Texas is the second-largest state in the US, and its teen and young adult population live in both rural and urban areas. There are also 773 miles between its eastern and western borders, so residents who need mental health treatment suitable for their specific needs can find that traveling to those services can take considerable driving time. Meanwhile, only 28% of the adult population holds a four-year college degree, and nearly 16% of the population lives below the federal poverty level. Yet, mental health treatment and substance abuse centers exist in nearly all parts of Texas (although they are especially located in its cities). The five best mental health treatment centers for teens and young adults in Texas are described below.
1) Newport Academy (located in Dallas, TX)
This mental health treatment center specializes in providing mental health and substance abuse treatment to teens and young adults. Newport Academy in Texas (TX) operates solely an outpatient facility in Dallas. However, inpatient – as well as outpatient – services are provided by Newport Academy in other states, as this this treatment center has numerous nationwide facilities. A unique feature of the Dallas outpatient center is that it serves this city through collaborative partnerships with local hospitals, schools systems, and referring mental health professionals. The primary focus in general of Newport Academy is on psychological, behavioral, and/or substance abuse issues. At the Dallas center, the experiential activities offered to the teen and young adult clients may include improvisational theater, outdoor team challenges, community service, horticulture therapy, and hiking excursions in the area’s parks and nature preserves.
Payment Options: Diverse types of health insurance are accepted (as well as self-pay).
1) UT Health’s Harris County Psychiatric Center – Child and Adolescent Program (Houston, TX)
Part of University of Texas Medical Center’s psychiatric services, the Harris County Psychiatric Center’s Child and Adolescent Program (CAP) provides inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment to youth aged 3-17. The treatment team focuses on the assessment and stabilization of youth in all levels of crisis, and within a safe, secure, structured, and small group milieu. A unique feature of the CAP is the ability to provide the youth within this program access to – and support from – the University of Texas’ academic psychology services. Three of the many mental health disorders in children and adolescents that are found in those served by CAP are:
- Bipolar Disorder;
- Schizophrenia (and other psychotic disorders);
- Anxiety Disorders
Payment Options: Diverse types of health insurance are accepted (as well as self-pay).
3) Cross Creek Hospital – Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Program (AIPTP) (Austin, TX)
Cross Creek Hospital is a psychiatric hospital offering inpatient and outpatient treatment to youth and adults. Adolescents are treated for behavioral health and substance abuse disorders in a 20-bed inpatient setting within the specialized program of the AIPTP, and the hospital also operates an adolescent intensive outpatient program for teens aged 12-17. For adults over age 18, inpatient and outpatient treatment is also available, as well as a medical detox program. The goal of all therapies offered in the AIPTP are for each teenager to successfully return to his/her home, school, and community. This program utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach that psychiatrist, nurses, a licensed clinical therapist, and therapeutic care specialists. Individual, group, and family therapy may be part of the treatment plan depending upon the adolescent patient’s needs.
Payment Options: Diverse types of health insurance are accepted (as well as self-pay).
4) San Antonio Counseling and Behavioral Center (San Antonio, TX)
This outpatient mental health treatment center offers services to both youth and adults. It has two sites in San Antonio for client convenience, with one located in Stone Oak and the other in Alamo Ranch. There are also around 100 experienced Licensed Professional Counselors on its clinical staff. Psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults, and families is available by appointment only, and the following are six of the diverse specialized therapies available for teen and young adult clients:
- Depression counseling;
- Anxiety counseling;
- Autism therapy;
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) therapy;
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) counseling;
- Family counseling
Payment Options: Diverse types of health insurance are accepted (as well as self-pay).
5) Teen Health Center, Inc. (Galveston, TX)
Youth up to 21 years of age who live in Galveston – or attend Galveston schools – are eligible to receive services from Teen Health Center, Inc. Psychiatric care (including counseling and medical management to treat conduct disorders, depression, anxiety, and other diagnosed mental illnesses) and/or mental health care (inclusive of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT] and types of mental health therapy) are available as well as medical health care.
Payment Options: Services are free to all eligible clients. Teen Health Center, Inc. does not accept private insurance, Medicaid, or self-payment.
Bipolar Disorder and Why It Requires Specialized Treatment
Manic-depression was the former name of the mental disorder termed Bipolar Disorder. Unlike teenagers and young adults who are diagnosed with depression, Bipolar Disorder can involve periods of “mania” in which the afflicted person can act in a highly impulsive and irrational manner (inclusive of psychotic episodes). There are four sub-types of Bipolar Disorder (which is classified as a major mental disorder along with Schizophrenia and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), and these are: 1) Bipolar I disorder; 2) Bipolar II disorder; 3) Cyclothymic disorder; and 4) Other type (inclusive of types caused by drug use and/or specific health conditions such as Cushing’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis ([MS]).
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 2.8% of the US adult population was living with Bipolar Disorder over the past year, and the prevalence in adolescents is higher in females than males (which is also the case in adults). The usual treatment for Bipolar Disorder is through a combination of medication and mental health therapy to control symptoms.
If your adolescent or young adult offspring – or you – is suffering from a mental health disorder or substance abuse, it is vital to enter treatment as soon as possible to avoid having this permanently affect in a negative way your relationships and daily life activities.
