Toll Free:
1-888-819-5312

Main Phone: 361-777-3991
Fax: 361-777-2940

If you need an appointment outside of normal business hours please contact our Toll Free number above.

24/7 CRISIS HOT-LINE

1-800-841-6467

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SERVICES INQUIRY LINE

1-800-831-6467

Main Location

200 Marriott Drive,
Portland, Texas 78374

Youth & Family Services

The Youth & Family Program provides intensive, in-home, family therapy and related services to children and adolescents as well as their families. This program is designed to keep children/adolescents within the family setting. It strives to address the needs of all family members as they relate to the child or adolescent.

Please, click on this link to see proposed
YES Waiver Amendments:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhsa/yes/

Linda Ramos Perez
Children's Mental Health Services Director

Linda Ramos-Perez is a Texas A&I alumni with a Masters in Psychology and License Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA).  She chose counseling as her career to assist   individuals who experience challenges due to a mental illness and has been working in a Community Mental Health Clinic for a little over 30 years.  During her tenure in public mental health services, she continues to be fascinated in assisting individuals who battle mental illness each day. For the last 29 years, she has held leadership positions within public mental health services for both children and adults as well building and strengthening systems of care within our region.  She has also had the pleasure having the opportunity working at the state level in policy changes.   Her drive and desire as a manager/leader is to support staff in implementing interventions that result in positive outcomes for the community by working collaboratively with individuals in moving towards recovery and become resilient.  

The Youth & Family Program provides intensive, in-home, family therapy and related services to children and adolescents as well as their families. This program is designed to keep children/adolescents within the family setting. It strives to address the needs of all family members as they relate to the child or adolescent.

These services are intended to meet the needs of the child or youth with identified behavioral and/or emotional treatment needs that has significant involvement with multiple child serving systems.  The child or youth is also likely at risk of out of home placement as a result of behavioral and/or emotional needs. The behaviors and/or mood symptoms may have resulted in–or are likely to result in–juvenile justice involvement, expulsion from school, displacement from home, hospitalization, residential treatment, serious injury to self or others, or death.

The purpose of these services is to reduce or stabilize symptoms and/or risk behaviors, improve overall functioning, and build strengths and resiliency in the child/youth and caregiver through a team approach.  Services should be provided in the most convenient location for the child/youth and caregiver, including the office setting, school, home, or other community location.  Service may also be provided via tele-medicine, if available. Providers may need to consider flexible office hours to support the complex needs of the child/you and caregiver.

These services may help families who have a multitude of requirements from other child serving agencies who have involvement in their families. These agencies are inclusive of juvenile justice, child protective services, private therapists, community therapists, community agencies, and educational entities. Services also are available for families and youth in residential treatment as they prepare to return home.

For more information about System of Care, please contact Linda Madrigal, System of Care Coordinator at 361-664-9587.

Case Management services are provided to every child or youth receiving our services. The Case Manager will assess the youth’s needs, along with the family’s needs and provide linkage, coordination and services based upon the youth’s identified needs and priorities for services.

These services are provided to the majority of youth, based upon their identified needs and diagnosis.  All services provided utilize evidence-based practices to help the youth learn the skills they need to understand why they are feeling the way they feel; cope with those feelings in productive ways; and learn new ways of reacting to things.  Parent education and training is an essential part of skills training as parents also need to learn why their child reacts or behaves the way they do, how to respond in a different way and to understand the skills that their child is learning.

Psychiatric Serviceinclude psychiatric evaluations, assessment, diagnosis, and prescribing of psychotropic medications if clinically appropriate.  All medications prescribed are monitored by Board Certified Psychiatrists.  Medications will only be prescribed based upon State and Federal prescribing practices.  The goal is to provide quality medical services, following best practices.  Staff members, to include nursing staff, will also provide training, education and support to assist parents and youth to understand and follow recommended treatment. The goal is for parents to make informed decisions regarding the medication treatment their child receives.

The Family Partner is a formal member of the wraparound team whose role is to support the family and help them engage and actively participate on the team and make informed decisions that drive the process when receiving intensive case management services. The Family Partner can be a mediator, facilitator, or bridge between families and agencies.

Family Partner Services >

Wraparound is a process by which the needs and strengths of a child and family are identified and used to drive the child’s treatment plan.  The intent is to ensure services are family-centered and family-driven.  The overall goal is to establish a plan for a successful life for both the child and family.

The wraparound process involves a group of people that are involved in the family’s life, working together to achieve a goal.  This goal will really be the family’s vision of how they would like for things to look in the future.  The wraparound planning process is organized and the family will be assigned a Case Manager who will facilitate or conduct the family team meeting. 

10 Guiding Principles in the Wraparound Process

  1. Family Voice and Choice:
  2. Team Based:
  3. Natural Supports:
  4. Collaboration:
  5. Community–Based:
  6. Culturally Competent:
  7. Individualized:
  8. Strengths-Based:
  9. Persistence:
  10. Outcome-Based:  

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  The therapist will help the youth explore patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts.  They will then help the youth learn ways of modifying their patterns of thinking to improve coping.  CBT is problem-focused, and goal-directed treatment where the person and therapist are addressing the challenging symptoms of mental illnesses.

YES Waiver- HHSC and DSHS received CMS approval to implement a 1915(c) Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver, called Youth Empowerment Services (YES) in February 2009.  The Yes waiver allows for more flexibility in the funding of intensive community-based services to assist children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances (SED) to live in the community with their families.  Waiver services are provided in combination with services available through the Medicaid State Plan, other federal, state, and local programs the individual may qualify for, and the natural support that families and communities provide.  Some of the services and supports available through YES waiver are respite, community living supports, family supports, minor home modifications, supported employment, paraprofessional, and professional services.

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Providing Behavioral Health Services in Rural South Texas

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