RMYA provides critical emergency shelter services for runaway, homeless, foster youth, trafficked, and children transitioning from juvenile probation. RMYA is one of only four shelters in the San Antonio/Bexar region providing emergency shelter care. The Bridge Emergency Shelter can provide a safe living environment for up to 90 days. 

Ages 5-17.

Children needing a safe place to stay for a short time receive 24-hour care while more permanent placement is determined. Emergency shelter services are provided for trafficked, runaway, homeless, foster youth, and children transitioning from juvenile probation.

This shelter serves children 24-hours a day in a safe, structured setting for up to 90 days. Every child is evaluated for medical, mental, dental, and other health care needs when they arrive at RMYA.

On-staff licensed clinicians are on-call 24/7 to provide crisis intervention for children, no matter what issues they may be facing.

Children participate in individual and group counseling so they can develop the tools needed to manage challenges.

Older residents also attend life skill classes to help educate them about food, finances, and the basics for surviving and thriving in the real world.

Children at RMYA keep up with school through RMYA’s on-site charter school Stepping Stones Academy. Youth have access to a large playground, swings, and basketball court so children can exercise daily.

It is crucial that children in RMYA programs experience as much normalcy as possible.

All residents are able to attend religious services at their request.

Roy Maas Youth Alternatives (RMYA) provides individual and family counseling, short-term pediatric and adolescent psychiatric services, and low-cost parent education classes for youth and their families.

Assessments may be available, as needed, for temporary and voluntary short-term residential care at RMYA Emergency Shelter Services, where residents have access to psychiatric services.

Counseling Services: We work with families experiencing a variety of behavioral and emotional crises, including but not limited to:

• parent-child conflicts
• anxiety
• substance abuse
• runaways
• truancy
• emotional control issues
• anger management

We are an approved site for Bexar County Juvenile Probation and the Department of Family and Protective Services mandated counseling.

The RMYA Community Psychiatric Clinic provides short-term psychiatric services in conjunction with child and family counseling for community children and youth (up to age 24) waiting to be seen by a private psychiatrist.

Our counselors partner with psychiatric residents from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, to provide evaluations and follow-up assessments for children coping with mental health issues that could lead to abuse, hospitalization, or the breakdown of the family unit.

RMYA also provides referrals for long-term psychiatric care when necessary.

Our agency offers the Becoming a Love and Logic Parent training course. The seven-week Becoming a Love and Logic Parent program was developed by Jim Fay, Charles Fay, PhD., and Foster W. Cline, M.D., of the Love and Logic Institute, Inc., in Golden, Colorado.

Community counseling services may be grant-funded or offered on a sliding scale fee.

Parenting Classes are $7 each, or $35 when pre-registering for the whole course.

We accept Community First Medicaid, Traditional Medicaid, and Superior Health Medicaid. We also accept Master Card and Visa.

To make an appointment or for more information, please call the number below.

The RMYA Thrift Shop provides clothing and other essentials to the children in our care and sells discounted merchandise to the community.

All proceeds from the sales at the RMYA Thrift Shop provide funding for emergency shelters and long-term residential programs for children in crisis; a drop-in center for homeless, runaway, and trafficked youth; a community family counseling and resource center; and a transitional living program for former foster care, homeless youth, and youth in extended foster care.

All donations are tax-deductible.

We accept:

• new or gently used clothing
• furniture
• housewares
• home and holiday décor
• books
• shoes
• toys
• linens
• bath towels
• DVD’s
• and more

We DO NOT accept:

• appliances
• building materials
• encyclopedias
• mattresses/box springs
• large desks,
• entertainment centers
• large exercise equipment,
• bed pillows
• paint
• chemicals of any kind
• couches and chairs that are torn, soiled or otherwise damaged
• computers
• printers
• fax machines
• copiers
• cell phones
• CPSC recalled items
• any broken or incomplete items

The TurningPoint Transitional Living program helps youth who have aged out of foster care and other homeless youth by providing a safe place to live, learn, and become productive, empowered members of our community.

The program includes:

• professional case management
• weekly counseling
• job and life skills training
• educational assistance
• resource referrals

Call for more information.

Youth 18-24 years old

The campus at Meadowland includes six residential cabins (four for males/two for females), an educational/ recreational complex, a gymnasium and weight room, the Meadowland Charter School, a computer lab, a library, and the Burdick Community Center. Additionally, the campus has a jogging track, several ball fields, basketball courts, and a swimming pool and pool house.

Children placed at Meadowland frequently come from chaotic, unpredictable environments with inconsistent discipline, care, or supervision. Many have a history of abuse and, as a result, have behavioral and emotional problems, which, without intervention, could lead to criminal activities and other destructive behaviors.

The Meadowland Campus accepts male and female children, ages 6-17, who are neglected, abused, abandoned, involved with the juvenile justice system, in crisis, or otherwise in danger.

Some clinical considerations must be reviewed, along with the "fit" of the child into a particular resident group and the RMYA capacity to work with any special needs the child may have.

RMYA's policy does not discriminate in the manner in which it provides services or in the way in which it screens applicants. At no time will a referral be denied admission to the program based on sex, race, color, national origin, political belief, religion, sexual or gender orientation.