Hill Country Community MHDD Centers Serving the Greater TEXAS Hill Country
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April 2, 2011

Hill Country MHMR Approves Name Change

Hill Country Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center is changing its name to Hill Country Mental Health and Development Disabilities Centers.  This change is being made to reflect our goal of erasing the stigma attached to intellectual disabilities.

This name change comes after many years of advocacy efforts and unanimous approval by the United States Congress of Rosa’s Law (S.2781), which was put into effect on October 5, 2010. Inspired by Rosa Marcellino, a child with Down syndrome, Rosa’s law directs the elimination of the term “mental retardation” (which in recent years has developed a negative connotation and is seen by many as stigmatizing) and replaces it with the term “intellectual disabilities” in federal health, education and labor statutes.   With this name change, Hill Country becomes one of a number of agencies serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are removing the "R word" from their names. 

 "The utilization of the term retardation in society is associated with negative connotations and has become demeaning to individuals," said Linda Werlein, CEO of Hill Country. "Although mental retardation is a clinical diagnosis, we have removed it from our name out of respect for the individuals we serve."

The Hill Country Board of Trustees, comprised of nine appointed officials from the 19 counties sponsoring Hill Country, gave a great deal of time and consideration to the name change.  In considering the new name, the Hill Country board wanted to affirm the primary focus of the agency on mental health and developmental disability services and to ensure that those seeking assistance would be able to identify the agency in area directories. 

Hill Country, which operates 10 mental health clinics, 8 developmental disability centers, and 8 early childhood intervention centers, provides community based mental health and developmental disability services throughout 19 counties of the greater Texas Hill Country by promoting independence, community integration and recovery.  Counties served by Hill Country include Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, and Val Verde.