It is our belief that families and youth deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, at no time more so than when they are facing a crisis.  Children's Mental Health staff recognizes the importance of the family and community, and work diligently to help families resolve crises without disrupting the family unit.  Home and neighborhood based interventions and collaborating with families’ informal and formal support systems are key program components.  When a youth has a serious emotional disturbance, the youth and each family member face many challenges and they deserve compassion and support as they face them. 

There is no place for blaming, using shame, passing judgment, or doubting the competence of families in programs claiming to offer assistance in crisis situations.  Each family and youth seeking services bring with them unique lifestyles, goals, socio-cultural values, support systems, strengths, insights and needs and these serve as the guiding forces in treatment planning and interventions.  We view families as partners in the treatment process and recognize that successful interventions require aligning with families, capitalizing on strengths, and respecting families’ complex relationships. 

Children's Mental Health staff members are always guided by what is in the best interest of youth and families and adapt services to youth’ and families’ needs, creating hope and opportunity in those situations, which have traditionally been viewed as difficult. 


Children's Mental Health services includes:


Crisis Response and Outreach

Crisis intervention services are available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year by dialing 601-376-0500.  Crisis services include telephone and mobile response.  Telephone services involve providing phone support and/or referral information about community resources.  Mobile crisis services involve on-site intervention at the convenience of the family in crisis.  The family is assisted in developing a crisis plan and referrals to other Children’s Mental Health or community services may be made. 

For more information, please contact:
Jo Turlington – Program Director
Office:  601-326-3736
Fax:  601-326-3754




Trauma Recovery for Youth (TRY)

The Trauma Recovery for Youth project, TRY, is working to increase the awareness about child trauma and best practices, to improve access to supportive services for children and their families that have been traumatized.  This project is developing a local network, the TRY Network, a collaboration of agencies and programs in Hinds, Rankin, and Madison Counties of Mississippi as a further effort to increase child trauma awareness and access to services.  Staff members of this program are available to do trainings and informational presentations.  TRY also sponsors a number of free trainings throughout the year.  For more information, please visit www.trynetwork.org.  Via this project, Catholic Charities is a member site of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (www.nctsnet.org).

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Wilson– Program Director
Office:  601-326-3745
Fax:  601-352-4473

Hope Haven Home-Based Services

Hope Haven provides home-based counseling and service coordination to families with children ages 3-18 in crisis located in the Hinds, Madison, and Rankin county areas.  Support is provided in both the school and community environments. Services are available to families whose children have a mental health diagnosis or would be eligible upon evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist.  Counseling services are designed to assist the family in resolving the crisis and in keeping the youth at home.  Services are typically provided for three to six months.

For more information, please contact:
Carol Warfield – Program Director
Office:  601-948-4493
Fax:  601-960-8496

Hope Haven Residential Services

Hope Haven provides residential services in a therapeutic crisis center that serves youth 12 – 17 and their families.  Services involve short-term respite with individual and group therapy.  Residents are encouraged to make positive choices and take personal responsibility for their actions.  While in the residential program, families are encouraged to visit often and continue to involve their child in community activities such as school, church, and family outings.

For more information, please contact:
Jo Turlington– Program Director
Office:  601-326-3736
Fax:  601-376-0088

Therapeutic Foster Care

Therapeutic Foster Care offers intensive in-home intervention, individual, play, and family therapy, case management, advocacy, consultation, and support to seriously emotionally disturbed youth, their biological families and their foster families.  All services are provided using wrap-around principles with a primary goal of achieving permanency for children/youth who are unable to be served in less restrictive settings.  Children served range from two to twenty-one years and come from all regions of the state.  Program offices are in Jackson, Mississippi and foster homes are in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties.

Become a therapeutic Foster Parent

A Therapeutic Foster Care Parent can be a rewarding experience.  Not only can your family be an out reach of love and support to a needful child, but that child can bring a bountiful enrichment to the family unit.  Children in the program range from two to twenty years of age.  Most are children with emotional and behavioral problems and most have histories of abuse and/or neglect.  A therapeutic family can be the supporting unit that helps them learn healthier, more productive ways to live in a normal family.  

We need foster families who are between 25 and 60 years of age, who are accepting and flexible, with the time to devote to a needy child.  The program provides:

• Weekly therapy for the child
• Foster parent training and certification
• Monthly support group meeting
• Monthly stipend for foster families to help compensate for their time and additional expense
• A chance to make a difference in the life of a child

To become a foster parent contact Ashley Brown at 326-3718.

For more information, please contact:

Amy Turner– Program Director
Office:  601-326-3737
Fax:  601-326-3752