Pictured Left to Right: Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert; Connie Almeida, Director of Fort Bend Behavioral Health Services; Judge Pope, 328th District Court; and Kyle Dobbs, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer.
Fort Bend County, Texas — On May 7, Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert proclaimed Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. Fort Bend County joined more than 1,100 communities across the country in celebrating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day to highlight the importance of positive mental health from birth.
Fort Bend County Behavioral Health Services offers services to children starting at birth through late adolescence struggling with behavioral disorders. Many of these children are involved in child welfare and juvenile systems. FB Behavioral Health works with the children, their families or caregivers, multiple agencies and the courts, including the Fort Bend Juvenile Detention Center and the Infant Toddler Court, to ensure that these children receive the services and supports they need to meet their goals at home, at school, and in the community.
“Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to join with more than a thousand communities across the country in celebrating the positive impact that we can have on the lives of children, youth and young adults when we are able to integrate positive mental health into every environment,” said Dr Almeida, Director of Fort Bend Behavioral Health and a licensed psychologist and licensed specialist in school psychology. “When we focus on building resilience and social-emotional skills in our children, starting as early as possible, we can help our children thrive and succeed."
Resiliency and skills to cope with stress are critical to our children. Fort Bend County Behavioral Health Services has developed several partnerships to ‘wrap” services around children and their families. We will continue to focus on the integration of care and community support as well as the elimination of stigma associated with mental illness. All of our children need a safe place to grow, thrive and reach their full potential.