Among several key takeaways, including resilience, economic mobility, and public safety, the topics of early childhood education and mental health took center stage.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — On Friday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo delivered her annual State of the County address.
Among several key takeaways, including resilience, economic mobility, and public safety, the topics of early childhood education and mental health took center stage
In 2023, Hidalgo took a temporary leave of absence to focus on her own mental health.
“$20 million of our investment the past few years is on mental and behavioral health. As you know, it’s a very personal topic for me,” Hidalgo said.
Hidalgo talked about some initiatives designed to help younger people who might be struggling with mental health.
“One that I really like, especially with the kids being here, is that we have a professional at 163 campuses across six school districts in Harris County focused solely on students’ mental health. And, of course, we need a whole lot more than that,” she said.
Some of those programs are threatened by current budget constraints.
Since she’s held the position of county judge, Hidalgo has held 13 town halls and several news conferences about mental health.
Commissioners are expected to finalize the budget with a vote on Sept. 18.
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