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Waco Center for Youth
Waco, TX

Waco Center for Youth

A clean, verified profile with contacts and key program details.

Program length
30 days
Focus
At this center, you receive personalized care for mental health conditions. They provide therapy and tailor treatment to your unique needs, diagnoses, and preferences.
Founded
1979

The Waco Center for Youth is a residential treatment facility in Texas that serves adolescents aged 13 to 17 with severe emotional or behavioral challenges. Operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the center provides a range of services including individual, family, and group therapy, medication management, medical services, therapeutic recreation, and educational instruction through a partnership with Axtell Independent School District. Additional offerings include an equine program, social and self-regulation skills training, dietary support, spiritual services, and aftercare planning. The center uses a strength-based treatment model, which focuses on youth’s strengths and teaches new skills as needed. Its treatment approach is guided by five core values: Helping, Healing, Relationship, Responsibility, and Commitment. Adolescents live on campus while receiving care and attend school on-site. Educational staff work with students who come from across the state, addressing both academic needs and behavioral or emotional issues. Waco Center for Youth also implements a behavior incentive system, where clients earn stars for meeting daily goals related to school, therapy, and programming. These stars can be exchanged for items at an on-campus store called The CeNTER. Admission to the facility requires that a legal guardian initiate the process, with referrals accepted from local mental health authorities, state hospitals, or Child Protective Services. Applicants must meet specific criteria, including age, psychiatric diagnosis, and documented behavioral difficulties in at least two settings.

Information shown here comes from public listings and provider submissions.

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Waco Center for Youth
Waco Center for Youth
Waco Center for Youth
Waco Center for Youth

Services & programs

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Type of Care
Mental health treatment Treatment for co-occurring substance use plus either serious mental health illness in adults/serious emotional disturbance in children
Service Setting (e.g., Outpatient, Residential, Inpatient, etc.)
Residential/24-hour residential
Facility Type
Residential treatment center (RTC) for children
Pharmacotherapies
Antipsychotics used in treatment of SMI
Treatment Approaches
Activity therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy Couples/family therapy Dialectical behavior therapy Group therapy Individual psychotherapy Telemedicine/telehealth therapy Abnormal involuntary movement scale
Emergency Mental Health Services
Crisis intervention team
Facility Operation (e.g., Private, Public)
State government
Payment/Insurance/Funding Accepted
Other State funds Private health insurance Cash or self-payment State mental health agency (or equivalent) funds State welfare or child and family services funds
Special Programs/Groups Offered
Clients who have experienced trauma Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED)
Assessment/Pre-treatment
Screening for tobacco use
Testing
HIV testing STD testing TB screening Metabolic syndrome monitoring Laboratory testing
Facility Smoking Policy
Smoking not permitted
Age Groups Accepted
Children/Adolescents
Facility Vaping Policy
Vaping not permitted
Ancillary Services
Diet and exercise counseling Family psychoeducation Case management service Education services

Contact information

Address

3501 North 19th Street, Waco, TX, 76708

Map & directions

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