The Texas Congregate Meal Initiative: Next Generation Behavioral Health & Wellness (TCMI–NEXT) is a statewide initiative designed to strengthen Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) congregate meal sites as trusted behavioral health and wellness support anchors for older adults across Texas. 

Funded through the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Nutrition Innovations (INNU) initiative, TCMI–NEXT recognizes that nutrition, emotional wellbeing, social connection, and community participation are deeply interconnected. Working with 16 congregate meal sites statewide, the project assesses behavioral health needs, co-designs feasible wellness interventions, strengthens referral and support pathways, and builds sustainable site-level capacity for behavioral health engagement. 

Core project activities include statewide needs assessments involving older adults, SNP staff, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and healthcare/community providers; co-design workshops and facilitator training to support implementation readiness; implementation and refinement of community-driven behavioral health engagement activities integrated within congregate nutrition settings; development of local referral pathways and community partnerships; and ongoing evaluation of participant wellbeing, engagement, implementation feasibility, and site-level outcomes through a statewide Learning Collaborative. 

TCMI–NEXT integrates movement, music and rhythm engagement, creative and social connection activities, guided reflection, and wellness support strategies within congregate nutrition settings to promote whole-person wellness and strengthen awareness of local behavioral health and community resources. Through community-driven implementation and ongoing Learning Collaborative engagement, the project aims to improve emotional wellbeing and social connection among older Texans while strengthening the role of congregate meal sites as trusted community-based wellness and behavioral health support hubs statewide. 

This study uses a multi-phase, participatory implementation approach to assess behavioral health needs and collaboratively develop feasible, community-driven wellness interventions within Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) sites across Texas. 

Phase 1 — Needs Assessment 

Older adults, SNP staff, Area Agency on Aging staff, and healthcare/community providers complete role-specific statewide surveys to identify behavioral health needs, service gaps, site readiness, and opportunities for cross-sector coordination and referral pathway development. 

Phase 2 — Co-Design & Implementation Preparation 

Participating SNP sites engage in virtual co-design workshops to review findings, identify feasible behavioral health engagement strategies, and prepare for implementation through facilitator training, implementation planning, and community partnership development. 

Phase 3 — Implementation, Refinement & Learning 

Participating Texas SNP sites implement and refine structured behavioral health engagement interventions integrated within congregate nutrition settings throughout the project period. Intervention activities are co-designed with sites and may include movement and stretching, music and rhythm engagement, storytelling, creative arts activities, social connection activities, guided reflection, and wellness/resource support activities. 

Throughout implementation, sites work to strengthen local behavioral health support and referral pathways through community partnerships, resource coordination, and ongoing Learning Collaborative participation. Older adult participants complete pre- and post-program surveys to assess emotional wellbeing, social connection, engagement, and participant experience. Implementation fidelity, participation, feasibility, referral activities, and outcomes are documented through attendance tracking, facilitator implementation logs, and reflection activities. 

Findings and implementation lessons are continuously shared across participating sites through a statewide Learning Collaborative to support quality improvement, cross-site learning, and long-term sustainability of community-based behavioral health supports for older adults.