History of Capital Area Mental Health Center

Capital Area Mental Health Center (CAMHC) was organized by the Capital Area Psychological Association in 1980 in response to the need for low-cost psychological services to the citizens of Austin and Travis County. During its first year, CAMHC had 51 volunteer psychologists who donated 1,652 hours of therapy time.

It was a new concept. While there were low-cost medical clinics across the nation, no one had developed a mental health clinic using professional volunteers. Without the dedication of pro-bono work shown by our professional volunteers, CAMHC would not have begun.

In the late 1980's CAMHC added a new facet to our mental health services: becoming a training setting for advanced doctoral students and graduate interns in counseling and social work. Therapists-in-training provide therapy as part of their practicum, and maintain a caseload of 2 to 15 clients, investing 6 to 25 hours weekly. The majority of CAMHC therapists are post-graduates, accumulating hours towards their permanent license, or advanced licensure. These therapists are supervised by CAMHC community professional volunteers and CAMHC staff, resulting in one of the strongest, multi-disciplinary training and mental health centers available in the Austin area.