Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Waiver
Mission & Vision
To ensure that Texas children with serious emotional disturbances have access to a robust array of community-based services and supports.
YES Waiver services for youth are family-centered, coordinated and effective at preventing out-of-home placement and promoting lifelong independence and self-defined success.
YES Waiver Info & Overview
The Youth Empowerment Services Waiver is a 1915(c) Medicaid program that helps children and youth with serious mental, emotional and behavioral difficulties.
The YES Waiver provides intensive services delivered within a strengths-based team planning process called Wraparound. Wraparound builds on family and community support and uses YES services to help build a family’s natural support network and connection with their community.
A Wraparound facilitator will meet with youth and families weekly to develop a Wraparound plan specifically for each child.
The Wraparound plan is also made with help from a child and family team, which meets once a month. The team includes the legally authorized representative/parent, the youth and people who are important in the youth’s life. This can be professionals, family, friends, coaches/mentors or teachers who want to help the youth meet their goals.
Together the team develops a plan of care to meet the specific needs and goals of the youth and family using YES services, community resources and family strengths
YES Waiver Goals
- Reduce inpatient psychiatric treatment and out-of-home placements by all youth-serving agencies.
- Ensure families have access to non-traditional support services identified in a family-centered planning process.
- Prevent relinquishment of parental custody.
- Improve the clinical and functional outcomes of youth with serious mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties.