The BasePoint Academy
Story
Learn more about the why behind our teen mental health treatment center and the need that we seek to meet for the adolescent mental health crisis.
The Serpa Family
BasePoint Academy was founded by the Serpa family in partnership with Dr. Kimberly Dobbins in 2021. However, the story truly begins eight years earlier when the Serpa family lost their daughter to suicide.
Brittany Serpa was a charismatic and energetic young woman that had a wide circle of friends. She was actively involved in sports and cheerleading and had a zest for life that was infectious.
Her family was very close, and everything seemed to be fine until her teenage years. Brittany’s brother, Blake, remembers a significant decline in her behavior.
“She started staying out late and not getting her schoolwork done. We were referred to a local psychiatrist, where she was grossly misdiagnosed.
Her true, deeper needs went unmet due to a lack of understanding of teenage mental healthcare and poor treatment strategies.
In 2012, we lost my little sister Brittany to Bipolar Disorder-related suicide. My parents lost their daughter because a mental health provider didn’t truly know what he was doing.
That provider later lost his license, but that only solved a microscopic sliver of the real problem. There was clearly a glaring gap in mental health care for teens in our region and in the nation at large.
And we felt compelled to do something about it.
My father, Roy Serpa, has nearly 40 years of experience in healthcare leadership. He was in a position to connect with the experts in this field, including Dr. Kimberly Dobbins, in order to create a viable solution for our community.
We couldn’t bring my sister back, but maybe we could save another family, another school, or another community from experiencing the loss we did.”
Today, the Serpa family’s personal experience directly impacts how we recruit, develop, and cultivate our staff at BasePoint Academy.
In turn, this is reflected in the quality of treatment we provide. This personal experience is why BasePoint Academy was born and why we offer an unmatched depth of care.
The Troubling Data
In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) collectively declared an emergency in mental health care for children and teens.[1]
From 2021 to 2023, the Mental Health America Non-Profit Foundation ranked the state of Texas dead last in its annual survey that scores a state’s level of access to mental health care. Today, in early 2023, while Texas is still in the bottom 10%, it’s no longer dead last for teens, but we have clawed our way to 46th.[2] We’re confident that our efforts at BasePoint Academy have helped make a difference.
In an article by the JAMA Network medical journal released in January 2023, the call is still going out to pediatric and teenage healthcare providers to increase awareness and access to treatment for their young patients. Evidence-based medications and therapies, along with greater access to community resources, are the solutions to properly advocate for our teenagers.[3]
Our Inspiration
The troubling data behind mental healthcare for teens and the Serpa family tragedy is what inspires us to do what we do at BasePoint Academy. It’s what keeps us focused and committed to our patients and families.
It’s what drives the development of our curriculum and our treatment programs. It’s what helps us create a safe space for teens. It’s how we measure our outcomes and train our staff.
It’s What Has Inspired The Basepoint Academy Mission:
It’s Why We Work Hard To Live Out Our Vision:
To bring accessible, understandable, and evidence-based behavioral healthcare to our patients and their families.
It’s Why We Work Hard To Live Out Our Vision:
- To become the statewide leader in outpatient behavioral health services.
- To be a choice employer and provider by creating a team-oriented culture.
- To continue maintaining, developing, and implementing innovative treatment modalities.
- To partner with insurers, teaching institutions, health systems, and local communities.
- To increase access to affordable healthcare and decrease the stigma of seeking treatment.
Teen Treatment Programs At BasePoint Academy
Our treatment programs are designed specifically for treating teenagers aged twelve to eighteen (if still in school) who struggle with a wide variety of mental health and co-occurring disorders. Our providers are uniquely equipped to build trust and help each patient safely navigate their recovery.
We’re not just a mental health treatment center. We’re a partner for you and your teen during some of the most difficult years they will face. We’re here to help each patient and family establish healthy patterns and create a sustainable future.
Treatment Programs
BasePoint Academy is committed to providing patient-focused care that’s centered around the adolescent experience. Through evidence-based treatment, academic support, and a supportive team environment, we exist to see patients equipped to mitigate their emotions and behaviors to reach a healthier level of self-efficacy.
Our Therapies
Through an innovative and servant leadership hiring and development process, we’re committed to recruiting only those clinicians and providers who meet our treatment standards and company culture. BPA’s multidisciplinary treatment team are committed partners in your teen’s journey to establishing lasting change.
Our Treatment Team
Our leadership is responsible for setting the tone and vision of everything we do today and everything we plan to accomplish in the future. Each leader embodies a deep compassion for patients and families and brings a wealth of field experience to the table to positively affect care and pursue innovation in the behavioral health space.
Sources
[1] American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021, October 19). AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Www.aap.org. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health on May 2,2023
[2] Youth data 2023. (n.d.). Mental Health America. Retrieved from https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-datahttps://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data on May 2, 2023
[3] Dreyer, B. P. (2023). JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249578. Stepping Up to the Plate—The Role of Pediatricians in Addressing the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Crisis. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800147#zic220248r1 on May 2, 2023
