The Arc of Texas Provides Input on HHSC Establishing Workgroup to Conduct Study and Make Recommendations on Specialized Services

Verbal Testimony on HB 2542

Chair Hull and Members of the Committee,

My name is Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, and I am the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for The Arc of Texas. I am here today to express our strong support for HB 2542 by Representative Kitzman, which directs HHSC to establish a workgroup to conduct a study and make recommendations on the specialized services needed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Today, I would like to emphasize one of the most critical focuses of this workgroup—identifying gaps in the availability of services for Texans with a dual diagnosis of IDD and mental health conditions. Currently, approximately one-third of the over half a million Texans with IDD also have a co-occurring mental health condition. For this population, accessing appropriate services that address both their intellectual disability and mental health needs is incredibly challenging.

At The Arc of Texas, we have gained valuable insight into these challenges through our Whole Person Project, a grant-funded initiative aimed at expanding access to quality mental health services for Texans with IDD. In December 2024, after months of research and conversations with people living at the intersection of IDD and mental health conditions, and in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex Stuckey, we published an investigative report titled Out of Options: Addressing Inequities in Care for Texans with IDD and Mental Illness. This report highlights the long-standing barriers faced by Texans with a dual diagnosis and calls for a comprehensive approach to meeting their needs.

Our research found that the lack of appropriate services for people with IDD, particularly those with co-occurring mental health conditions, often leads to crises that involve multiple entities, including law enforcement, child and adult protective services, hospital emergency departments, and institutional settings such as state-operated psychiatric hospitals and State Supported Living Centers. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensuring that individuals with IDD receive the right support in their communities, rather than being funneled into crisis-driven systems of care.

While our work has been eye-opening, we recognize that in order to truly address these challenges, the legislature must lead efforts to study this population and the availability of services. HB 2542 is a crucial step toward improving access to life-changing services for people with IDD, especially those with a dual diagnosis. We strongly urge the committee’s support for this bill.