HISTORY
Youth and Family Counseling was organized as an independent, not for profit agency operating under tax code 501 (C) (3) which is controlled by a Board of Directors made up of civic leaders in the community. Our goal is to aid families and youth in their endeavors to live mentally healthy lives. Our agency was established in 1981 by several local police chiefs, in order to offer one of the earliest First Offender Programs in the state of Texas. The focus of the First Offenders and At Risk Kids Program (FOARK), is the utilization of family therapy to address rebellious behaviors in children that have been arrested for the first time. Through this program, juveniles and their families are offered six sessions of cost-free family counseling, …show more content…
Through this program, youthful offenders have the opportunity to complete six free sessions of family counseling. At the completion of our voluntary program, the initial charges are dropped from the child’s record, including the arrest. In addition, the FOARK Program also enables teachers and school counselors with the opportunity to refer a student who seems to be having a tough time, and potentially help sort things out before it becomes a more serious problem. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration 's 2008 National survey on drug use and health, the mental health needs of adolescents are often first identified in schools, where students spend so much of their time. By establishing strong partnerships with local school districts, Youth and Family counseling has become a first line of defense towards keeping youth in school, and against youth substance abuse. In a recent study conducted by the Mental Health America (MHA), formerly the National Mental Health Association, protecting youth against mental health problems cannot be understated. For most youth, symptoms start to present themselves at a young age. When services are provided early, youth are less likely to drop out of school, turn to substance use, or engage in risky self-injurious behaviors. …show more content…
With this addition, qualifying clients became eligible to receive quality counseling services for our lowest fee of $25.00 per session. Texas is one of nineteen states that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Health Care Act, leaving 1.2 million residents uninsured. For many of America’s youth, however, having insurance coverage does not mean access to treatment; without treatment, many of America’s youth struggle to thrive. According to Mental Health America (MHA), in 2015 two out of five (40%) children in America who needed mental health treatment did not receive it. In addition, in 2015 trends show that some of the most common types of treatment exclusions found among state benchmark insurance plans, such as Medicare and Medicaid, include, family, marital, and bereavement counseling. Youth and Family Counseling has seen a marked increase in families who call requesting services, but are in a such a dire financial need that they require scholarship assistance to pay even the lowest fee. Identically, in the United States, there is an immense stigma of mental illness and treatment for mental illness. Many think that counseling is simply “talking things over” or “getting in touch with feelings” yet this is untrue. Counseling is a therapeutic process that
Youth and Family Counseling was organized as an independent, not for profit agency operating under tax code 501 (C) (3) which is controlled by a Board of Directors made up of civic leaders in the community. Our goal is to aid families and youth in their endeavors to live mentally healthy lives. Our agency was established in 1981 by several local police chiefs, in order to offer one of the earliest First Offender Programs in the state of Texas. The focus of the First Offenders and At Risk Kids Program (FOARK), is the utilization of family therapy to address rebellious behaviors in children that have been arrested for the first time. Through this program, juveniles and their families are offered six sessions of cost-free family counseling, …show more content…
Through this program, youthful offenders have the opportunity to complete six free sessions of family counseling. At the completion of our voluntary program, the initial charges are dropped from the child’s record, including the arrest. In addition, the FOARK Program also enables teachers and school counselors with the opportunity to refer a student who seems to be having a tough time, and potentially help sort things out before it becomes a more serious problem. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration 's 2008 National survey on drug use and health, the mental health needs of adolescents are often first identified in schools, where students spend so much of their time. By establishing strong partnerships with local school districts, Youth and Family counseling has become a first line of defense towards keeping youth in school, and against youth substance abuse. In a recent study conducted by the Mental Health America (MHA), formerly the National Mental Health Association, protecting youth against mental health problems cannot be understated. For most youth, symptoms start to present themselves at a young age. When services are provided early, youth are less likely to drop out of school, turn to substance use, or engage in risky self-injurious behaviors. …show more content…
With this addition, qualifying clients became eligible to receive quality counseling services for our lowest fee of $25.00 per session. Texas is one of nineteen states that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Health Care Act, leaving 1.2 million residents uninsured. For many of America’s youth, however, having insurance coverage does not mean access to treatment; without treatment, many of America’s youth struggle to thrive. According to Mental Health America (MHA), in 2015 two out of five (40%) children in America who needed mental health treatment did not receive it. In addition, in 2015 trends show that some of the most common types of treatment exclusions found among state benchmark insurance plans, such as Medicare and Medicaid, include, family, marital, and bereavement counseling. Youth and Family Counseling has seen a marked increase in families who call requesting services, but are in a such a dire financial need that they require scholarship assistance to pay even the lowest fee. Identically, in the United States, there is an immense stigma of mental illness and treatment for mental illness. Many think that counseling is simply “talking things over” or “getting in touch with feelings” yet this is untrue. Counseling is a therapeutic process that