Texas opened a new residential treatment center in Terrell meant to increase access to intensive behavioral health services for foster youth.
The Terrell Center for Youth in will serve up to 30 kids between 13 and 17 years old who are under Texas Department of Family and Protective Services conservatorship and have complex mental health, substance use issues or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The facility is operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
“Every young person in foster care deserves to feel supported and hopeful about what lies ahead,” HHSC executive commissioner Stephanie Muth said in a statement. “This center fills a critical gap in services, giving adolescents a safe place to heal, find stability, discover their strengths and take meaningful steps toward a brighter future.”
The Terrell Center for Youth is located on the Terrell State Hospital Campus, but is a stand-alone facility, according to HHSC.
The agency said the center will provide clinical treatment, behavioral health services and around-the-clock support to children with a high level of support needs while “preparing them for successful long-term placements.”
Studies show kids in foster care experience mental health issues at higher rates than kids not in the system.
In an email to KERA, HHSC said patients will begin moving into the new facility next month.
Residents at the Terrell Center for Youth will receive educational instruction from Terrell ISD.
The state's foster care system has been the center of an ongoing 15-year lawsuit over issues such as kids sleeping in Child Protective Services offices, high case loads and outdated software.
The center is part of a larger effort by the state to increase access to behavioral healthcare across Texas. Earlier this year, HHSC unveiled the Texas Behavioral Health Center, the first state hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex – which included 92 pediatric beds, making it one of the largest pediatric behavioral health units in the country.
The Texas Legislature approved more than $35 million for the Terrell Center for Youth in the budget passed last year.
“The Legislature’s investment in children’s mental health, and the dedicated work of foster care staff across our state have made a remarkable impact on reducing the number of children without placement,” DFPS Commissioner Audrey O’Neill said in a statement. “But we know some youth in our conservatorship have behavioral health needs that only a highly skilled clinical provider can meet. Terrell Center for Youth gives us that option.”
Abigail Ruhman is KERA’s health reporter. Got a tip? Email Abigail at aruhman@kera.org.
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