Commissioners Court approve funding for mental health services
The Hays County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to approve funding to enhance the provision of mental health services in the county.
During the regular Tuesday meeting, the court reviewed County Court at Law Judge Elaine Brown’s request to use $195,602 from the American Rescue Plan Act fund. The request was made to cover operational costs for the Mental Health Specialty Court.
Mental Health Court Administrator Kaimi Mattila said the county is working with nine individuals who are making their way through the mental health court program. The court is relatively new here and Mattila said this represents a large number of individuals for such a new court. The funds approved on Tuesday will cover many of the services the county now provides, including counseling, transitional housing, in-patient hospitalization and substance abuse treatment.
Mattilla said these funds will also be used to purchase software associated with a case management tracking system and to create marketing material to increase community engagement and participation.
Brown pointed out that in the long run the county will save money through this court by assisting individuals in need of mental health services so that they receive that care and avoid incarceration.
Commissioner-Pct 3 Lon Shell said, “I want to thank Judge Brown for taking on this challenge because it is a challenge.” Commissioner-Pct 1 Debbie Ingalsbe said, “I do want to also thank Judge Brown and Kaimi for the fantastic job that you are doing. We’ve been wanting to create something like this for a very, long time, and I’m just amazed at where we are already in this program.” Ingalsbe said that they are “providing the services that so many of our residents have been lacking for such a long time.”
Additionally, in other mental health-related action, the court voted unanimously to approve the submission of a grant request to the Department of Justice for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. This request is for $550,000 with the county set to match in cash, approximately $155,000.
Hays County Pretrial Services Director Randy Focken said there are plans to lease a space while the county works to develop a long-term facility. He said this funding request “would allow us to pay for some of the initial rent during the first couple of months and to get any renovations that need to be done in the facility.”
Focken said “this is not enough to pay for the full operation of the facility, but it’s a start,” adding that the county approached its grant writers to identify places from where additional funding might be obtained.
“There are a couple of others we’re getting ready to work on as well,” Focken said. “If we have to utilize virtual treatment services to begin with while we recruit the other resources to come in and build the facility, we can do that.”
Hays County Commissioners Court Judge Ruben Becerra said that he had been speaking to professionals in the community that were asking him if Hays County would be better served by a diversion center or a mental health hospital.
Becerra said,“There’s different reasons for different spaces, and I believe we need both.”
A diversion center would help those accused of low-level crimes receive treatment instead of going to jail whereas a mental health facility provides treatment to any who need it, according to information presented in the meeting.
Focken said, “we are not ignoring a need for a diversion center” but their first focus is a mental health facility in the county.
