Our experience has been, parents are an unwanted nuisance. Our daughter who is mentally ill with behavior problems has been put in charge. She has many labels with ODD being always present. 17 years old and everyone must conform to her wants. Do not try to get answers, ...
About Waco Center for Youth
The Waco Center for Youth is a long standing residential behavioral health center for teenagers in Waco, Texas. In fact, it has been serving teens since as far back as 1979 and continues to do so today.
This state operated facility is for kids ages 13 to 17 who have behavioral health struggles like co-occurring addictions and mental illnesses. Note that this is not a dedicated addiction rehab but their services are more generalized for behavioral health so it’s primarily for kids with addiction who have other behavioral health needs, too.
During your child’s program, they’ll have a personalized treatment plan that’s tailored to their needs. The program as a whole focuses on guiding teens in recovery while also identifying and harnessing their strengths. It’s not just about trying to stop your child from a behavior but also trying to replace that behavior with positive fulfillment elsewhere.
Your child will have individual therapy and group therapy throughout their program. They’ll learn social skills and other life skills too like self regulation. The facility also has more unique therapies and activities like equine therapy and a challenge course. Your family will be highly involved along the way too with family therapy sessions.
Of course, this is a long term recovery center so your child may be here for several months. Don’t worry about their education suffering because during their treatment they’ll continue their education through the Axtell Independent School District.
I should note that you cannot apply for admission to this state facility on your own. Your child has to be referred by a local mental health authority or state hospital or by Child Protective Services.
Latest Reviews
Susan Rosser
Reviewed on 04/10/2025
Our experience has been, parents are an unwanted nuisance. Our daughter who is mentally ill with behavior problems has been put in charge. She has many labels with ODD being always present. 17 years old and everyone must conform to her wants. Do not try to get answers, they have been known to hang up on you. Some will even be untruthful.
I was admitted to WCY on January 3rd 2024 and left October 21st 2024. I spent 9 months there, meet a lot of people including Kairi Rockhill and Isabelle Steelman. There were ups and downs of the stay like the staff, the food, the therapy skills, and the activities. There are some things that they're good, some stuff not so much. Overall I fell my stay was good, but if you want to stay mentally stable I wouldn't recommend you going. I will also not be going back.
I was in WCY for 11 1/2 months mostly cause I had no where to go.But WCY helped me get into Gary Job Corps now I am a certified HVAC Technician plan to join the Army soon and this place was honestly so helpful everyone says it's so (AWFUL) it's not awful it's because they get involved in drama or don't put forth any effort by 5-6 months I had a Job at the Horse Barn Thank you! (Mr.Mitch) and i was the president of my dorm by the time i left and thank you to all the wonderful staff (Y'ALL ARE GREAT) best advice take all the help you can get and STAY away from the drama FOREVER TRINITY!!!
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Accepted Insurance
Other Forms of Payment
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.
Sliding scale payments are based on a client's income and family size. The goal is to make treatment affordable to everyone. By taking these factors into account, addiction recovery care providers help ensure that your treatment does not become a financial burden to you or your family, eliminating one barrier to care.
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.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Inpatient Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
Treatments
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.
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
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.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
When used as recommended, nicotine replacement therapy in Texas provides enough nicotine to help you avoid severe cravings and withdrawal symptoms after quitting smoking. This increases comfort so you're less likely to relapse into your smoking habit.
Staff
Maurice McCreary Jr.COO
Trey Wood
CFO
Sylvia Hernandez Kauffman
CIO
Kate Hendrix
Chief of Staff
Contact Information
(254) 756-2171 
3501 North 19th Street
Waco, TX 76708
Get Help Now - 254-836-2519
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Fact checked and written by:
Nikki Wisher, BA
Edited by:
Courtney Myers, MS
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