Waco Center For Youth

I learned a lot here went here back in 2016 or 2017 i forgot which year pacifically its been a while I was at the Bosque unit and I had an amazing therapist Miss Sharon Ill never forget you. It was the best and I had the best staff. I still remember them all until this day. miss Michelle miss Kayla, Miss amber Mr. Matt miss Yarnell even the teachers were nice, especially Mr Wedemeyer and mis Dona they where all incredible and amazing people as well as made a few friends still talk to a few of them a lot has changed in my life for the better and Im forever grateful everyone there is very proud to even be president of the unit at one point if anyone remember me feel free to reach out and say hi miss you all. Hope yall all are doing well. by the way, I never played so much Pokmon in my entire life. That was the only way we could stay entertain. It was so fun. I miss it so much. Wish I can go back just for that.
Apr 4th, 2024

My experience with WCY has been exceptional. My daughter was placed here voluntarily and she has learned so much. It can be a bit chaotic at times, but that's to be expected when you have so many teens in one area for a long period of time. I really only came to leave a review due to our therapist at WCY. Hannah has been absolutely PHENOMENAL. I don't know what we will do without her. She taught my daughter so much about coping and "real life" that my daughter didn't want to hear from her parents. We have family counseling sessions which are very helpful in communicating constructively. The students, when they reach a certain level for good behavior, get to do fun activities like the movies, swimming, shopping, etc. My daughter said the food is pretty good. She has made so many friends too. She will be discharged within 2 months and she is definitely in a much better place mentally than she was when she was transferred here from Terrell. Hannah - we will miss you terribly! You are truly ONE OF A KIND!!
Apr 3rd, 2024

Dec 22nd, 2023

As the parent of a child with significant behavioral and mental health needs, who has exhausted every possible resource and reached out to literally over a hundred mental and behavioral health facilities in the past nine months, it is infuriating that a child would be denied admission because they aren't "showing enough stability". If my child had the ability to exhibit significant periods of stability, I would not be in need of your services in the first place! How in the world are parents supposed to get their children the help and support they need in order to aid in the development of skills that will help them thrive based on those contradictory qualifications for admission? It is beyond ridiculous that so many children in need don't have access to quality mental health care.
Oct 1st, 2023

I was a client at Waco Center for Youth from 5/23-3/24. While I wouldnt say that it was completely terrible, there were definitely more cons than there were pros. I was admitted due to my many acute/rtc admissions in the previous few years. I had many issues with socialization, trauma and depression. I was admitted onto Brazos unit, the largest, newest, girls unit on campus. At my admission (May 25th), there were 18 girls on Brazos. The unit was separated into pods with each pod being like a small family. I honestly liked being on the unit the first few months. The unit and campus were relatively calm and peaceful. I enjoyed the staff and the activities that were organized for the clients. Some parts of WCY that I didnt enjoy was the drama and of course, traumas. At the end of my stay Brazos unit held 24 girls. Everyday there was a new issue, or fight and many kids were triggered during all the issues going on, but couldnt talk to staff about it because staff had to deal with the issues going on. Many kids were left on their own to deal with very traumatic experiences, resulting in more behavioral issues. The living environment was usually very untheraputic and hostile. Brazos had constant yelling, sounds of shattering glass, fists banging on windows or doors, just a lot of loud noise. The staff tried their best to respond to issues and complaints, but at the end of they did they were forced to do absolutely everything for us. When they would email their higher-ups, issues would rarely be worked through. The staff while I was there tried their hardest to make living at WCY comfortable, but even they were stressed or traumatized. There were many days, weeks even, where I simply felt unsafe on Brazos. Staff were good about adapting if there was an issue and they had time to, but it was rare. In my experience at WCY, many things were unfair, many issues arised because my first issues were not properly (or at all) addressed. There are a few staff members who are all together amazing though, and if you do have to go to WCY, I would try to find them because they truly made my stay liveable. Ms. Paz, who is a campus supervisor- she truly helped me through so much during my stay at Waco. Ms. Rachel and Ms. Jazzmine, who are both rights officers now! Absolutely amazing, and will listen to everything you have to say! The day-to-day staff that I would highly recommend are Ms. Tay, Ms. Ebony, Ms. Felecia, Ms. Kimbra, Ms. Sarena, Ms. Gabbi and Ms. Melissa. Without them I wouldnt have made it through the stress of Waco. Living at Waco, there are recreational-like activities provided. The HAB staff do an amazing job at diversifying the schedule and making sure we are doing many different things. Before I left we had just wrapped up learning tennis on the full sized tennis court and had begun to learn softball. A part of the treatment at WCY is participating in schoolwork. Luckily this is incredibly easy because the schools teachers and aides are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. Many clients (myself included) used school to get away from the unit problems. The principal (Mr. Freeto), is very supportive and will work with you to make a plan for your schooling! I actually fully graduated while I was in Waco, with his help. In the kitchen, the kitchen staff work very hard to help ensure that everybody is satisfied with their meals. There are many options for each meal, as well as alternatives if youre just not feeling hot food that day. The nursing staff were usually very quick about responding to issues. My only issue was with being one of the older clients, I felt as though I wasnt able to be as involved in my treatment as I wanted to be. Overall, there are a lot of cons and some pros to consider if considering Waco Center for Youth as your long term placement. I wouldnt say its completely terrible, but definitely do your research on it to make the right choice for you. I think that Waco was the right choice for me, I learned a lot- maybe in ways that were considered unconventional, but still. Good luck! -2024
Mar 26th, 2024