The Residential Treatment Center (RTC) Project is a partnership between the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to provide children with intensive mental health care in an RTC setting while their guardian keeps legal responsibility for their child.
The RTC Project supports families with a child at risk of entering DFPS custody due to their mental health care needs and after exhausting community mental health resources by:
- Connecting families to mental health services available in their community through their local mental health authority or local behavioral health authority; and
- Paying for the cost of an RTC to meet their child’s mental health needs when families do not have the resources to pay for residential treatment.
Eligibility Requirements:
- The child is a resident of Texas.
- The child is younger than 18 years old.
- The child has a qualifying serious emotional disturbance.
- There is no current abuse or neglect in the household.
- The family may be placing their child into DFPS custody because of the seriousness of their child’s mental health needs.
- The family will support the mental health needs of their child throughout the RTC Project treatment process.
RTC services include:
- Weekly individual and group therapy with a licensed clinician
- Weekly family therapy with a licensed clinician
- Medication management
- Ongoing medical care on a routine and as needed basis
- Educational services
- Social, recreational, and habilitative services, which support or improve a person’s daily living
How to Become an RTC Provider
Residential treatment centers contract directly with HHSC and agree to provide comprehensive residential treatment services as outlined in the statement of work. RTCs must apply through the Open Enrollment webpage.
Provider Forms
- Form 2816: Residential Treatment Center Project Referral Checklist
- Form 2817: Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA) or Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) Monthly Report
- Form 2818: Critical Incident Report
- Form 2822: Notification of Change in RTC Project Case Status
Application Forms for RTC Placement
- Form 2823: Local Mental and Behavioral Health Authority Referral
- Form 2087: Application for Placement
- Form 3301: Residential Treatment Center Project Family Agreement
Resources
- Residential Treatment Center Project: Information for Families, Children and Adolescents, and Community Members English PDF | Spanish PDF
- Visit the HHSC site for current reimbursement rates for 24 Hour Residential Child Care providers.
Statutes/Rules
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 262.351
Email RTC Project for more information.