Spring-area families facing a youth mental health emergency can call a Harris County team that sends clinicians to their door instead of police.

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD launched its Youth Crisis Outreach Team in July after receiving a five-year state grant, KPRC 2 reported Wednesday, Sept. 16. The team of about 18 members provides 24-hour coverage across Harris County, which includes the Spring area.

Each response pairs a clinician with youth peers and family partners. Some team members have lived experience with mental health challenges, substance use and the justice system. The team arrives in an unmarked vehicle with no mental health signage.

No uniforms. No sirens.

Sarah Strang, director of mobile and youth crisis outreach teams at the Harris Center, told KPRC the difference matters for young people.

"It can be huge. That individual, if the police are called, they're most likely going to be taken to either the detention center or a psychiatric hospital," Strang said.

Instead, the team enters the home and works to stabilize the situation. Once the immediate crisis is addressed, families can be connected with longer-term counseling, psychiatry and other support.

The program responds to situations involving anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. In some cases, conflicts stemming from a child's online activity can also prompt a response.

The team is not a replacement for police or emergency services. The Harris Center describes it as an additional resource for families when a young person's behavior or mental health situation is escalating.

The effort fits into a broader shift in Harris County's approach to mental health calls. In fiscal year 2025, the county's Crisis Call Diversion Program diverted 4,036 calls away from a Houston Police Department or Houston Fire Department response, KPRC 2 reported Sept. 3. The Harris Center works alongside 911 dispatchers to assess what kind of response each call needs.

A Texas Health and Human Services survey cited in the KPRC report found 21.7% of Texas high school students said they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year.

Families seeking help can reach the Harris Center's 24/7 Crisis and Access Line at 713-970-7000 or toll-free at 866-970-4770. Whether that line connects directly to the Youth Crisis Outreach Team or routes through general intake has not been confirmed.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.