Clarity Child Guidance Center’s roots go back to 1886 when thirteen women formed an orphanage called the Protestant Home for Destitute Children. They found the children who struggled to get adopted often had mental health challenges.
By the 1960s, the San Antonio Children’s Center (as it was known then) specialized in treatment of children with behavioral and emotional disorders. Over time, the organization grew into the Southwest Mental Health Center, which was a hospital, diagnostic and treatment center, and educational training facility.
Another nonprofit leader in mental health was the Child Guidance Center of San Antonio. Established in 1956, this organization provided outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents, and families. The staff also worked with schools and other social agencies in the community.
In 2010, the Southwest Mental Health Center and the Child Guidance Center of San Antonio merged and selected a new name to reflect their shared mission: Clarity Child Guidance Center!