The YES Waiver was developed by the Health and Human Services Commission and Department of State Health Services in order to provide comprehensive home and community-based mental health services to emotionally disturbed children and teens from the age of 3, to a month before their 19th birthday. YES uses a process called "the Wraparound" to create a team comprising the child, their support group or family, and YES experts to create a health plan specific to each patient. The YES program and its services support their ultimate goal of reducing the number of institutionalized children and providing an amount and quality of care that will enable them to stay with their families and communities. YES services include:
Respite: To temporarily relieve family members or caretakers from taking care of the child.
Community Living Supports: using proven strategies and methods to help the family adapt to special challenges related to the child’s mental health.
Specialized Therapies: therapies that can include art, animal-assisted therapy, recreational, and nutritional counseling.
Family Supports: helping the family members with the process.
Employee Assistance and Supported Employment: to help youth find and succeed in employment.
Adaptive Aids and Supports: to help the child adapt and function in multiple environments such as their home, school, and community.
Minor Home Modifications: to protect the youth and family.
Non-Medical Transportation: to help patients and families get to a YES waiver service where there are no other options for transportation.
Paraprofessional Services: to assist the child in building skills to deal with stressful situations through coaching and monitoring.
Supportive Family-Based Alternatives: To educate the family on healthy interactions
Transition Services: To help with the financial difficulty associated with a child or teen moving into their own home.
SNAP is a Health and Human Services program that helps financially struggling families buy healthy food to support their well-being and quality of life. People are also able to buy garden seeds with SNAP benefits in order to personally grow some of the food they need to eat every day. SNAP food benefits are put on a Lone Star Card and can be used like a credit card at any store that accepts SNAP. However, SNAP benefits cannot be used to:
Buy tobacco.
Buy alcoholic drinks.
Buy items that are not food or drink.
Pay for food bills members owe.
SNAP is for people who both meet program rules, and do not have a great deal of money. Most adults between 18 and 49 without children in the home can only get SNAP for three months out of a three-year period. If they work at least 20 hours a week in a job or training program, they may be able to extend their benefit period. Those who are pregnant or have a disability may not have to work in order to receive benefits. The following chart gives an idea of the income families can receive and still be a part of the program. Read more
The Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council was established by HB 1874, in order to determine the availability of patient-centered and family-focused palliative care in Texas. The council is charged to… Read more
Texas’ State Supported Living Centers are operated by the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). They provide campus-based supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are also medically fragile or have behavioral problems. SSLC services include 24-hour residential services, comprehensive behavioral treatment services and health care services, including physician services, nursing services and dental services. Other services include skills training; occupational, physical and speech therapies; vocational programs; and services to maintain connections between residents and their families and natural support systems.
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Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides health education and health services to pregnant or breastfeeding women, women who have given birth within the last six months, infants, and children until their fifth birthday. Their services include:
Connecting members with other families to discuss healthy goals.
Answering questions concerning good nutrition practices for the family.
Providing personal consults from WIC breastfeeding experts, in addition to added benefits such as breast pumps and special food packages.
Assisting locals with finding other health-care services in their area.
Many income and family types can qualify for WIC, including those who are on Medicaid, TANF, or SNAP. Even without being a part of those programs, residents can be eligible for WIC by meeting certain income guidelines (more information found at this link). Read more
