Agency News

Integrating behavioral and medical health care

When we think about our primary health, we don’t, at times, relate it to our behavioral health and vice-versa.  As Sylvia Muzquiz- Drummond, M.D., the Medical Director for Mental Health Services at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, points out, it is important to recognize the connection between the two.

A day in the life of Sh’clara Smith, a Gessner Day Program participant

 

It is early morning, and stepping out of the Metro bus is Sh’Clara Smith. She makes her way to the front doors of The Harris Center’s Gessner Day Program where she signs in and greets her friends ready to take on the day. As she sits, other participants gather around and they begin sharing what they did over the weekend.

The Crisis Line: Listening, caring, supporting

 

What makes a good listener? Common responses to this question include someone who is attentive, engaged, non-judgmental, helpful, knowledgeable and empathetic.

 

Meet Wayne Young, CEO of The Harris Center

Wayne Young, MBA, LPC, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer

 

Wayne Young currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (The Harris Center), the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority for Harris County.  As the CEO of the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, Mr. Young oversees the planning and delivery of behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities services to over 88,000 people per year and manages an annual budget of over $270 million.

Texans Recovering Together

Most people experience stress reactions following a traumatic event such as the recent flood events. Texans Recovering Together (TRT) is a team of licensed counselors from The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD who reach out to survivors to offer free grief and loss crisis counseling, disaster education and resource referrals to help meet immediate needs.