Before Custody: Connecting Youth to the Right Care at the Right Time
This resource was created to provide families, courts, law enforcement, care coordinators, and school teams with a centralized list of non-DHS providers offering services to youth who are in crisis or in need of treatment, but who may not require commitment to state custody.
These providers span Residential Treatment Centers, Acute Care Facilities, Emergency Shelters, and Community-Based Outpatient Services, with each category representing a potential path of support that keeps youth in the least restrictive, most therapeutic setting available.
🧭 Why This Page Matters
This isn’t just a referral directory—it’s a bridge to hope, healing, and alternatives. The decision to commit a child to state custody carries profound implications. Our goal is to support that decision-making process by offering viable, vetted alternatives rooted in compassion, accountability, and effective intervention. These options may help youth stabilize without removing them from their families, homes, or communities.
📊 How to Use This Directory
Each provider listed is categorized by the level of service they offer. Users can select from the following care types:
- Residential Treatment: Structured, long-term care environments for youth requiring 24/7 behavioral health support Search Here
- Acute Care: Crisis stabilization for urgent psychiatric or medical needs Search Here
- Emergency Shelters: Short-term housing for displaced, runaway, or vulnerable youth Search Here
- Community-Based Outpatient Services: Therapy, case management, and family-based services offered locally Search Here
📋 When to Refer — Key Decision Factors
- Legal Eligibility: Is the youth’s charge or circumstance appropriate for diversion?
- Risk Assessments: What do tools like the SAVRY, RAI, or YLS/CMI reveal?
- Protective Factors: Is there a stable guardian, school engagement, or local support in place?
- Community Options: Are there existing programs or provider services that can intervene?
Our aim is not only to guide referrals, but to strengthen the ecosystem of youth support across Arkansas—offering clarity, consistency, and real-world alternatives that uphold the dignity and potential of every young person.
🧩 Additional Resources from Arkansas DHS
To further support families and professionals, the Arkansas Department of Human Services offers a suite of tools and directories:
- Find Child Care: Locate licensed child care providers to ensure safe and quality early childhood education. Visit ARBetterBeginnings.com
- SNAP Employment & Training Providers: Access a network of colleges and education centers offering job training and employment support for SNAP recipients. View the Provider List
- ConnectCare – Find a Primary Care Provider: Assistance for Medicaid and ARKids First families in finding or changing their primary care doctor or dentist. Learn More
- Medicaid Provider Directory: Search for Medicaid providers, including specialists and primary care physicians. Search Providers
- Mental Health & Substance Abuse Providers: Access treatment and recovery-focused programs for individuals with substance use disorders and mental health needs. Find Providers
- PASSE – Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity: Coordinated care for Medicaid clients with complex behavioral health, developmental, or intellectual disabilities. Learn More
- DPSQA Licensed and Certified Providers: Search for licensed and certified providers across various services regulated by the Division of Provider Services & Quality Assurance. Search Providers
