MENTAL HEALTH
Though San Marcos Treatment Center is tucked away onto a quiet hillside just off Lime Kiln Road, on Friday, the entire place was abuzz with celebration. The in-patient therapeutic facility opened its newly-renovated Silver Spoon Cafeteria amid a fanfare of ribbons and balloons.
The San Marcos Treatment Center has been part of the community since Bert and Lorine Brown founded the rest home in 1940. Originally called the Brown School, the couple leased the first building from what was then known as Spring Lake Resort.
Over time, enrollment of the Brown School grew, necessitating additional units across the hillside property. In 1974, the units merged to form the 65-acre campus known as the San Marcos Treatment Center.
But just as SMTC’s growth and development did not happen overnight, it also did not occur at the same pace.
“They haven’t redone the kitchen in 50 years,” Andrew Herrod, CEO of SMTC, said. “They haven’t redone the dining room in 40.”
“The kitchen has been here since 1972,” Sherri Gonzalez, Director of Business Development, added. “It was time.”
Silver Spoon Cafeteria features brightly-painted murals across the walls and all-new, state-of-theart kitchen equipment. Wide windows offer a panorama of the Hill Country, giving the dining room a light and airy feeling.
In his opening address to the assembled crowd, Herrod said, “Nutrition is a huge component of mental health. The more we’re feeding our kids well, the better food that they are getting, the better some of their outcomes are here. A huge part of that is also what kind of message we are bringing to our kids. A nice, bright space that brings in a lot of sun — that has some beautiful paintings around here advertising both activities as well as healthy eating — is key.”
San Marcos Treatment Center is an in-patient facility admitting patients with a complex array of behavioral, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric problems with a 212-bed capacity. Currently, SMTC houses a population of around 180 residents between the ages of six to 17. SMTC also serves active-duty military families through the Patriot Support Program.
“We have quite a developmental spectrum,” Herrod said. “A lot of kids are in the foster care system. They get referred here from schools, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists. They typically stay here anywhere from two months to a year, depending on their situation.”
Herrod also said that SMTC participates in a high school credit recovery program partnered with KI Charter School with all participating teachers holding a Special Education certification. “If you’ve been in and out of the system, you fall behind in your classes,” Herrod said. “You need extra help to catch up. We get them up to grade level and plug them back into society.'
Five months ago, Herrod and the staff at SMTC built a playground for the residents in order to meet their outdoor education needs. “It’s been awesome,” Herrod said.
“They get to spend a lot of time out here,” Shawn Ollivierre (also known as Mr. O) said. According to Ollivierre, residents are grouped based on development age, rather than chronological age. “Functional level is very important,” he said. “Everything has to be clinical, so we keep units separate unless they have planned get-togethers. The planning aspect is important.”
San Marcos Treatment Center also has a certified ropes course that offers closed family sessions in which residents and their family can work together with a therapist to navigate obstacles.
“When a student leaves, they participate in a ceremony on the ropes course in which they climb the tower on the course and drop down, symbolizing them taking wing,” Ollivierre said. “When you’re up there, you can see all of San Marcos. Can you imagine what that’s like for a kid? It’s really inspiring.”
The Silver Spoon Cafeteria is the latest update to the SMTC campus in its ongoing effort to meet the needs of every student on campus.
“I’m excited to open this,” Herrod said. “I feel very honored to be a part of this team, and what this team hopes for these kiddos. This is just one small piece of that.”
To learn more about San Marcos Treatment Center, visit sanmarcostc. com.
The Ribbon Cutting held on Friday, March 8 celebrated the opening of the Silver Spoon Cafeteria, a renovated and updated dining facility serving the residents of the San Marcos Treatment Center. Above, on the back row, is Shawn Ollivierre, Assistant Director of Plant Operations; Alfredo Frausto, Frausto and Castillo Construction; Gilbert Sanchez, Director of Plant Operations; Mike Maloney, COO; Ike Okoye, Health and Human Services Policy Advisor and Senator Donna Campbell, M.D. On the front row, Winston Chieza, Director of Nursing; Lilly Parker, Registered Dietician; Andy Herod, CEO and Sherri Gonzalez, Director of Business Development. Below is a view of the new dining room facilities, which were part of the remodel. Daily Record photos by Celeste Cook
