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When adults see children and adolescents, they think they are so full of life and have such bright futures. Looks can be deceiving. Young people are sometimes hiding fears, insecurities, and feelings of hopelessness from which they think they cannot escape. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in those age 10 and 24,…

Happy Red River Week! During the week of July 1-7, the staff at Red River Youth Academy are celebrating our third anniversary, and we have some fun activities planned. We’ve experienced some positive changes over the past three years under the Meridian Behavioral Health Systems umbrella, including a complete remodel, refocusing our program on trauma-informed…

Frequently, parents may find it hard to know if a child is having mental health issues or if they are experiencing typical physical or emotional growing pains. With the incidence of mental illness in children at such an alarming rate, being aware of signs and symptoms is important. May 7-13 is Children’s Mental Health Awareness…

Many people think of childhood as a time of carefree summer days and the love and support of family.  In reality, that is not always the case.  Every day, countless children experience traumatic events that not only affect their well-being in childhood, but, if unaddressed, will have a profound impact on their adult life as…

Red River Youth Academy recognizes the important role school counselors play in supporting students’ mental health and helping them achieve school success, and we join our counselor colleagues in celebrating National School Counseling Week, Feb. 5-9. The theme of this year’s celebration is “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars.” It is the special…

  Following are public comments made by Red River Youth Academy CEO Amy Steely at the Nov. 2, 2017 Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) rate committee hearing regarding the consequences of mental health rate and service cuts that will take place if the state legislature fails to adequately fund the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health…

Our residents did a great job planting, tending, and harvesting two varieties of pumpkins in our very own pumpkin patch this year. This week, they also enjoyed fun games, crafts, and trick-or-treating throughout our facility.

The futures of children struggling with behavioral health conditions are in the hands of Oklahoma legislators; bipartisan support for passage of the cigarette tax is needed  Do we want children in our state to struggle with behavioral health conditions that cause continuing problems in the home, at school, and in communities? Or do we want to…