1-1                                     1
 1-2                         SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1220
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pleasure
 1-4     in recognizing the Capital Area Mental Health Center (CAMHC),
 1-5     a nonprofit Austin agency, which will be celebrating its 20th year
 1-6     next year of providing affordable counseling to those who would
 1-7     not otherwise have access to this necessary service; and
 1-8           WHEREAS, Each year, approximately 1,200 clients receive
 1-9     counseling through the health center, where the length of
1-10     treatment is guided by the needs of the client; and
1-11           WHEREAS, The only Austin area community mental health
1-12     agency offering affordable counseling to low-income persons, it is
1-13     able to keep overhead to a minimum since all of the organization's
1-14     7,000 hours of direct service annually are provided by unpaid
1-15     professionals; the center's budget would have to be four or five
1-16     times as large if all of its donated services were purchased; at
1-17     any given time, about 125 licensed personnel volunteers and 30
1-18     therapists-in-training are providing counseling to more than 200
1-19     people; and
1-20           WHEREAS, The first mental health agency in the United States
1-21     to be clinically staffed by volunteers, it remains one of a
 2-1     handful today; the Capital Area Mental Health Center was formed
 2-2     in 1980 by the Capital Area Psychological Association to
 2-3     coordinate reduced fee services provided by Austin area licensed
 2-4     psychologists; by 1985, the volunteer base had expanded to
 2-5     include clinical social workers, professional counselors, and
 2-6     psychiatrists; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, Establishing an extensive graduate training program
 2-8     to increase the number of clients who could be served, the Capital
 2-9     Area Mental Health Center continues to offer the only place in the
2-10     Austin area where therapists-in-training can gain and practice
2-11     skills in long-term psychotherapy; and
2-12           WHEREAS, Individuals seek counseling to deal with chronic
2-13     mental illness, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress,
2-14     relationship difficulties, and other serious challenges; agency
2-15     clients invest financially, as well as personally, in their
2-16     counseling process; in therapy, clients are supported in making
2-17     meaningful changes in their lives and gaining skills to function
2-18     more effectively on their own, in the workplace, and as members of
2-19     the community; now, therefore, be it
2-20           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-21     76th Legislature, hereby congratulate the Capital Area Mental
2-22     Health Center in anticipation of the agency's 20th anniversary
2-23     celebration in the year 2000 and commend its many volunteers
2-24     for their vital service to the people of Central Texas; and,
 3-1     be it further
 3-2           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as an
 3-3     expression of the high regard and esteem of the Texas Senate.
 3-4                                                              Barrientos
 3-5                                  ______________________________________
 3-6                                          President of the Senate
 3-7                                       I hereby certify that the above
 3-8                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
 3-9                                  on May 31, 1999.
3-10                                  ______________________________________
3-11                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-12                                  ______________________________________
3-13                                           Member, Texas Senate