In addition to an investment of $2.26 billion for new hospitals in communities across our state, the boldest achievement of all was the unprecedented commitment by the State of Texas to ensure that every child in need in every school across the state would have access to same-day mental health care from a consortium of our leading medical schools. This is just one of the many accomplishments captured in our 2023 annual report, demonstrating how the Meadows Institute has elevated Texas as a global leader in addressing mental health needs.

2023 also saw us reach beyond Texas, applying our industry-leading expertise to the audacious challenge of helping solve the mental health crisis gripping our nation. From the Meadows Institute’s growing policy presence in Washington, D.C., and in an increasing number of state capitals, we worked with leaders from both sides of the aisle to accelerate the integration of mental health care into health care more broadly. We brought a host of evidence-based best practices for behavioral health emergency response, pediatric mental health, and trauma and grief to communities across the country.

In Texas alone, the Meadows Institute helped more than 15 million people in 2023 access the mental health care they need and deserve. We improved mental health care for more than 2 million Texans in a dozen communities by implementing research-based services, helped health systems commit to better ways to treat depression and prevent suicide for nearly 10 million more, and reached 3.5 million children and youth through expanded school-based mental health programs. Our achievements in the 2022 federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act empowered projects that reached millions more in 2023, and agreements in the 2023 year-end budget position additional millions to benefit.

Our momentum only stands to grow from here.

During this pivotal year, we undertook a strategic review in collaboration with the Bridgespan Group to benchmark our impact alongside the nation’s leading mental health policy and practice organizations. We were gratified to discover that our scope for both policy and programs is uniquely intersecting, comprehensive, and ambitious.

As we prepare to enter our second decade, we deeply thank the Meadows Foundation and Lyda Hill Philanthropies for their support in 2023, which renews their longstanding commitment to bolster our impact. Their vision and generosity, along with our broader community of philanthropic supporters, lay the groundwork for the Meadows Institute to deliver on our continued promise to help all people access high-quality mental health care.

Thank you for reading this report and learning more about our impact last year. And thank you for your partnership in transforming the lives of people and communities in Texas, across the nation and beyond.