HBAC Program Description
Hunting Bayou Achievement Center, LLC (HBAC) operates a therapeutic day school for children and youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties. Approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), HBAC serves students through personalized services tailored to meet their unique needs. The program includes educational, diagnostic, and treatment services, focusing on behavioral management, academic skills, and social development. Student teacher/staff ratios are low, usually 1:4, allowing for more individualized attention.
Students, aged 6 to 22, are admitted based on evaluations and ARD process referrals. HBAC specializes in addressing severe behavioral and emotional challenges, including conditions like autism, intellectual disabilities, and conduct disorders. Services include psychiatric evaluations, psychosocial assessments, and educational diagnostics to develop individualized educational plans (IEPs).
HBAC's interdisciplinary team incorporates educators, counselors, and paraprofessionals. The center employs evidence-based methods, such as relational support, positive reinforcement, and cognitive-behavioral techniques, while avoiding aversive interventions. Certified teachers provide academic instruction, and licensed professionals provide related services, such as counseling. The ultimate goal is to transition students back to their home schools while equipping them with the skills to thrive in their communities.
Students
The typical HBAC student is a child or adolescent, male or female, between the school age of six and twenty-two with mental illness, an emotional disorder, autism, intellectual disability, or a behavioral disorder that does not require an acute care hospital placement. These students pose a serious and persistent danger to themselves or others and they cannot safely be cared for in a less restrictive school environment. Length of stay varies depending on the student’s needs. HBAC also specializes in caring for students that have previously been in alternative placements without good success. These students often exhibit aggressive behavior, have difficulty controlling emotions, do poorly in school, have severe difficulties with interpersonal interactions, and are oppositional. Most HBAC students will be admitted with mental health diagnoses, including bipolor disorder, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, and psychosis. Some students may have cognitive impairment or behavior difficulties as a result of chronic but stable neurological problems.
Financial arrangements
All financial arrangements must be made prior to admission. HBAC works with students’ insurance companies to provide financial resources where applicable. HBAC contracts with independent school districts and other agencies for placement and related services.
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