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Mission, Vision & History

Mission

The Mission of Bluebonnet Trails Community MHMR Center is to ensure the provision of accessible, efficient and effective services that support the dignity and independence of those we serve.

Vision

The Vision of Bluebonnet Trails Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center is to fulfill the needs of those we serve.

The Board of Trustees, administration and employees will know that the vision is being approached when:
• Decisions related to the use of resources shift more toward persons we serve and family members
• Systems of accountability to the persons the Center serves are developed at the community level and integrated into the Center’s operations
• New options are created for persons we serve to meet common human needs for jobs, homes and services in their chosen communities
• Persons served by the Center and their families are actively involved in designing the system of services and supports
• Partnerships are developed resulting in a system that is innovative and meets or exceeds the expectations of the persons whom the Center serves

• We treat the persons we serve, families, our communities and each other with respect

History

Bluebonnet Trails Community Mental Health Mental Retardation Center (the Center) was formed in 1996 through an interlocal governmental agreement among the six counties of Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee and Williamson.  After well-attended public hearings, and at the request of these counties, the Center was legally established as a community mental health mental retardation center in 1997 by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.  During September 2000, Gonzales and Guadalupe Counties joined the Center establishing the current eight-county service area in which the Center is designated by the State of Texas as the local mental health and mental retardation authority.
 
The Center is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the County Judges and Commissioners’ Courts from each of the eight counties.  The Trustees work in responsible and accountable cooperation with local and state government and citizens of their counties to ensure the needs of the communities are heard and considered in the strategic planning and development for the Center.  The members of the Board of Trustees volunteer their time, experience and talents during regular monthly meetings as well as during Center events and discussions with our community leaders.  The Center is fortunate to have dedicated individuals to govern our Center in providing high quality, efficient services to persons whose lives are seriously affected by mental disorders, substance abuse disorders and developmental disabilities:
 
Today, the Center serves as the local mental health and mental retardation authority in eight counties with a population density of over 696,000 persons and a land mass of approximately 6,910 square miles.  Center services are provided to adults with serious mental illness and chemical dependency; to children and adolescents with serious mental illness or emotional disorders, chemical dependency, autism or pervasive developmental disorders; to persons with mental retardation; and to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
 
The Department of State Health Services and the Department of Aging and Disability Services annually contract with the Center to function as the mental health and mental retardation authority for the counties of Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Lee and Williamson.  The authority role holds the Center accountable for ensuring access to needed services for persons meeting the eligibility criteria established by the state.  Along with defining the eligibility criteria of the persons authorized to receive services, the Departments define, through their contracts with the Center, the services that may be provided.
 
In addition to providing Mental Health and Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities services, the Center focuses on ensuring access to substance abuse services.  The Center operates as the Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral (OSAR) entity in the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Region 7.   As the OSAR, the Center serves twenty-four counties in Central Texas, including six of the eight counties in which the Center provides Mental Health and Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities  services.  The Department of State Health Services oversees the OSAR program.  The goal of the OSAR program is to support prevention services and provide access to effective treatment for persons with chemical dependency.  The twenty-four counties served by the program encompass a population density of just under 2.3 million persons and a land mass of approximately 20,000 square miles.  The following counties are served by the OSAR program: Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Brazos, Burnet, Burleson, Caldwell, Coryell, Fayette, Grimes, Hamilton, Hayes, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Llano, Madison, Milam, Mills, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, Washington and Williamson.  
 
The Center also contracts with the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services to provide early childhood intervention services (ECI) to children and the families of those children, ages 0 – 3 years, who have developmental problems.  ECI services are provided in Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee and Williamson Counties.