LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – With a severe shortage of mental health providers in Texas, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry is raising awareness about TCHATT, a free mental health resource available in public schools across the region.
Funded by the 86th Texas Legislature, TCHATT provides completely free services to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
“This has been a game changer,” said Kylie Prather, a counselor at Lubbock Cooper North Elementary School. “I’ve been here about five years now, and I’ve been able to take advantage of this all that time.”
The service offers students and their families in-person counseling, telepsychiatry and connections to community resources.
TCHATT works with more than 200 school districts across the state to provide free and accessible mental health care.
“Right now, families across our region, across 85 counties, have to wait eight to 12 months to get their children seen by a child and adolescent psychiatrist,” said Dr. Jennifer Rojas McWhinney, “outcomes are getting better, and research shows that the sooner we connect people to resources, the better the outcomes are in the long run.”
Appointments will be held virtually via Zoom to ensure all students can be served.
Students may receive care with a referral from their school counselor and parental consent. For more information about TCHATT, click here.
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