ACCESS Harris County

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ACCESS Harris County

On July 20, 2021, the Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to establish ACCESS Harris County.  The goal of this initiative is to provide integrated service delivery through a no-wrong door approach for individuals in need of services across the county systems and community-based programs. 

What is ACCESS Harris County?

Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self Sufficiency (ACCESS) Harris County, is an integrated care-coordination model that works to improve outcomes for vulnerable individuals through a multi-interdepartmental disciplinary team or care coordination team. The team will focus on supporting clients holistically, addressing multiple needs that ensure better outcomes and greater stability.

ACCESS Harris County aims to improve the lives of residents who are experiencing hardship and facing health challenges (physical and/or mental), financial and housing needs, substance abuse, and social inequity.  

ACCESS will initially focus on the following populations:

  • Violence Prevention
  • Homeless individuals with physical or behavioral health conditions
  • Black Maternal Health
  • Re-entry
  • Transitional age youth aging out of foster care system


ACCESS Harris County Objectives
  • Improve the health, well-being, sustained recovery, and self-sufficiency of the County’s most vulnerable residents 
  • Develop and implement a plan to coordinate agency services and reduce duplication of services 
  • Improve integrated service delivery referrals, access, and sustained engagement of clients 
  • Develop strategies and policies for improved efficiencies, better utilization, and better outcomes 
  • Develop an integrated data sharing system to support care coordination across agencies
Safety Net Collaborative

ACCESS Harris County will collaborate with a variety of local and state entities to ensure our program is successful and we are best serving the residents of Harris County. The list of local and state agencies who will support ACCESS whether through direct or indirect programming efforts include:  

  • Harris County Public Health
  • Community Supervision & Corrections Department
  • Department of Economics, Equity, and Opportunity
  • Harris County Community Services Department
  • Harris County Department of Education
  • Harris County Housing Authority
  • Harris County Juvenile Probation Department
  • Harris County District Attorney’s Office
  • Harris County Libraries
  • Harris County Resources for Children and Adults
  • Harris County Sheriff's Office
  • Harris Health System
  • The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD
  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division Region III/Area Agency on Parole
  • City of Houston Health Department

Services from these agencies are used by many of the vulnerable individuals ACCESS aims to help, and collectively is referred to as the Safety Net.