They accept many major insurance providers. For military families they accept TRICARE. If you don’t have insurance coverage they also offer private payment plans. They don’t accept Texas Medicaid or CHIP.
Their focus is on inpatient psychiatric treatment. All patients participate in individual, family and group therapy sessions. Family therapy takes place over the phone. Patients also take part in group recreational activities.
Treatment programs are intensive and based on proven methods including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), systemic family therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), positive reinforcement behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. They use a trauma informed treatment approach to help minimize anxiety and make patients feel comfortable and secure. Treatment plans are customized for each patient based on their unique needs.
Your teen may also participate in psychoeducation to help them better understand their symptoms, treatment options and coping strategies. The goal is to prepare teens and their families for life after residential treatment ends. All patients attend school sessions at the residential campus during the week.
Many patients come from military families. If you’re on active duty or a veteran of the U.S. military your child may qualify for the Patriot Support Program. This provides specialized behavioral health and substance abuse treatment to address the unique challenges faced by military dependents.
They are accredited by the Joint Commission and have earned the Gold Seal of Approval. Not every residential treatment center qualifies, and it shows Meridell’s commitment to meeting the more stringent standards.
Gold seals are impressive, but what truly stands out is what parents say. Many express appreciation for the compassionate treatment their kids receive from skilled staff who can connect with their children when other therapists and specialists cannot.
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Our Methodology
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Outpatient 
Inpatient 
Intensive Outpatient 
Aftercare Support 
Sober Living Homes 
Intervention Services 
Partial Hospitalization Program 
Medically Assisted Detox 
12-Step Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Residential Setting 
CEO
CFO
Director of Nursing
Director of Admissions
Director of Utilization Management
Director of Plant Operations
Clinical Manager
Director of Clinical Services
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is a non-profit organization that specifically accredits rehab organizations. Founded in 1966, CARF's, mission is to help service providers like rehab facilities maintain high standards of care.
CARF Accreditation: Yes
The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.
Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
12550 West State Highway 29
Liberty Hill, TX 78642
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Every staff member that we came into contact with was caring and professional. Our therapist Jessi, was a perfect fit for us and as a family we all grew through this experience. Our 15 year old was that marydel for three and a half months. During that time he had full medic ...
Well I thought I had written my review years ago about you guys but I guess it didn't stick so I'm going to write it here again... hi my name is Brandon I stayed with meridell Treatment Center back in 2010 I was 13 when I stayed with them I had a course of 5 months stay with them; during my time there I was seen by a doctor named Dr Stone who persistently put me on pill after, pill, after pill and I ended up with 13 pills by the time I left great 15 Birthday. Those leaving five star reviews don't know what actually goes down here unless you've been a patient. The issues that went down in this facility are horrifying. Constant gaslighting, abuse of power, constantly drugging up the kids to make them obedient just because they're troubled not bothering to ask the true questions of what's actually going on at home. I had trouble with my parents I didn't just have anger issues I had trouble dealing with my own father and they didn't bother to ask that nothing was fixed I left worse than I was before with PTSD from staff sacking me to the floor just because I wouldn't give up my shoes in the quiet room or the constant drugging me up because I wouldn't calm down or my body couldn't calm down because of the amount of drugs I was on I can't even tell you by name what medications they put me on all I know is one of them was a stool softener and was left with liver damage and a fatty liver. Mr Mike if you're still working there you were no help. neither was Mr Scott or Jeremy. Mr Donald was nice. You couldn't be a kid in this facility let alone function. Do yourself a favor don't send your children here.
I was sent here when i was thirteen years old, and I was there for 2 months i'm now 35 and I still have horrible memories of this place. I was mentally abused. I was verbally abused. I was sexually abused by older girls in my unit then punished for it when i told my unit director I was locked in a padded room for any type of disagreement or threatened to be kept here longer it was a awful experience and did not help me at all in fact it actually made me have more issues then I already had Do not send your kids here please they will end up with lifelong trauma.
I am in my mid 30's - if you are a parent who is considering any type of place like this, please read my reviews on Google and Yelp. DO NOT send anyone here. This is a prison, and there are many like it. They will dress up the website to get you to bite, as you may be hoping to fix whatever is going on with your child or family member. I don't have time to write a lengthy review right this second, but anything I have said in my other reviews applies to this place and my experience with it. I have been in places like Meridell that had terrible conditions, and other places with very nice conditions (expensive furniture etc) - and there is truly no difference, because you psychologically abused the entire time, no matter the external appearance. If anything, going to a "nicer" place, and then being treated like garbage, is even more confusing than having this done to you at a very poor facility - at least at the poor facility, it is more obvious to all, what is going on. At a nice facility, they have all the more reason to try and guilt you - "You are wasting your opportunity!" they will try to tell you - "some people never get a chance!" Wow - what would life be like, if I had never gone through any facilities like this. I can only imagine. Todd Dugas, who is currently Director of Clinical here - I have known Todd for 15 years, and he previously worked at the same type of abusive facilities, targeted to adults. Do not be fooled. I have lost many friends and also family, who never got the help they needed, in part because people kept throwing them in places like Meridell, and shaming them - telling them everything was their fault. That is Todd's message to you. In reality, it is Todd and the others who have lost their way. But as I said in my other reviews, they have become too conflicted, by enmeshing their entire lives and careers into this one thing. They dare not admit, that this has all been a terrible mistake. But I am telling you that it has. Read other 1 star reviews, from actual clients, please.
Bad, neglected kids, and took problems un seriously. Staff treated other extremely disgusting. Hygiene was a problem. And photos aren't similar to what they show on the internet.
If you truly care about your child’s mental health, I urge you: do not send them here. I was sent to Meridell Achievement Center at age 17. During my stay, I experienced emotional and psychological mistreatment from multiple staff members, including techs, nurses, and so-called “teachers.” I was regularly ridiculed for my appearance by adults who were supposed to be caretakers. One of the most disturbing aspects was how therapy was handled. Private things shared in one-on-one sessions were often exposed in group sessions. If a child refused to share or tried to maintain their confidentiality, they were punished—typically through social isolation or severe restrictions on their basic freedoms. Children who tried to speak to those being punished were also disciplined, creating a culture of fear. The program uses a tier system that functions like a caste structure. Children in the highest tier are granted more movement, social privileges, and are prioritized for early release. This system incentivizes students to “hold each other accountable,” but in reality, it often means children are pressured to report, exaggerate, or fabricate claims about their peers to gain favor. Staff rarely question these accusations, especially if they come from children they like. Any questioning of the program’s structure or fairness is seen as defiance and punished accordingly. In my experience, staff did not follow the same rules or moral standards they imposed on us. Their enforcement felt arbitrary and was often based on personal preference or bias. In my opinion, the psychological tactics used here amount to emotional abuse. This is not treatment—it is institutionalized manipulation and punishment disguised as care. And in my personal view, since these individuals are supposed to be trained mental health professionals, their actions can only be interpreted as intentional psychological torture. If you want your child to get better, I strongly recommend involving them in therapy and seeing a psychiatrist together on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Do not outsource their healing to a place like this. I’ve stayed in contact with other former “residents.” Many of us still deal with the same issues we had before coming here, along with new trauma as a direct result of our time at Meridell: PTSD, anxiety, learned helplessness, depression, and suicidal thoughts. I and others have previously included specific names and detailed accounts, but the center appears to have those reviews removed. So much for accountability. That, too, reinforces our point: this place promotes a toxic environment built on hypocrisy and unchecked authority. This place did not help us. It harmed us.
I went to this place in the mid 1980s, back then, we had a lot more freedoms than they seem to have now. It was also not coed. I learned a lot of life lessons there and met some of the best people. I also met quite a few people that were not on my recommendation list. But overall, it was better than life at home and much better than the place I went to next. All that being said, it was still not exactly a great time. I hope that everyone that had a bad time here is able to move forward and have a much better life.
I went there in 2019 or 2020 I don't remember it was a good experience it wasn't boring and I how to hear a putic everything
My son was sent here in 2012. It was presented like a fun therapeutic ranch. They abused him, experimented on him with drugs and lied every time I called. After 9 weeks I called at night after the main staff left and was told by a night nurse that "my son wasn't fully baked and drank the koolaid!" The next day I made them stop medication and got him on a flight home! It's 2025 and the mental trauma it caused him is irreparable! To boot they talked me into trying a medication that was SAFE. In his discharge papers was a note... Your child was given high does of A... which in some cases causes BRAIN DAMAGE. Look online at Reddit. There's so many horror stories of victims! My sons life was destroyed. Run
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