Mental Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 34% of Texas high school students (Grades 9th - 12th) have depression symptoms, compared to 31% in the United States. Moreover, 34% of students (Grades 9th-12th) in Texas reported that they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities.

One in 3 children ages 6–17 in our eight-county service area has a diagnosed mental health need. This represents an estimated 267,730 school-age children, and the rate in our eight-county service area is higher than state and national rates:¹

31%: 8 county service area, 2021
23%: State of Texas, 2019
23%: U.S., 2019

Nearly 7 in 10 children have a caregiver who is not very familiar with mental health services in the community.¹ Of the 252,000 school-age children who needed mental health treatment or counseling, 45% have a caregiver who experienced difficulty getting this care while 6% were unable to get needed care. Barriers to care included the pandemic, cost of care, inadequate insurance, scheduling conflicts and limited service availability in their areas.¹

If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, please call 911.

To access any of Cook Children's services, contact our Intake Department at (682) 885-3917.

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call, text or chat: 988 | visit 988lifeline.org

If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out. People you can talk to might include: mental health provider, school counselor, church or clergy member, physician, or an adult you trust (coach, teacher, neighbor, parent).

Events and education

Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth, Recognizing and Responding: Denton County Strategy

4 hours (Virtual - Zoom)

Learning objectives include: identify at least 3 stakeholders involved in the Denton County Protocol for Care Coordination of CSEY victims; gain understanding of the CSE-IT tool and training and how it is used to identify victims and refer for services; recognize signs of complex traumas and appropriate interventions; identify risk factors for male victims of sex trafficking; recognize the impact of victimization on CSEY victims. Target audience: professionals

Watch video Email organizer

Encapsulated: The link between substance use disorders & mental health

4 hours (Virtual - Zoom)

Learning objectives include: recognize at least 3 ways a co-occurrence of mental health illness and a substance use disorder can impact the type of interventions provided to children and families; and describe at least 3 strategies parents & professionals can use to help children who have parents with a substance use disorder. Target audience: professionals

Watch video Email organizer

Responding to COVID-19 as a Community

3 hours (Virtual - Zoom)

Learning objectives include: explain the benefits, pitfalls, and dangers of the increased utilization of the internet; describe at least three coping skills community members can use to respond to the stresses of COVID-19; and describe how mindfulness can be utilized practically to reduce stress. Target audience: professionals

Watch video Email organizer

¹Community-wide Children’s Health Assessment and Planning Survey (CCHAPS) (2021). Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas.

Get Involved

Wise Coalition for Healthy Children

Wise Coalition for Healthy Children (WCHC) is dedicated to helping the families in Wise County develop and practice healthy parenting practices. We know that being a parent or caregiver is stressful and you can't do it alone. We're here to help.
Coalition information