BHEC Closed on Monday, April 8th
In anticipation of heightened traffic congestion, potential school closures, and concerns regarding disruptions to cellular and internet services during the forthcoming total solar eclipse, together with the disaster declarations issued by Travis and surrounding counites, the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council will be closed on Monday, April 8, 2024. Additionally, our agency staff will operate remotely on Friday, April 5th, and may extend remote work to Tuesday, April 9th, contingent upon communication and internet connectivity capabilities.
Posted on March 25, 2024
BHEC Website Unavailable on February 18th and 25th
The Texas Facilities Commission has scheduled a complete electrical shutdown of the George H.W. Bush State Office Building for Sunday, February 18, 2024, between the hours of 7am and 3pm, and Sunday, February 25, 2024, between the hours of 6am and 5pm. As a result, the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council’s website, which includes our Contact Us web page, will be inaccessible to the public during this time-frame. Therefore, members of the public, including those who plan on renewing their license on either of these dates, should plan accordingly.
If you need to access the Council’s online licensing system during this planned outage for renewal, an address or name change, etc., you may access the system directly (i.e., without going through the Council’s website) by clicking here. Licensees are encouraged to save the direct access link (https://vo.licensing.hpc.texas.gov) for the online licensing system for use during this planned outage.
Applicants and licensees are also encouraged to download or print off any rule books, How-to-User Guides, or forms they may need to reference during this planned outage.
While every effort has been made to ensure a speedy return to service of the website following the electrical shutdown, the public should anticipate some inconvenience. To that end, licensees and members of the public are encouraged to share this notification with their friends and colleagues to ensure a high level of preparedness for this planned outage.
Posted on January 26, 2024
2025-2029 Strategic Planning Survey Now Open
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council has begun the process of strategic planning for fiscal years 2025-2029. Strategic planning is a long-term and future-oriented process of assessment, goal setting, and decision making. It includes a multiyear view of objectives and strategies for the accomplishment of agency goals. The strategic planning process incorporates and sets direction for all agency operations.
A strategic plan is the formal document that communicates the agency’s goals, directions, and outcomes to various audiences, including the Governor, the Legislature, the agency’s employees, client and constituency groups, and the public. The Texas Government Code, Chapter 2056, requires strategic planning for all agencies in the executive branch of state government.
As part of the strategic planning process, the Council would like to ask for your input regarding trends, conditions, opportunities, and obstacles that influence the Council as an agency or the regulated professions under the Council’s jurisdiction. In assessing your input, the Council will identify specific need indicators within the practice of a regulated profession and will address the major issues anticipated to affect the Council during fiscal years 2025-2029.
If you would like to participate in this survey, please click on the button below.
Ideas and suggestions for strategic planning make a difference. The Council makes process improvements and rule changes based upon public input, and we share your feedback with state lawmakers. Therefore, any input that you could give would be greatly appreciated. To that end, please complete the survey on or before January 31, 2024 at 5pm, at which time the survey will close.
Posted on December 28, 2023.
2023 Customer Service Survey Now Open
In accordance with Chapter 2114 of the Government Code, the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council is conducting its biennial customer service survey.
The Council strives to provide licensing, enforcement, and other regulatory services to the public in an honest, fair, thorough, cost-efficient, and timely manner.
In order to assist the Council with improving its services, please take a moment and respond to this brief survey regarding your experience with the Council.
Survey responses must be received on or before December 31, 2023 at 5pm, at which time the survey will close.
Posted on October 26, 2023.
Online Licensing System Unavailable Beginning on Oct. 20th at 6pm
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council will implement a major upgrade to its regulatory database beginning on Thursday, October 20th at 6pm. The upgrade is expected take until Monday, October 24th to complete. During this upgrade, members of the public will continue to have access to the Council’s website and jurisprudence exams, but will be unable to access the online licensing system.
This means individuals will not be able to perform any functions requiring access to the online licensing system, such as applying for a license or supervisor status, renewing a license, changing their contact information, requesting a name change, or searching the license database.
Therefore, members of the public should plan accordingly. In particular, licensees with October renewal deadlines are encouraged to renew their license in advance of this planned outage to ensure agency staff are not overwhelmed with requests for assistance after the upgrade is complete.
While every effort has been made to ensure a speedy return to service following the upgrade, the public should anticipate some inconvenience during the upgrade process. To that end, licensees and members of the public are encouraged to share this email with their friends and colleagues to ensure a high level of preparedness for this planned outage.
Posted on October 17, 2022.
BHEC Moving to George H.W. Bush State Office Building in July
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council will be moving from its current office location in the William P. Hobby Jr. State Office Building to its new office in the George H.W. Bush State Office Building beginning on Thursday, July 7th. Effective Monday, July 11th, 2022, the Council’s physical and mailing address will change from 333 Guadalupe St., Ste. 3-900, Austin, Texas 78701 to:
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
George H.W. Bush State Office Bldg.
1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300
Austin, Texas 78701
In connection with this move, agency staff will not have access to the Council’s network or internet connection beginning on Wednesday, July 6th at 4pm. This planned outage will extend through Monday, July 11th, but may extend through Wednesday, July 13th if difficulties are encountered. Agency staff will not be able to access the network or respond to emails during this planned outage and the Council’s website, which includes our Contact Us webpage, will be inaccessible as well. Additionally, the Council’s phone system will be offline beginning Wednesday, July 6th at 4pm through the duration of the network outage, so agency staff will not be able to receive or make phone calls during this time period. Therefore, members of the public should plan accordingly and expect staff to be unavailable during this time frame.
If you need to access the Council’s online licensing system during this planned outage for renewal, an address or name change, etc., you may access the system directly (i.e., without going through the Council’s website) by clicking here. Licensees are encouraged to save the direct access link (https://vo.licensing.
hpc.texas.gov) for the online licensing system for use during this planned outage.
Applicants and licensees are also encouraged to download or print off any rulebooks, How-to-User Guides, or forms they may need to reference during this planned outage.
While every effort has been made to ensure a smooth transition and speedy return to service following the move, the public should anticipate some inconvenience during the Council’s move. To that end, licensees and members of the public are encouraged to share this notification with their friends and colleagues to ensure a high level of preparedness for this planned outage.
Posted on June 2, 2022
Paper License Applications Being Phased Out
As part of the ongoing efforts to improve efficiency within the agency, the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC) is pleased to announce that on April 18th BHEC will add the following applications to our online licensing system:
- License Reinstatement (for licenses that have been retired or expired for one year or more)
- Psychologist Temporary License
- Psychological Associate Temporary License
These represent the final remaining license applications to be moved to the online system.
***Effective Monday, April 18, 2022 BHEC will no longer accept paper applications for licensure. All applications for licensure must be submitted via the online system.***
Any paper applications received on or after April 18th will be returned to the sender directing them to apply online.
On April 18th a detailed “How-To Guide” for the new online applications will be posted on the BHEC website here.
Discontinuance of Renewal Permits
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council voted to discontinue printing and mailing renewal permits at its October 27, 2020 regular meeting. This decision was made in-part because licensees are no longer required to display a renewal permit alongside their license and because the information contained in renewal permits is now available through the Council’s online license verification system.
Beginning November 16th, the Council will no longer print or mail renewal permits when licensees renew their license. Licensees may verify whether their license has been renewed through the Council’s online verification system and print out the status of their license if proof is needed, e.g. to submit to an insurance company. The information available through the online verification system is both accurate and based upon agency records, and is considered primary source verification.
Lastly, licensees can still order a renewal permit through the Council’s online licensing system, if they so desire. The cost for ordering a renewal permit is $10.
Posted on November 5, 2020