Jessie Higgins is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has a passion for improving community systems so that they are better able to provide excellent patient care and vulnerable populations are able to improve.
After graduating with her Master of Arts in Counseling in 2013 from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Jessie moved to San Antonio and began working at the Center for Health Care Services. She served the complex crisis population on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team and a specialized 1115 Waiver project aimed at engaging High Utilizers. After her work in direct care, she worked at the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) in the Southwest Texas Crisis Collaborative division, which aims to end ineffective utilization of services for the population at the intersection of chronic illness, mental illness, and homelessness in Bexar County. Before coming to the City of San Antonio, she worked as the Clinical Administrator of the Center for Health Care Services’ Josephine Recovery Center, a 24-hours crisis respite program helping individuals recover from mental health and substance use crises.
Jessie currently serves as the City of San Antonio’s Chief Mental Health Officer. She is the first to hold this position in the Metropolitan Health District and works to coordinate internal and external partnerships to improve the mental wellbeing of the residents of San Antonio. She was named the 2023 Communities in Schools All in for Kids Community Leader and recognized as one of the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for 2025.
