July 4th Holiday Horario de 4 de julio

Texas Children's Health Plan will be closed on Friday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. In our absence, you can reach our after-hours nurse help line at 1-800-686-3831. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 7th. Wishing you a safe and happy Independence Day!

El Plan de Salud Infantil de Texas estará cerrado el viernes 4 de julio por el Día de la Independencia. Durante nuestra ausencia, puede comunicarse con nuestra línea de ayuda disponible las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana, al 1-800-686-3831. Reanudaremos nuestro horario habitual el lunes 7 de julio. ¡Le deseamos un feliz y seguro 4 de julio!

Cold and flu season Temporada de influenza y resfriados

ALERT: Stay healthy this cold and flu season! Learn more

ALERTA: ¡Mantente sano durante esta temporada de influenza y resfriados! Más información

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Mental Health

What is mental health and mental illness?

Mental health impacts overall wellness, and affects how we think, how we feel, and how we make decisions. It also helps us participate in meaningful activities, healthy relationships, and the ability to adapt to changes and cope with challenges.

Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health disorders (i.e. anxiety, depression, ADHD). You or your child may have difficulty functioning in social settings, at work, or during family activities. This is caused by changes in thoughts, emotions, or behavior.

Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. That’s why it’s important that you or your loved ones create a safe space to talk about mental health, seek services and support, and learn about some of the things you and your loved ones can do to help ease your or your loved one’s symptoms.

    A few things that may help:

    • Talk to your loved ones about how you are feeling, or encourage conversations with your child.
    • Seek help early. Early intervention can help reduce difficulty in school and/or at work, at home, and with family or friends.
    • Develop healthy relationships with others.
    • Establish and stick to a routine. Learn from the past—what helped and what did not help?
    • Have a crisis plan in place.

    Who to see?

    There are different ways you can protect your or your child’s mental health. A good place to start is with your or your child’s primary care provider followed by a psychiatrist and/or mental health provider.

    Who to see?
    • A psychiatrist can diagnose, prevent, prescribe medications and treat mental health concerns.
    • A mental health provider and/or therapist can help someone better understand and cope with their thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

     

    Don’t know where to start? We can help. Check out the following ways we can help support you today.

    Contact us
    • Schedule a visit with your or your child’s primary care provider.
    • If you have STAR/CHIP, please reach out to your case manager or call 832-828-1430 for Behavioral Health Case Management services (resources/support) and/or enrollment.
    • If you have STAR Kids, please reach out to your assigned service coordinator for resources and support. If you do not know your assigned service coordinator, please reach out to Member Services.
    • If you or your child is in crisis, please call our 24/7 Behavioral Health/Substance Abuse Hotline: 1-800-731-8529 (STAR/STAR Kids) 1-800-731-8528 (CHIP).

     

    Get tips on how to support your child’s mental health: