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In her role as medical director, Dr. Becker is responsible for the quality of the clinical behavioral health services that DSHS delivers. Specifically, she provides support and guidance to the medical directors at the state hospital facilities. She also consults, advising on behavioral health-care issues, with community mental health centers and local providers of substance abuse services.
Although this position resides in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Division, it provides a much broader advisory role across the agency on behavioral health issues. Dr. Becker serves on work groups that seek to improve the integration of primary health care and behavioral health care. She is involved in all clinical aspects of behavioral health issues including contract requirements, development and monitoring of rules and policies, professional education opportunities, and serving as a liaison with agency leadership.
Dr. Becker is board certified in child, adolescent, and forensic psychiatry.
Prior to her current position, Dr. Becker served as an attending physician at Austin State Hospital on several adult acute-care units and on the female adolescent unit. She has also acted as the medical director at the Austin Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation and was the child psychiatrist for its Child and Adolescent Emergency Team. Dr. Becker has worked in juvenile corrections settings and has had a private practice.. She was an attending physician at the Bellevue Hospital in New York and was an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at New York University.
Dr. Becker was highlighted in the March 5, 2008 issue of the Behavioral Health News BRIEF (MS Word)
News
North Texas State Hospital Named Winner of the 2011 David Pharis Award for Excellence in Hospital Quality Improvement
DSHS and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians presented the award to North Texas State Hospital for their Recovery Model of Care Program. The program was recognized for making significant contributions to the safety and quality of inpatient care and outcomes. Peggy Perry, Director of the State Hospital Section at DSHS commended the program for applying “…the concepts of consumer choice and a recovery orientation to treatment in ways to create success and add value to the person’s experience in the Maximum Security Program at North Texas State Hospital." Learn more in the November 28, 2011 issue of the Behavioral Health News BRIEF »
Burke Center Honored
The American Psychiatric Association has honored the Burke Center's Mental Health Emergency Center, Lufkin, Texas, by awarding the Gold Achievement Award in the category of community-based programs for its innovative approach in bringing comprehensive psychiatric emergency services to rural communities in 12 counties of East Texas. The program assists adults in crisis, either those brought to Burke Center under an emergency mental health warrant or persons who voluntarily walk in and request assistance.
Burke Center MHEC applies standards of care developed in 2005 by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Crisis Redesign. A summary of the program can be found at: http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=179991
For more information, contact David Cozadd, Burke Center MHEC, 105 Mayo Place, Lufkin, TX 75901 (email: davidc@burke-center.org).
Page Index
“Shortage of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in Texas” Published March 2010 Texas Medicine
Baillargeon J, Penn JV, Knight K, Harzke AJ, Baillargeon G, Becker EA. (2009). Risk of incarceration among prisoners with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Administration and Policy in Mental Health (in press).
“Investigating Allegations of Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse: An Overview for Professionals” Book Review. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 2009 37 (2): 274
“SSRIs and Behavioral Disruption among Children and Adolescents at Austin State Hospital” Texas Medicine May 2009 105 (5): 49
“Outpatient Competency Restoration Texas 2008” poster at American Neuropsychiatric Association March 2008 (MS PowerPoint)
“Voluntary Re-admission among Schizophrenic Patients in the Texas State Psychiatric Hospital System” Texas Medicine, September 2007 103(9):54-59.
“Covert medication hits balance of ethics, safety” American Medical News. 2007;50(5):15.
“Weight Changes in Teens on Psychotropic Medication Combinations at Austin State Hospital” Texas Medicine, March 2005, Vol 101, No. 3
As of November 2010, Dr. Lakey, Commissioner of DSHS approved the replacement of TIMA with the following
- Use the 2009 PORT recommendations as a guideline for treatment and medication of schizophrenia.
- Use the 2010 American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines as a guideline for the treatment and medication of major depressive disorder.
- Treatment for diagnoses other than schizophrenia and major depressive disorder should conform to DSHS Executive Formulary audit guidelines, a specific set of guidelines for each psychotropic medication that include indications, contraindications, patient monitoring parameters and dosing information. The Executive Formulary Committee updates them quarterly.
- Treatment for children should conform Department of Family and Protective Services guidelines “Common Psychotropic Medications Used with Children and Adolescents”
- Use current administrative rules as a mechanism to monitor polypharmcy (25 Texas Administrative Code §§ 415.7, 415.10, 415.11, 415.12). These rules describe practice guidelines for polypharmacy and require monitoring of polypharmacy.
- Use patient/ family education available from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA09-4423
- Rating scales, while highly recommended for tracking patient progress and symptoms, are optional.
List of New Generation Medications
- Risperidone drug therapy effective September 1, 1996
- Olanzapine drug therapy effective October 25, 1996
- Quetiapine drug therapy effective November 1, 1997
- Generic Clozapine drug therapy effective June 1, 1999
- Ziprasidone drug therapy effective April 1, 2001
- Aripiprazole drug therapy effective November 19, 2002
- Risperdal Consta therapy effective January 14, 2004
- Invega (Paliperidone) therapy effective April 3, 2007
- Invega Sustenna therapy effective September 25, 2009
- Saphris (asenapine) effective January 29, 2010
- Fanapt (Iloperidone) therapy effective April 9, 2010
- Olanzapine Pamoate (Zyprexa® Relprevv™) effective July 09, 2010
- Lurasidone (Latuda®) effective April 1, 2011
DSHS guidelines for these and other psychotropics may be found at the Medication Audit Criteria and Guidelines page.
If permitted by hospital policy, pharmaceutical company representatives are allowed to visit with state hospital physicians by appointment only. Representatives may leave only product information pamphlets. Food, medication samples, gifts such as pens or anything of monetary value are prohibited.
This policy reflects State Government Code Chapter 575 and Chapter 531 §531.0381. Chapter 575 requires the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to acknowledge the acceptance of gifts valued at $500 or more. Section 531.0381 sets out policy for acceptance of gifts or grants of money, drugs, equipment, or any other item of value received from a pharmaceutical manufacturer, distributor, provider or another entity engaged in a pharmaceutical related business.
Per the Texas Administrative Code, the Behavioral Health Medical Director provides supervision over deaths reported in state mental health hospital facilities and deaths reported by local mental health authorities:
SUPPORT
Services Uniting Pediatrics & Psychiatry Outreaching to Texas
- Commitment Process Overview
Many in the community frequently query how patients are referred, admitted and/ or committed to the State Hospitals. The following is a brief summary:
Please email Dr. Becker with questions or for more information.