Austin Travis County Integral Care Strategic Plan FY 2017-19 | Page 2

Executive Summary
Austin Travis County Integral Care (Integral Care) is a mission-driven organization, with deep roots in the
community and a strong history of cooperation with the city, county, and other stakeholders in the health and
social service sectors. Our top-quality staff is focused on improving the lives of those we serve through innovative
practices, leading-edge approaches to behavioral health, and collaboration with other organizations. These
qualities are evident in Integral Care’s organizational values: People, Integrity, Excellence, and Leadership. By
continuing to focus on these principles, we can advance our goals and achieve our vision of Healthy Living for
Everyone.
The rapidly changing health care environment presents the need to innovate and adjust business practices and
services in ways that sustain and support our ability to meet the needs of the community and the successful
advancement of our mission to improve the lives of people affected by behavioral health and developmental
and/or intellectual challenges.
Integral Care is planning for a healthy future in order to respond to significant forces internally and externally,
including:
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changes in the way modern health care is governed, managed, delivered, and measured
payment reforms and shifts to managed care within the health care industry
population growth and other demographic shifts in the region and the state as a whole
community needs and expectations
rapid organizational growth, including impacts on resources and staffing
The new health care environment requires organizations to manage population health through improved
experiences, lower costs, and better outcomes. This necessitates creating holistic programs and innovative
partnerships to address all client needs, from physical conditions, to mental health, to psychosocial risk factors.
We enlisted the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (Meadows Institute), a nonpartisan mental health policy
research and development firm, to assess organizational capacity and provide recommendations to help us
strengthen alliances, innovations, and our business model to support further integration and accountable care.
According to the Meadows Institute, 1 the health system across Texas appears to be moving toward increased
support of local systems, driving the associated need for additional capacity to coordinate resources at the local
level. Through services and strategic alliances, we seek to be a leader in population health management for Travis
County residents with the most severe and complex behavioral health challenges. 2
Travis County has seen a dramatic 25% population increase in the past nine years, half of which is made up of
low-income individuals. A shortage of providers and an insufficient supply of health services are challenges for the
local community. This is coupled with a rapidly rising cost of living and a lack of affordable housing, displacing
many of the neediest individuals to outlying areas that lack critical resources and infrastructure.
As the community grows and changes, so does our knowledge of how best to serve individuals with mental illness,
substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. New models of care backed by research
and experience support the evolution of how we deliver care locally, always striving for the highest standard of
care.
The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas (2014). Austin Travis County Integral Care Consultation Projects
1, 2 and 3: Development Recommendations for Integrated Care, Accountable Care, and Leadership Succession.
2 Ibid.
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