etc.); committee recommendations for board consideration; and other business (e.g., reports on the status of litigation pending against MHMR; special briefings for information, etc.). Each meeting was assigned a unique and consecutive number from the first meeting in 1965. Irregularities in that numbering have been noted in the container listing.

Supporting documentation attached to the minutes include the following appendices: committee reports (giving recommendations, background and explanation, personnel implications, facilities implications, financial implications, anticipated future recommendations, etc.), budget requests, proposed rules, legislation, litigation, presentations, advisory committee position papers, professional papers, maps, charts and tables, forms, news clippings, correspondence and memoranda, biennial operating plans, etc. Committees whose reports are attached include the following: Architects, Budget, Business [and Finance, and Property Management], Care and Treatment, Executive, Geriatrics, Legislative, Medical Advisory, Program, etc.

Between March 1999 and May 2003, minutes and supporting documentation for numerous committees are listed separately from minutes and supporting documentation of board meetings. The first group of these later committees (March 1999-January 2000) included Audit and Financial Oversight, Business and Asset Management, Medicaid, and Planning and Policy Development. The second group of committees (March 2000-May 2003) include Audit, Finance, Operations, and Program and Policy.

Minutes (and almost all agenda) for January 1985-December 1988 (meetings #201 thru 245) are missing from the holdings of the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board minutes and agenda, Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1998/071, 1999/007, 2000/067, 2001/053, 2001/151, 2002/052, 2002/153, 2002/154. 2003/063, 2003/189, 2004/032, 2005/008, 2005/166, 2006/355

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation on February 4, 1998; September 29, 1998; December 1, 1999; October 31, 2000; August 17, 2001; October 24, 2001; July 26, 2002; October 21, 2002; July 14, 2003; and October 6, 2003; and by the Legislative Reference Library on July 26, 2002; September 13, 2004; July 28, 2005; and December 29, 2005.

Processing Information

Tony Black, July 1998, November 1998, August 1999, May 2000, October 2001, July 2002, August 2003, April 2006

Location of Originals

The record copy of minutes and agenda were maintained by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. They are now with the Texas Department of State Health Services.

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Detailed Description of the Records

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