Nestled away on a large lot down a dirt road along Old San Antonio Road are a series of aging buildings with a story: It’s a place where hosts of people have dedicated their professions and energy to help traumatized and emotionally healing children.
The Roy Maas Youth Alternative Center was formed in 1972, and 14 years later, in 1986, the 42-acre plot of land in Boerne was purchased which now houses the RMYAC Meadowlands Campus, which is notably separately operated from the charter school of the same name.
A quick tour of the campus shows there is an overwhelming dedication to helping these children of varying needs from newcomers and long-time employees alike.
Blair Thompson was named the new chief executive officer of the agency less than a year ago in September 2021, but he seemingly can name every one of the dozens of youth who roam the walkways and sidewalks of the center.
“Coming to hang out with the kids keeps me grounded and connected to our purpose,” Thompson said. “It’s easy to get lost in spreadsheets, budgets, meetings and fundraising. But at the end of the day, it all must be connected to our children and nurturing them toward their futures.
“Spending time with them does that for me. And it also allows me to see the way our children interact with our direct care staff who are amazingly caring, creative and innovative. They find ways to get it done, often without all the resources they need due to limited state funding. I’m very proud to work with them.”
During a tour of the facility, Thompsons’ passion for the work being done at Roy Maas Youth Alternative Center couldn’t be missed as he greeted each passing child and staffer by name, checking in on them and remembering small details about each person’s past.
A group of children were playing basketball in a gym at the facility – which partially was made possible by time and equipment donated by The San Antonio Spurs – and Thompson called several of the teenage boys shooting hoops by name, recalling the growth in their character during their time at the center. One young man, Thompson cheered for was a point of focus for him as he said he has been working to gain his trust to be able to work together, something Thompson said is a prime focus for the facility.
While walking the facility, Thompson often became emotional as he spoke of the work both the staff and children at the facility are putting in to end the cycle of abuse and neglect, creating better futures for the youth at the center.
Despite all the strong efforts from staff and constant fundraising efforts, finances are a constant battle for the facility, with aging infrastructure and a level of service they strive for that far exceeds that the state deems necessary. On average, Thompson said the state pays about $196 a day per child, including food, boarding, counseling, medication and every other need the children have. The rest is left to fundraising, grant money and community partnerships, of which the facility has many.
Debbie McCollum, senior director of residential services at the center, said this $196 per child was a “blended rate,” as the state sends funds to facilities like Meadowlands with varying amounts based on the level of service required.
For the residential treatment facility on the campus, McCollum said a child’s “trauma/abuse history and presenting behavioral, psychological, emotional, medical and educational and safety needs” are assessed during admission. Then, the needs of the children are placed into three categories: moderate, specialized and intense. She said the state pays higher rates for higher levels of need, which is assessed quarterly to determine if a child has moved down in needs categories – a system Thompson said is somewhat flawed because if the facility is doing its job, of course, children will move down in needs category.
“As our children make therapeutic progress, and their levels begin to drop, we are reimbursed at a lower rate, but continue to provide high-quality services,” McCollum said.
“The contracted rate covers room and board, clothing, hygiene, allowances, transportation, therapeutic recreational activities and 24-hour awake supervision based on a staff to child ratio as outlined in state regulations. Greater than ‘minimum’ staffing patterns promote a safer environment for our children and staff, so that is what we strive for. We employ our own clinicians, a crisis and trauma team, a full-time nurse, medical coordinator, volunteer coordinator as well as food service and facilities departments.”
McCollum said the facility is left to fundraise about 30 percent of its annual budget to meet the cost to actually take care of the children. This funding mechanism has seen little in way of improvement over the past two decades, according to figures from McCollum.
In 2004, state funding per child per day was $36 for the lowest needs category, $80 for moderate needs, $115 for specialized needs and $202 for intense needs. By 2019, those numbers had only reached $45.54 for basic needs, $108.18 for moderate needs, $197.69 for specialized needs and $277.37 for intense needs.
While an 11 percent differential daily rate was put in place by the state for certain higher levels of need in 2021, McCollum said there remains no guarantee such an increase will remain. However, hope remains as she said the state is currently conducting a rate modernizations study to understand the real costs associated with the work to influence rates in the next state budget cycle.
Thompson addressed the growing need for renovations across the campus, with one cabin recently having the foundation leveled after water used to flow in during a heavy rain through the fire emergency exit, saying they are “working from the ground up, literally.”
While the work at the center is admirable, it isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. Thompson spoke about the difficult times with residents when immediate threats to themselves or others may require restraining of a child, something he said is difficult for everyone to experience. He said no matter how much training a new staff member goes through to prepare them for such a difficult situation – such as a self-harming, combative or restrained child – it’s a tough site to behold and can be emotionally taxing.
No matter how rewarding the work may be, and it must be, as amid the new staff are decades-long employees who have dedicated their professional lives to the cause, the emotional tax of these specific challenging scenarios – not matter how far and few between – coupled with the oft underwhelming salaries of a public works career has led to high turnover rates for incoming staff in past years.
This is a primary focus of Thompson’s efforts as the new CEO. To combat the resource drain of constantly training new turnover staff, Thompson has worked to create a sense of community among the new and existing employees, stopping staffers as they passed him by name and engaging with them on all the active listening he’s done during their previous encounters.
“I could see it the first time I came to Meadowland,” Thompson said. “The staff genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of the children in our care. And it’s also easy to see that our kids here are a lot like kids everywhere. They want acceptance and love. They want to feel safe, valued and cared for. That’s what our team does every day. We help the children in our care begin a path of healing. We show them they are important and what has happened to them does not define their future.”
While it isn’t easy work and staff turnover is a point of concern being addressed, it appears the tangible positive impact seen after the children leave is enough to keep some staff going and dedicated to the cause.
“For those of us that have been doing this for many years, the real payoff comes with phone calls and visits from children who lived at the facility years ago,” McCollum, who has been with the center for decades, said. “They bring their families to see where they grew up and reminisce about how things were and how they are doing now. We look at old photo albums and art they may have left for us. They talk about their successful businesses, their advancements in education, their struggles along the way. Trauma and abuse have long-term effects and can be forever life changing. Investing in children to address it early on, help them cope and heal, watching resiliency in action. What greater investment can we make?”
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