Health Services

The Medical Services team comprises licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, and contracted physicians. The Medical Services group provides around-the-clock healthcare to juveniles housed in the department’s detention and residential facilities and provides immediate response to medical and psychiatric needs as well as weekly medical and psychiatric clinics and dental services. Nurses dispense prescription medication, conduct sick calls, and coordinate specialty clinics with contracted medical professionals to provide medical, psychiatric, and dental services as needed.

The Assessment Services team is comprised of a range of licensed mental health professionals, including Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Masters in Social Workers (LMSWs), Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Licensed Professional Counselor Associates (LPC-As). These clinicians complete psycho-diagnostic assessments with juveniles, evidencing potential issues in areas including mental health, substance use, and sex trafficking risk to direct them to the appropriate services. The department may utilize these assessments internally to identify and recommend appropriate services or supports (e.g., youth who would be appropriate participants in the Mental Health Court) and assist with determining the need for out-of-home placement through psychological evaluation. In addition to completing departmental assessments, these professionals participate in the COPE mental health court, providing individual, group, and family therapy for departmentally involved youth.

The Treatment & Counseling team is comprised of a range of licensed mental health professionals, including Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Masters in Social Workers (LMSWs), Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Licensed Professional Counselor Associates (LPC-As). These clinicians provide individual, group, and family therapeutic services to youth within the residential ISC program and as they transition back into their homes and the community. Therapeutic programs and services are evidence-based and are individually focused to support the comprehensive needs of youth, including mental health as well as behavioral issues and criminal offending. The Treatment & Counseling team additionally provides short-term counseling support for youth within the detention setting. It also includes the Functional Family Therapy (FFT) unit; a team of professionals who provide the evidence-based program FFT to families in the community. This program is offered for those departmentally involved youth and their families to provide necessary support and address needs that are believed to contribute to acting out behavior and risk for deeper involvement in the juvenile justice system.

The Travis County Psychology Internship Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and offers doctoral psychology candidates the opportunity to strengthen clinical skills and gain exposure to a broad and diverse range of professional experiences. The mission of the Travis County Psychology Internship Program is to prepare interns to enter the field of psychology with the skills and training necessary to provide culturally competent, empirically supported, and clinically effective psychological services to juveniles and families. The program's overarching goal is to prepare professionals to successfully meet the unique challenges of practicing psychology within a public agency and to ensure clinical competency in working with culturally diverse groups. TC-PIP has been accredited by APA since 2014, allowing for four pre-doctoral interns to receive advanced training and supervision per year. TC-PIP is listed in the Match under program code 202911. Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

To learn more about TC-PIP internship program, read the Intern Handbook.

Check out the policies and procedures related to the TC-PIP for more information.