Overview
Texas System of Care has worked to support communities across the state in implementing evidence-based and promising practices aimed at intervening early and supporting recovery for adolescents and young adults, or transition-age youth (TAY). Adult service systems may not be prepared to meet the unique needs of youth transitioning into young adulthood, which frequently results in disengagement from adult service systems.
How We Support
Supported Employment and Education
Texas System of Care conducted a training with four community mental health centers to implement supported employment and supported education for TAY, ages 16–25. Participating communities identified innovative ways to bring these services to young people, exploring and removing barriers to serving youth across the child and adult systems. Over the two-year initiative, sites received technical assistance around implementing the Individual Placement and Supports (IPS) model adapted for TAY, TAY engagement strategies, coordination among child and adult providers, and financing and sustainability.
Participating Pilot Communities:
- Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD
- Bluebonnet Trails Community Services
- Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center
- Paving the Way Collaborative Organizations
See our Supported Employment and Education webinar.
Youth and Young Adult Peer Support
Texas System of Care, in collaboration with the Alliance for Recovery and Treatment in Texas, brought together youth peer providers and other stakeholders to examine how Texas can expand access to near-age peer support as a mental health and substance use recovery support service. Stakeholders provided recommendations for the development of a youth-driven curriculum for peer providers, infrastructure to prepare organizations to hire youth peer providers, and potential approaches to funding and sustaining peer support.
Two system of care expansion communities — East Texas System of Care and Collin County System of Care — are currently implementing youth and young adult peer support. Texas System of Care has collaborated with these two communities to prepare, including conducting a readiness assessment and hosting webinars, trainings, and strategic planning.
TAY Policy Academy
In July 2018, Texas System of Care hosted a Transition Age Youth Policy Academy, where community providers and state policymakers met to discuss TAY promising practices and to strategize on organizational and service changes to better support youth with mental health needs. National experts — Caitlin Baird from Pathways RTC and Marc Fagan from Thresholds — presented on youth peer support, Achieve My Plan (AMP), and the Discovery and TIP model. Each participating organization participated in planning exercises to outline a change initiative intended to improve access, engagement, and coordination of services for transition-age youth. Texas System of Care team members have met monthly with each organization to provide technical assistance and support local change teams.
Participating Organizations:
- Bluebonnet Trails Community Services
- Coastal Plains Center
- MHMR of Tarrant County
- Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Center
- Tri-County Services
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based practice to identify and reduce risky alcohol and drug use for adults and adolescents. Texas System of Care, in partnership with the Alliance for Adolescent Recovery and Treatment in Texas, embarked on a pilot study of training in SBIRT for mental health providers in community and school settings. The study will provide information to state agencies on the cost benefit of high-quality implementation of SBIRT for identifying and intervening with transition-age youth with risky substance use.
Participating Organization:
- Integral Care