BY CODY THORN
What to expect
Zooming out
The breakdown
Nix said Medical City Alliance’s parent company, Hospital Corporation of America, has held classes with experts in various elds to cover current health trends for school nurses throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area for years. Russell added that last spring, KISD nurses and counselors toured the hospital for educational purposes and to learn what the new Alliance mental health facility will o er. Russell said he wants Medical City Alliance to be a resource to all of the school districts in the Alliance area of Fort Worth and neighboring areas like Keller and Roanoke. “I’ve been very impressed [with] the desire of school nurses and counselors to really get more education [on mental health] so they can help parents and children,” Nix said.
In May, Medical City Healthcare was one of 60 programs nationwide recognized for its psychiatry and behavioral health programs by Becker’s Hospi- tal Review, including the Alliance location. “The need for adult and adolescent behavioral health care are great across Tarrant County, Texas and the United States,” Medical City Mental Health & Wellness Alliance CEO Jim Russell said.
Nix said that 5.3 million adolescents have been diagnosed with some form of mental health issues in the United States and suicide is the second-lead- ing cause of death for children ages 12 to 17. Last spring, in the aftermath of three students committing suicide in one week, Keller ISD o - cials said it provided additional counseling sup- port and prioritized mental health programming. According to data from KISD, counselors from pre-K to 12th grade conducted 797 suicide-risk assessments in the 2023-24 school year. Northwest ISD counselors handled 699 cases of self-harm/ suicidal ideation, said Jamie Farber, director of guidance and counseling for the district. McCoy said after school hours, it’s on the parents to watch if their children are being bullied or cyberbullied. In 2017, David’s Law, or SB 179, addressed cyberbullying and required school districts to handle cases reported by a parent. “There are not a lot of resources in the area if teens are in a major crisis,” McCoy said. For extreme cases, both NISD and KISD’s web- sites state students should immediately go to the hospital. Medical City Mental Health & Wellness Alliance’s adolescence program will be open by the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Percent of adults with poor mental health days in Tarrant County and Denton County
Tarrant County Denton County
Texas
3.9%
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
4.4%
3.5%
3.4%
3.6%
5.5%
Signs of possible mental health issues in teenagers
3.1%
3.9%
3.2%
Grades suddenly drop
2.8%
3.1%
Leaving school early
4.7%
After-school help to parents from KISD and NISD
Staying in bed for long periods
3.8% 3.8%
State investigation checklist used by administrators List of external counseling resources, including crisis hotlines
3.4%
No interest in usual activities
2.9%
3.3%
SOURCE: MEDICAL CITY MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER ALLIANCE COMMUNITY IMPACT
5.1%
List of warning signs
SOURCE: COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS AND ROADMAPS COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCES: KELLER ISD, NORTHWEST ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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KELLER ROANOKE NORTHEAST FORT WORTH EDITION
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