Texas Department of State Health Services

Headquarters of the Texas Department of State Health Services

Austin State Hospital

Texas Department of State Health Services is a state agency of Texas. The department was created by House Bill 2292 of the 78th Texas Legislature in 2003 through the merging of four state agencies: the Texas Department of Health, Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Texas Health Care Information Council, and Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.^[1] The department provides state-operated health care services, including hospitals, health centers, and health agencies. The agency is headquartered at the Central Campus at 1100 West 49th Street in Austin.^[2] The DSHS Council governs the department.^[3]

The agency's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division, along with Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University coordinate the Texas School Survey,^[4] a program consisting of two surveys on drug and alcohol abuse, an annual one done at the local school-district level and a biennial statewide survey. The statewide survey, called the Texas School Survey of Substance Use, is the largest survey of its kind to be conducted in the United States and administered to over 100,000 public school students between grades 7-12.^[5][6]

Leadership

Dr. John Hellerstedt is the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.^[7]

Geographic Structure

The agency provides an array of public health services and oversight across the state via 8 Regional offices. ^[8]

• Region 1 Headquarters: Lubbock, Texas^[9]

References

1. ↑ "2004 Texas Register Archive". University of North Texas. 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2009. 
2. ↑ "Visitor Information." Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved on March 13, 2009.
3. ↑ "DSHS Council." Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved on March 13, 2009.
4. ↑ "Who is Responsible for the Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use?". Texas School Survey.org. Retrieved August 28, 2009. 
5. ↑ "Student alcohol, drug use declines" (pdf). Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. September 18, 2000. Retrieved August 28, 2009. 
6. ↑ "The Secret Edge - Steroids in High School". Dallas Morning News. 2005. Retrieved August 28, 2009. 
7. ↑ http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/orgchart/default.shtm
8. ↑ http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/default.shtm
9. ↑ "Texas Health Service Regions Map". Department of State Health Services. Retrieved 29 May 2015. 

External links

• Official website
• TexasDSHS - YouTube

Texas state agencies
Executive	Dept. of Agriculture Alcoholic Beverage Commission Animal Health Commission Dept. of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Attorney General School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Brazos River Authority State Cemetery Comptroller of Public Accounts School for the Deaf Board of Dental Examiners Commission on Environmental Quality Education Agency Employees Retirement System Ethics Commission Facilities Commission Dept. of Family and Protective Services Film Commission Forest Service Office of the Governor Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Health and Human Services Commission Dept. of State Health Services Higher Education Coordinating Board Historical Commission Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs Dept. of Information Resources Dept. of Insurance Commission on Jail Standards General Land Office Library and Archives Commission Dept. of Licensing and Regulation Lottery Commission Lower Colorado River Authority Dept. of Motor Vehicles Dept. of Parks and Wildlife Preservation Board Dept. of Public Safety Railroad Commission Real Estate Commission Residential Construction Commission Soil and Water Conservation Board State Fair Teacher Retirement System Texas A&M University System Dept. of Transportation Trinity River Authority University of Houston System University of North Texas System University of Texas System Texas State University System Texas Tech University System Workforce Commission Juvenile Justice Department
Legislative	House of Representatives Senate
Judicial	Courts of Appeals Court of Criminal Appeals Dept. of Criminal Justice State Bar Supreme Court