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Client Information

Overview

Welcome to Austin Child Guidance Center 

If your child or teen is struggling mentally and emotionally or has experienced a traumatic event, Austin Child Guidance Center (ACGC) is here to support you.    

Fast Facts 

  • ACGC is an outpatient mental health clinic serving children and teens aged 0 to 17 and their families, older youth aged 18 to 26, and early childhood education centers.  
  • Mental Health Services 
    • Include: 
      • Individual & Family Therapy 
      • Group Therapy 
      • Psychological Assessments 
      • Caregiver Workshops 
    • Are available to clients whether they have insurance or not.
    • Can be accessed through in-person appointments or via an online telehealth platform. 
    • Are provided in English and Spanish. Additional interpretation services are available upon request. 
  • Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Project (IEC)  
    • Provides consultation and education to eligible early childhood education centers on the social and emotional development of children aged 0 to 6. 
    • Ensures young children’s readiness for school. 

New Mental Health Services Clients 

As a new client, you will have access to a licensed clinical team of counselors, therapist, and psychologists and their experiences treating children’s mental health conditions. Services are provided in English and Spanish and include: 

  • Individual & Family Therapy  
  • Group Therapy  
  • Psychological Assessment 
  • Caregiver Workshops  

Getting Started  

To request mental health services from ACGC, please call us at 512-451-2242.   

During your call, Intake staff will gather the necessary information to determine if ACGC services are appropriate for your family’s needs. The Intake & Eligibility phone call typically lasts 10 to 20 minutes. If ACGC services are a good fit for your family, our Intake staff will: 

  1. Conduct an intake with you to gather information about your child and family, including your family’s needs and concerns, and explain our services. We will also assess your family’s eligibility for special grant-funded programming. 
  2. Connect you to our patient portal, where you will complete the necessary information and submit the required paperwork and documents. Required documents include: 
    1. Proof of Income or Self-Certification of Income 
    2. Proof of Residency 
    3. Identity 
    4. Insurance 
  3. Match you with a clinician who can best meet your needs.  
  4. Schedule an Initial Evaluation appointment with your assigned clinician. 

NO APPOINTMENTS WILL BE SCHEDULED UNTIL ALL REQUIRED PAPERWORK IS SUBMITTED.  

Intake & Eligibility appointments are also available in person, if preferred, or if you require additional assistance. Just ask our Intake staff. 

If your child has been a victim of or has witnessed a crime, or if your family lives, goes to school, or works in Austin’s Rundberg area, please ask us about no-cost service options you may be eligible for. 

Appointments 

Scheduling Individual & Family Therapy or Psychological Assessment 

After completing the Intake & Eligibility process, you will be contacted by Intake staff to discuss eligibility for special programming, insurance, and payment options, answer any questions you may have, and schedule the Initial Evaluation appointment with a clinician.   

After the Initial Evaluation appointment, all future appointments will be coordinated through your assigned clinician.  

Psychological Assessment is conducted in-person. Learn more about Psychological Assessments at ACGC.  

Due to high demand, ACGC does not keep a waitlist for therapy services.  

Start the intake process by calling 512-451-2242.  

Scheduling Psychiatric Services 

ACGC is not currently offering psychiatric evaluations or follow-up medication management services.  

Canceling Appointments 

Your commitment to consistent attendance has a significant impact on the therapeutic outcomes for your child.  Please be on time for all appointments.   

If you cannot keep an appointment, we require that you call ACGC at 512-451-2242 at least 24 hours in advance to reschedule. The only exception to the 24-hour requirement is when a child is ill or contagious. Less than 24 hours' notice may result in a cancellation fee of $25. Failure to show up for an appointment without calling (a.k.a. no-show) may result in a no-show fee of $100. Failure to keep appointments may result in termination of treatment. 

Payment Options 

We don’t want the cost of treatment to be a barrier to accessing care or add to an already worrying time.   

Through the generous gifts of individual donors, foundations, corporations, and state, county, and city governments, we strive to find solutions that work for your family.  

As part of the Intake & Eligibility process, our team will discuss any financial barriers, available resources such as insurance, and specific payment options available.  

Accepted Insurance 

  • Aetna 
  • BCBS 
  • WELLPOINT 
  • Magellan/Dell's 
  • Cigna/Evernorth 
  • Superior Health Plan 
  • TMHP, Tricare 
  • TX Children's HP 
  • UnitedHealthcare  

Clients covered by the insurance providers listed above are billed according to the terms of their benefits. Insured clients must provide ACGC with valid insurance information. Administrative staff will verify and confirm insurance eligibility before services are provided.  

If we accept your insurance, ACGC will submit relevant claims on your behalf. Even if your insurance is accepted, it might only cover part of the service fee. You are responsible for any remaining balance, as detailed in your plan's benefits. 

Sliding Fee Scale 

As part of our effort to serve all families, especially those with financial needs, ACGC offers a sliding fee scale.     

We consider circumstances such as household income and family size, and regular/standard living expenses to calculate the percentage of service fees that qualified clients will be responsible for paying.    

To verify eligibility for the sliding scale or grant-funded programming, Intake staff will request proof of income (such as pay stubs or statements), residency, and identity at the time of service.    

If you receive services on-site, payment is collected upon check-in for your appointment. Payment for teletherapy services is collected at the beginning of your appointment using a credit card on file.   

ACGC accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and cash.  

Effective April 1, 2024, we have updated our service fees to help bring affordable care to you and your child. Please see our updated fees, service fee percentage calculator, and sliding fee scale below. 

Access to Care 

The Access to Care fund ensures that all families have equal access to high-quality mental health care, regardless of their ability to pay. These funds cover the full cost of delivering our services, minimizing the risk of service interruptions and potential adverse clinical effects. The fund combines contributions from private and public sources, as well as fundraising efforts, client fees, and payments from third-party payers.  

The Access to Care fund is generously supported by: 

  • BlueCross BlueShield of Texas 
  • Michael and Susan Dell Foundation 
  • The Moody Foundation 
  • Roddy Holden Kintzel Charitable Fund 
  • Shield-Ayres Foundation 
  • Topfer Family Foundation 

Special Programming 

  • Crime Survivor Services: Free Individual & Family Therapy, Psychological Assessment, and Family Resource Navigation services for survivors or witnesses of crime through funding from the Offices of the Attorney General and the Governor, and Travis County.  
  • Rundberg Community Services: Free Individual & Family Therapy services for families attending school or residing or working in the Rundberg area (Austin, Texas, Travis County only) through funding from the City of Austin.  

Please ask Intake staff about these grant-funded service options. Eligibility and documentation requirements apply. 

Transportation Options 

You are responsible for ensuring safe and reliable transportation to appointments for your child and family. If you have difficulties with transportation, consider the free or low-cost options listed below.   

  • CapMetro Bus Passes – ACGC offers free bus passes (if available) on a limited basis to qualifying families. Passes are made possible through a grant from the Transportation Empowerment Fund. 
  • Switch to Teletherapy - Set up teletherapy appointments with your therapist. If you have technology needs, please tell your therapist, and they can assist you in getting started with ACGC's Technology Lending Program.  
  • CARTS – Regional transportation for the non-urbanized areas of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis, and Williamson counties; go to www.ridecarts.com.   
  • Medical Transportation Program (through Medicaid) – call 211 or visit this site for details  
  • Use or obtain Case Management Services to be linked to available resources – go to www.findhelp.org to find services  
  • Temporarily Pause ACGC Services - you can pause ACGC services for up to 30 days. 

Requesting Community Workshops 

Led by licensed mental health professionals and ACGC staff, we offer a variety of workshops for parents, guardians, and caregivers, teachers, nonprofit organizations, youth-serving agencies, corporate partners, and other members of our community. Request a workshop today using our interest form.  

If you are an early childhood education center interested in our Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Project (IEC) services (workshops, consultations, trainings, etc.), please email IEC Program Supervisor Deslaune Burns, MED, LPC, at dburns@austinchildguidance.org or call us at 512-451-2242 to learn more.  

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