The Decision Support Unit allows agency executives, staff, and stakeholders to make data-driven decisions, while also informing policy and practice in mental health and substance abuse through data. Functions include the following:

• PROGRAM EVALUATION — evaluating mental health and substance abuse service programs, including developing data reports that monitor compliance with programmatic and contractual requirements.
• LEGISLATIVE REPORTING — reporting Legislative Budget Board (LBB) mental health and substance abuse performance measures and conducting data analyses for the Legislature, Legislative Appropriation Requests (LARs), and Exceptional Items.
• BLOCK GRANT DATA REQUIREMENTS — meeting data requirements for federal block grants, including needs assessment through standard formulas and/or population-based surveys.
• IMPACT AND TREND ANALYSIS — using data to determine the impact of proposed federal and state laws, and identifying statewide trends.
• SPECIAL REQUESTS — responding to data, report, and presentation requests by agency executives, legislators, media, and the public at large.
• DATA SHARING — collaborating with other agency divisions, and state and federal partners with data to ensure a holistic approach to health.
• DATA SYSTEM TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE — providing training and technical assistance on the DSHS Behavioral Health Integrated Provider System (BHIPS) and Clinical Management for Behavioral Health Services (CMBHS) system to funded providers to assure data-entry accuracy and efficiency.
• DSHS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEWS BRIEF — informing policy and practice in mental health and substance abuse services through data.
• DSHS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DATA BOOK AND NORTHSTAR DATA BOOK— trending quarterly statewide performance for mental health and substance abuse services for effective policy and practice decision-making.

Statewide Data and Reports

Behavioral Health Databook

2009 Statewide Data

• Calendar Year 2009 Statewide Adult Admissions (MS Excel)
• Calendar Year 2009 Statewide Youth Admissions (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Admissions by County Where Client Resides (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Admissions by Primary Substance by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Admissions by Service Type by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Assessments by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 BHIPS Wait List Entries by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 COPSD Statistics (Region and Statewide) (MS Excel)
• FY2009 OSR Assessments/Referrals between 01SEP2008 and 31AUG2009 (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Priority Population Admissions by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Referrals Entered in BHIPS by Region (MS Excel)
• FY2009 Screening by Region (MS Excel)
• Licensed Outpatient Slots and Residential Beds by Region (MS Excel)

Texas School Survey of Substance Abuse among Students

2012

• Texas Drug Facts Among Youth 2012 (PDF)

2010

• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students, Grades 7-12 (PDF)
• Executive Summary Charts: 2010 Texas School Survey, Grades 7-12 (MS Excel)
• Texas Drug Facts Among Youth 2010 (PDF)

2008

• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 4-6 (PDF)
• Executive Summary Charts: 2008 Texas School Survey, Grades 4-6 (MS Excel)
• Adolescent Substance Use in Texas (PDF) (based on 2008 Texas School Survey results)
  Revised document posted May 2010.
  • Text description of graph data (MS Word)
• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 7-12 (PDF) Revised document posted July 2012.
  • Data for charts in the Executive Summary (MS Excel)

2006

• 2006 Prevalence Tables: Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students Grades 4-6 (PDF, 141 KB)
• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 7-12 (PDF, 4.7 MB)
• Adolescent Substance Use in Texas (based on 2006 Texas School Survey results) (PDF, 52 KB)
• Regional Reports: 2006 Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students Grades 7-12
• Layout/Sample Size/Survey Instrument (PDF, 429 KB)
• Region 1 & 9 Report (combined) (PDF, 218 KB)
• Region 3 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Region 4 & 5 Report (combined) (PDF, 218 KB)
• Region 6 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Region 7 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Region 8 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Region 10 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Region 11 Report (PDF, 217 KB)
• Regional Reports: 2006 Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students Grades 4-6
  • Layout/Sample Size/Survey Instrument (PDF, 498 KB)
  • Region 1 & 9 Report (combined) (PDF, 116 KB)
  • Region 3 Report (PDF, 115 KB)
  • Region 4 & 5 Report (combined) (PDF, 116 KB)
  • Region 6 Report (PDF, 117 KB)
  • Region 7 Report (PDF, 116 KB)
  • Region 8 Report (PDF, 117 KB)
  • Region 10 Report (PDF, 116 KB)
  • Region 11 Report (PDF, 118 KB)

2004

• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 4-6 (PDF)
• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students Grades 7-12 (PDF)

2002

• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 4-6 (PDF)
• Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students: Grades 7-12 (PDF

Substance Abuse Trends in Texas

• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2012 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: 2011 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2010 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2009 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2008 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas June 2007 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas June 2006 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas January 2006 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2005 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: January 2005 (PDF)
• Substance Abuse Trends in Texas: June 2004 (PDF)

Additional Statewide Reports

• 2007-2008 Texas Adult Survey of Substance Use and Related Risk Behaviors in Seven Major Counties
• 2005 Texas Survey of Substance Use Among College Students (2005, published April 2007) (PDF, 219 KB)
• Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Texas - 2000 December 2002 (PDF) 
• Substance Use and Delinquency Among Youth Entering Texas Youth Commission Facilities: 2000-2001 September 2001 (PDF)

National Reports

• "Trends in the Abuse of Prescription Drugs", November 2006 (PDF, 266 KB)
• Monitoring the Future
• Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Research and Practice Perspectives

Implications of Research for Treatment  

• Methamphetamine (PDF)
• Ecstasy (PDF)
• GHB (PDF)
• Ketamine (PDF)
• Rohypnol (PDF)

Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center For Excellence In Epidemiology

• 2004 Club Drug Bulletin (PDF)
• Statewide Customer Satisfaction Survey of Methadone Clinic Clients December 2003 (PDF)
• Statewide Results of the Organizational Readiness for Change Survey October 2003 (PDF)