About Us
Our Story and Mission
In 2012, Elizabeth Portman Minne, Ph.D launched a school-based mental health pilot program at Crockett High School in Austin, Texas. In 2015, Minne’s behavioral health agency, Vida Clinic, officially assumed ownership of Crockett High Schools’ program and later expanded the initiative to include over 50 schools. Vida Clinic now partners with various organizations, schools and individuals to offer a menu of services that promote individual change through systems-oriented care. Vida Clinic continues its mission to provide access to quality clinical mental health care for every child, adult and organization that needs them.
Vida Clinic is a woman-owned business.
Our Philosophy
Vida Clinic values people. We are constantly thinking about ways to enhance the therapy experience, deepen our community connections, and strengthen support for our team. With a focus in addressing mental health in individuals and organizations, the Vida Clinic team demonstrates a strong commitment to promoting a vision of making our communities dynamic and nurturing places that inspire each of us to live well. Through our systems-oriented approach to care, we help to de-stigmatize mental health issues so that people feel comfortable getting access to the care that they need in order to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Ecological Model
Through the use of evidence-based therapeutic techniques, we approach our work with a systems perspective. Our ecological work is defined by the premise that youth treatment achieves long-lasting results when the therapist works not only with the young person, but also involves their parents and educators in the healing process when necessary. This approach is integrated with the Attachment-Regulation-Competency (ARC) framework for Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), which emphasizes adult attunement with the child and use of compassionate techniques—rather than punitive responses—for helping youth manage strong emotional experiences in school and other developmental environments. A combination of multi-systemic, multi-tiered mental health services yields promising and long-lasting results by engaging parents, teachers, and the school system in the care of youth. This approach fosters meaningful connections within and across these groups — youth, parents, school staff — to promote a culture of empathy and resilience in our schools.
Customized Approach
Vida Clinic is inspired by the desire to create and implement innovative ways of providing high quality mental health services. We offer a flexible framework in our organizational partnerships that enable us to collaboratively build customized programs that are effective. Our approach to care centers around the needs of our clients. Our desire is for individuals in our care to feel supported, empowered and respected.
Outcomes Oriented
We use clinical assessment instruments collaboratively with our clients as tools for creating a healing experience that helps to know themselves better. This assessment paradigm helps clients to feel less burdened by their mental health issues and more optimistic about their treatment course. For Vida Clinic therapists, the use of assessment is part of the therapeutic relationship, rather than simply a “data gathering” endeavor that happens prior to therapy sessions. Furthermore, assessment outcomes help to ensure that the care we provide is effective for our clients.
