On Aug. 23, Travis County opened a short-term, 24-hour respite facility for youth in Central Texas.
The Youth Crisis Respite Program provides a safe and supportive environment for young people ages 13-17 in Travis County who are experiencing a crisis or need a break from life’s stressors, explained Marlene Buchanan, LPC, director of Systems of Care for Integral Health, Travis County’s local mental health authority. The program allows for a less restrictive alternative to psychiatric hospitalization.
The initiative was funded by the Travis County Commissioners Court, which allocated $215,000 in fiscal year 2024 to provide for rent, food, and furnishings at the cottage where the program is located. In addition, the Health and Human Services Commission awarded Integral Care a two-year, $2 million grant to fund staffing and services.
Stays range from a short time – a few hours – to 10 days depending on individual and family needs, Buchanan shared. Youth work with a treatment team and participate in trauma-informed, evidence-based therapy. They continue their education while prepping for transition back to their home school. The program also includes working with family and mental health providers to plan for reunification and continuity of care, developing skills for meaningful relationships and personal growth, and medication and psychiatric care as needed.
“There was a need for a program to provide an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for young people,” Integral Care CEO Jeff Richardson observed. “The Youth Crisis Respite Program provides a safe place to go where youth receive support day and night. The program provides supervision, therapeutic support, and skill-building in a home-like atmosphere.”
The program is currently accepting Travis County referrals, which can be made by the youth and their family, school personnel, law enforcement and juvenile probation, hospitals, and local mental health professionals or facilities.