One of the primary ways CK Family Services supports children and families is through our Children’s Mental and Behavioral Health Program (CMBH). Formerly known as Behavioral Health, this updated name isn’t a shift in mission, but a clearer reflection of who we serve and the breadth of services we provide. For more than a decade, this program has been a cornerstone of support for children navigating emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. What began in 2015 as a small effort has grown into a comprehensive, statewide program. Today, through in-person and telehealth services, our team serves children and families across Texas, both within and beyond foster care.
The CMBH program is made up of several interconnected services, each designed to support families at different stages of need.
Skills Training & Mental Health Case Management
Skills Training supports children in building the emotional, behavioral, and social tools they need for everyday life. Through individualized, hands-on support, children learn coping strategies, emotional regulation, communication skills, and problem-solving techniques that help them navigate challenges at home, at school, and in their relationships.
As Team Lead Ashley Montoya has seen firsthand, the impact can be life-changing: “Watching a client’s transformation has been nothing short of incredible.”
Mental Health Case Management works alongside this care by helping families connect the dots. Case managers partner closely with caregivers and children to coordinate services, navigate systems, and access community resources, ensuring support is consistent, collaborative, and tailored to each family’s unique needs.
Texas Families First
Texas Families First is a prevention-focused initiative that provides targeted support to families experiencing significant stress while caring for their children. By offering early mental and behavioral health services, the program strengthens protective factors and addresses concerns proactively, helping children remain safely with their families whenever possible.
As Lynn Palmares of the Texas Families First team explains, “The goal is to help families stay together. When success happens, we’ve touched a life. We’ve made a difference.”
Resilient Families
Resilient Families supports caregivers who are facing especially demanding seasons while caring for a child with complex emotional or behavioral needs. Through education, hands-on support, and practical skill-building, the program helps caregivers strengthen their ability to support their child, restore stability, and move forward with renewed confidence.
Julie Fox shares one example of the hope this program brings: “We help families who feel like they’re about to give up. One 10-year-old boy was in crisis and his family was overwhelmed, but after a few months, we’re seeing it turn around. His mother is beginning to see the positives again.”
H.O.P.E. Team
The H.O.P.E. Team ensures continuity of mental health care for youth, regardless of placement changes. Through a dedicated team of professionals, children receive consistent support during times of transition, reinforcing that healing should never depend on where a child sleeps at night.
As Lamar Bowens explains, “A lot of kids feel like they have no hope, no dreams, no clear path. We advocate for them and help them stabilize by focusing on what we can control.”
The Children’s Mental and Behavioral Health Program reflects CK Family Services’ commitment to caring for the whole child, whether a family is connected to foster care or seeking support outside of it. Through a wide range of services, our passionate staff helps children move beyond their current behaviors or circumstances and begin to see a future filled with possibility. As a trusted community partner, CK Family Services receives referrals from child placing agencies, DFPS, schools, and community organizations, affirming our role as a reliable source of support, hope, and healing for children and families across Texas.
Learn more about each CMBH PROGRAM or refer a child for SERVICES today!
