The Department of State Health Services established the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services in accordance with S.B. 1507, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.
The purpose of the committee is to provide customer/consumer and stakeholder input to the Health and Human Services system in the form of recommendations regarding access to forensic services within the state of Texas. The JCAFS considers and makes recommendations to the Legislature consistent with the committee’s purpose.
Recommendations to the Legislature regarding access to forensic services include:
- Monitoring the implementation of updates to the bed day allocation methodology for allocating to each designated region a certain number of state-funded beds in state hospitals and other inpatient mental health facilities for voluntary, civil and forensic patients.
- Implementing a bed day utilization review protocol, including a peer review process.
- Improving access to mental health services for both civil and forensic patients throughout the full continuum of care from institution to community-based settings.
Members
Shannon Carr
Austin Area Mental Health Consumers, Inc.
Austin
Jonathan Caspell
Texas Municipal League
Lubbock
Sherri Cogbill
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Austin
James “Mike” DeLoach
Texas Association of Counties
Littlefield
Stephen Glazier
Texas Hospital Association
Houston
Anna Gray
Behavioral Health Advisory Committee
San Antonio
Windy Johnson
Texas Conference of Urban Counties
Austin
Wade McKinney
County Judges and Commissioners Association
Athens
Jolene Rasmussen
Behavioral Health Advisory Committee
Austin
Jimmy Sylvia
County Judges and Commissioners Association
Anahuac
Sally Taylor
Texas Hospital Association
San Antonio
Dennis Wilson
Sheriff’s Association of Texas
Groesbeck
Wayne Young
Texas Council of Community Centers
Houston
Meeting Dates
Meetings will be held at the HHS campus. Information to access the meeting can be found on the agenda posted on the HHS Events webpage.
January 15, 2025
April 23, 2025
July 16, 2025
October 15, 2025
For More Information
Email the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services.
Reports and Presentations
Note: These files are in PDF format unless otherwise noted.
- State Hospital Bed-Day Allocation Methodology and Utilization Review Protocol for Fiscal Year 2024
- State Hospital Bed-Day Allocation Methodology and Utilization Review Protocol for Fiscal Year 2022
- Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services 2021 Annual Report
- State Hospital Bed-Day Allocation Methodology and Utilization Review Protocol for Fiscal Year 2020
- Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services 2019 Annual Report
- Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services 2018 Annual Report
- State Hospital Bed Day Allocation Methodology and Utilization Review Protocol for Fiscal Year 2018