Launched in 2014 with a singular vision to make North Texas and the state national leaders in treating all people with mental health needs, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute provides state and national leaders with trusted, data-driven policy and program guidance. We work to shift the focus of care toward better addressing and preventing mental health crises and build capacity to make mental health care a regular part of primary care, treating it as a key factor in overall health and in preventing chronic illness.
Our team of more than 140 experts is turning innovative ideas into real programs that change lives. With offices across Texas and in Washington, D.C., and four regional centers – in Houston, El Paso, the Texas Panhandle, and Dallas – we combine research, innovation, and on-the-ground experience to deliver real change.
Based in Dallas, the Meadows Institute is dedicated to strengthening mental health systems in North Texas, ensuring that proven solutions developed here meet the needs of local communities. Our work in the region includes building a school-centered system to identify and support youth affected by violence, expanding access to critical mental health services for first responders through the Texas Blue Chip Program created after the 2023 tragedy in Allen, and leading a multiyear initiative to help people experiencing homelessness who are living with mental illness and substance use conditions across counties including Collin, Dallas, and Hunt. By braiding philanthropic, state, and federal funding, we have improved mental health care for millions of students statewide, integrated mental health services into primary care across Texas and beyond, and helped communities adopt innovative crisis response strategies that save lives. We also work to ensure that historic state and federal investments shaped by our policy efforts become effective regional programs that deliver lasting benefits for the people who need them most.
Independent and nonpartisan, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute works at the intersection of policy and programs to create equitable systemic changes so all people in Texas, the nation, and the world can obtain the health care they need.
We are at a pivotal moment. North Texas and the nation face a growing mental health crisis that demands a united, comprehensive response – and a trusted voice to guide the way. As the nation’s only independent organization dedicated to both mental health policy and practice, the Meadows Institute is uniquely positioned to lead this effort.
The needs are urgent and wide-ranging. Too many people with mental illness end up in jails or emergency rooms instead of receiving care. Children live with the lasting effects of trauma. Disconnected health systems make high-quality services hard to access. Rural areas face a severe shortage of mental health professionals.
Your support is especially meaningful. It allows us to respond quickly to emerging needs, scale innovative solutions, and focus on the areas with the greatest potential for impact. In North Texas, your contribution helps expand timely, effective mental health care and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities – while strengthening systems that benefit people across the state and beyond.
The Meadows Institute provides data-driven policy and program guidance to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. We stand unequivocally against prejudice, discrimination, racism, and hate, and we recognize the essential role organizational structures play in advancing racial justice and equity. We believe diversity enriches the perspectives that drive inclusive, anti-racist decision-making, benefiting all the populations we serve.
Since 2021, we have convened a Health Equity Workgroup (HEW) that actively applies racial justice, language justice, and cross-cultural principles and models across our work. To sustain this impact, we regularly evaluate our institutional priorities, objectives, and processes.
Organization name
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Causes
Mental and Behavioral Health
Operating Budget
$10,000,000 or more
Counties Served
Wise, Tarrant, Somervell, Rockwall, Parker, Palo Pinto, Navarro, Montague, Kaufman, Johnson, Hunt, Hood, Grayson, Fannin, Erath, Ellis, Denton, Dallas, Cooke, Collin
BIPOC Serving
Other, Native American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American
Address
2800 Swiss Avenue