H.R. No. 1703
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Jim McDermott of Tarrant County received the
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Staff Leadership from the
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare; and
WHEREAS, The chief executive officer of Mental Health Mental
Retardation of Tarrant County, Dr. McDermott was recognized for his
unwavering commitment to behavioral health care and for his notable
contributions to the industry over the course of more than two
decades; and
WHEREAS, With his vision of developing a comprehensive,
community-focused system of care for individuals with mental health
issues or mental retardation, Dr. McDermott has overseen numerous
expansions and improvements at MHMRTC; he worked diligently to
increase the agency's local, state, and federal resources from $24
million to $90 million, and he has significantly enhanced its
mental health crisis response system; MHMRTC now serves more than
20,000 patients annually, and it offers an array of programs,
including outpatient mental health, detox, and childhood
intervention; moreover, under Dr. McDermott's skilled leadership,
MHMRTC has earned a reputation as an innovative and high-quality
health care institution, and thus it is often used as a pilot site
for implementing new statewide initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Dr. McDermott was chosen by the board chair of the
Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation to serve
on the Mental Health Task Force, which was created to reshape the
state's community-based system of delivery; in 2007, he was
selected as chair of the Executive Directors Consortium of the
Texas Council of Community MHMR clinics, and he was asked to
participate in a Blue Ribbon Committee to examine workforce issues
related to assuring the availability of quality behavioral health
care in Tarrant County; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to building a brighter future for Texans
with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, Dr.
McDermott has garnered the lasting respect and appreciation of his
colleagues, patients, and fellow residents, and he may indeed
reflect with great pride on the positive impact he has had on his
community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Jim McDermott on his receipt of
the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Staff Leadership from the
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and extend to
him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. McDermott as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Truitt
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1703 was adopted by the House on May
7, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House