Students would have more access to mental health services under a proposal before the Texas Senate.  Senate Bill 176 would allow school districts to contract with local mental health authorities or community-based providers to offer on-campus mental health services. It would also permit parents or guardians to request that a student’s mental health assessment or services be shared with their primary care physician.  The bill sponsored by Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, also requires the Health and Human Services Commission to allow school districts to enroll as Medicaid providers to receive reimbursement for student mental health services.  More than 4 million low-income families in Texas rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for medical coverage. However, Texas Medicaid only covers standard therapy, counseling, medications, or full inpatient hospitalization for children’s mental health services.  “Texas only covers two ends of the spectrum of children’s mental health services: basic therapy/counseling and medications or full inpatient hospitalization,” according to the Texans Care for Children policy brief. “Medicaid coverage does not cover intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization, effective community services, or crisis intervention services. The full range of services needs to be available so that parents are empowered to make the choice for what is medically necessary and best for their child.”