On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released 40 pages of recommendations to prevent mass shootings at Texas schools.  One of his key points was a program developed in Lubbock. 

Abbott made his comments in light of the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18.  

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, was charged with capital murder for the death of 10 people and the injury of 13 more. 

After the shooting, Abbott held a series of roundtable discussions in Texas. 

“[A] concern repeated at the roundtables was the need to prevent people from becoming shooters in the first place,” Abbott said Wednesday. 

Among his recommendations was an expansion of the TWITR program developed at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. TWITR is short for Telemedicine, Wellness, Intervention, Triage, and Referral. 

“The model uses Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) to assess junior high or high school students who had been identified by school personnel as having behavioral problems possibly leading to violence,” TTUHSC has said.

Currently, TTUHSC identifies participating schools as: Abernathy ISD, Crosbyton ISD, Frenship ISP, Idalou ISD, Levelland ISD, Lubbock Cooper ISD, Plainview ISD, Ralls ISD, Roosevelt ISD and Tahoka ISD.  Governor Abbott said 12 more school districts will soon join the list.

“Now this program has identified and removed from schools students who posed an imminent threat of harm to others,” Abbott said.  “This also led to other benefits such as decreases in truancy referrals as well as fewer discipline referrals to schools.”

Abbott said, “My recommendation includes that Texas provide $20 million to expand this program even further – eventually making it a statewide program.”

As of April 30, TTUHSC said:

  • 25 students have been removed from school, 
  • 44 were placed in alternative placements
  • 38 students have been sent to an emergency room or inpatient hospital.
  • 94 students were referred for anger/violence, 
  • 65 for suicidal ideation and/or self-harm, 
  • 36 for depression, and 
  • 57 for other reasons

On Wednesday afternoon Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., President,Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center said: 

“We are encouraged by Gov. Abbott’s focus on mental health as an area of emphasis in addressing school safety in Texas. We are honored that he recognizes the Telemedicine Wellness Intervention Triage & Referral (TWITR) Project as part of the solution. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is grateful for the investments to date in this innovative project and the open lines of communication we’ve had with Gov. Abbott’s office. We look forward to working on a long-term partnership that will ensure schools and students have the health care resources needed.”

Use the video link to see Abbott’s announcement which was carried live on the KLBK Facebook page.