MHMRA of Harris County

MHMRA announces closure of 15-year old program for kids with severe behavior problems

HOUSTON - April 13, 2011 - For more than 100 children and adolescents with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and a developmental disability, MHMRA of Harris County's community-based New Day program was one of the few options available. But state budget cuts are impacting programs like the New Day School, forcing its closure as of June 2, 2011.

The New Day School, which opened in 1996, is staffed by an interdisciplinary treatment team specially designed to meet the unique needs of the students it serves. Psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, special education instructors and social workers, along with therapists and speech pathologists, are working with the last group of New Day participants, who range in age from six to 22. Many New Day students have been enrolled in the program for years and several are not ready to transition into a public school setting.

Harris County school districts could refer a student to the New Day School following an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) conference at their home campus. Most referrals were the result of severe behavior problems in the classroom due to psychiatric symptoms, and the student's school district paid for the program.

Dr. Sarah Flick, a psychiatrist and medical director for the Intellectual & Developmental Disability division at MHMRA, says she is concerned that these students will not be able to access essential services and supports anywhere else in Harris County once the New Day School shuts down in June.

"This is a very unique group of children, adolescents and young adults who have been diagnosed with conditions that can be difficult to treat," Dr. Flick said. "Signs and symptoms of mental illness may look different in someone with a developmental disability. Even for medical professionals with years of experience, these cases are often challenging. What made the New Day School stand out in the community was its ability to bring skilled clinicians into a school setting where individuals with a dual diagnosis could be treated appropriately and move forward with their academic careers, all in one place. This makes life much easier for students and families."

Dr. Flick continued, "As schools districts across Texas are facing devastating budget cuts of their own, there is no guarantee these students will receive the same level of assistance when they move into a public school setting. Many New Day participants exhibit severe behavior problems because of a psychiatric condition. They require teachers with the training and expertise to deal with not just the potential for behavior problems, but also mental illness and a developmental disability. That is a lot to ask of our teachers and the closure of New Day will put additional pressure for more resources on the already-strained school districts that will have to serve these children."

Compounding the concern that these individuals may not get the care they need once the New Day School closes, is the limited availability of child psychiatrists accepting Medicaid. Particularly in outlying areas, there are few medical professionals who will see patients on Medicaid. Currently 89 percent of kids in the program are on Medicaid, and none have third party insurance coverage that could allow for easier access to private clinicians.

"This is a tragic situation for the families affected," Dr. Flick said. "It's hard enough when you have a child with a disability - you want to ensure they get all the right medical care and other services that they need. But when that care is inaccessible, or worse, totally unavailable, it's heart-breaking for parents and detrimental to the child."

In the past five years, more than 40 child psychiatrists were trained at the New Day School because it offered the rare opportunity to work with individuals with a dual diagnosis and behavior problems. MHMRA has an on-going relationship with Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to offer child psychiatry residency rotations and curriculum. Parents of students at the New Day School were informed of its closure in April. MHMRA will continue to offer a dual diagnosis day program for adults at its South Gessner location, and mental health care services and supports at its clinics across Harris County.