Specialized therapy team for at-risk youth coming to Hays County
HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) --- Hays County will welcome a specialized response team to support at-risk youth.
According to a press release by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, the new Multisystemic Therapy (MST) team is a family and community-based treatment for at-risk youth from 12 to 17 years old.
"It has proven most effective for treating youth who have committed or are at risk of committing violent offenses, have serious mental health or substance abuse concerns, are at risk of out-of-home placement, and have experienced abuse and neglect," the release read.
The team is funded through part of the state's $105.5 million response to the Uvalde school shooting.
$4.7 million was included to fund seven new MST teams across the state.
The seven new MST teams include:
- Hill Country MHDD (Uvalde, Comal, Hays Counties)
- Bluebonnet Trails Community Services (Guadalupe, Caldwell and Gonzalez Counties)
- Denton MHMR (Denton County)
- LifePath Systems (Collin County)
- North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (Ellis County)
- Star Care Specialty Care (Lubbock County)
- Tropical Texas Behavioral Health (Hidalgo County)
"The program is a collaborative effort between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Centers," the release said.
Who makes up the MST team?
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute states the MST program includes specially trained therapists.
They provide intensive treatment, usually in the home, for three to five months.
"Team members remain on-call and available 24 hours a day and help the young person develop necessary skills to cope with family, school, and neighborhood stressors, with structured supervision and quality assurances to ensure progress is being made and maintained," the release read.
The teams consist of:
- One supervisor
- Three or four therapists
“When Uvalde happened, we knew Texas had to do more to reach at-risk youth. State leadership took immediate steps to invest in much-needed mental health and school safety initiatives, recognizing the importance of early intervention and evidence-based programs,” said Andy Keller, President and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
More funding on the way
The seven new teams bring the state's total number to 14 MST teams.
But, more are on the way.
"The 88th Legislature recently appropriated a total of $32.45 million to maintain and expand MST capacity by an estimated 15 additional teams starting later this year," the release read.