Bexar CARES was developed as a comprehensive strategy for improving mental health services targeting the age group of 3-8 year-old. The goal of this project is to expand Bexar County’s system of care for children with serious emotional disturbance, help more children, enable earlier identification of children, incorporate new partners and approaches, and ensure continuous quality improvement.
Deborah Cohen, a research assistant professor at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health is leading the evaluation of this project. The evaluation will assess whether the process of developing mental health programs followed best practice principles, and whether the content of the program itself is appropriate and feasible. The local evaluation will examine both process and outcome measures throughout Bexar County. This will include an evaluation of the changes that occur at the community level, and at the family level.