Macie Kelly / Houston Public Media
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks on the importance of being vigilant in the fight against human trafficking at a “No Trafficking Zone” news conference at NRG Stadium.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is proposing a paid mental health leave policy for all full-time employees of the county government.
Hidalgo’s proposal, which is on the agenda for Thursday’s commissioners court meeting, would direct several county offices to draft a mental health policy that applies to employees that aren’t already covered by existing departmental mental health polices, according to meeting agenda documents. The county, which includes the city of Houston, has more than 20,000 full-time employees.
In a statement to Houston Public Media late Tuesday, Hidalgo said employees suppressing mental health challenges can affect their performance. Productive workplaces allow employees to take a day or two for their mental health before it becomes an issue, she said.
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“It also normalizes conversations about mental wellbeing, so that employees can discuss, for example, feeling anxious the way they discuss having allergies or a headache, and support each other accordingly,” she said.
In 2023, Hidalgo took a two-month leave of absence from her role as the county’s top elected official to receive treatment for clinical depression at an inpatient care facility outside of Texas. Commissioner Rodney Ellis presided over commissioners court during her absence.
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Hidalgo had previously been a proponent for expanding mental health services across Harris County. In 2022, she announced a $14 million initiative — backed by COVID-19 pandemic-era grant funds — to expand services to combat a growing mental health crisis.
Also in 2022, Harris County commissioners authorized mental health leave for Harris County Sheriff’s Office personnel after the Texas Legislature passed a bill mandating that law enforcement agencies across the state create mental health policies.
Harris County deputies who have been involved in critical incidents are authorized to take administrative leave with pay and benefits after completing debriefs to determine whether a trauma response occurred and whether there was evidence of impairment, according to the policy.
The court expanded that action in 2022 by authorizing mental health leave for emergency communication officers, constables and Harris County Public Health frontline workers.
“Mental illness is more prevalent than ever in our community causing violence, self-harm, and divisiveness, and normalizing conversations about it are the first step to ensuring we have a healthy population going forward,” Hidalgo said Tuesday.
Commissioner Tom Ramsey requested discussions on the new mental health policy item, according to meeting agenda documents. He declined to comment on the proposal when asked Tuesday by Houston Public Media.
In a social media post, Ramsey said creating separate paid mental health days would come with a significant price tag and potentially cost the county millions of dollars a year in overtime.
“We all support mental health,” Ramsey said. “The question is whether creating yet another category of paid leave is the right solution. At a time when budgets are stretched and resources are limited, we should focus on improving existing benefits and services rather than creating new entitlements that taxpayers will ultimately have to fund.”