Helping Bridge the Gap in Mental Health Care for Young Adults
Donor Pulse
Watching her grandsons, Michael and Cliff, grow up on the autism spectrum, Marcia Bankhead quickly realized there was a gap in mental health services between childhood and adulthood.
“My daughter, Liz, had a difficult time finding answers because there are few experts on autism and even fewer programs for young adults,” Mrs. Bankhead said.
UTSW’s Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Program helps teens and young adults struggling with mental health disorders to thrive. Led by Jessica Moore, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and a Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care, the program helps meet the unique needs of patients with a wide range of health issues, including eating disorders, psychosis, autism, substance abuse, and other developmental disorders.
Mrs. Bankhead recently made a generous gift to support clinical research on adolescent and young adult mental health and the TAY Program’s psychiatric care clinic that serves patients aged 16-27.
It’s a way to help children like her grandsons, who are now young adults attending college. Both intellectually gifted, Cliff enjoys writing, ecology, and math. Michael is a cellist studying commercial music.
“Today they can live independently and pursue their dreams,” she said. “I hope my gift will help other families address their challenges.”
