New mental health facility to open From the cover
The background
Why now?
The decision to build the new mental health facility comes as Comal County grapples with a growing mental health crisis. In September, Hill Country MHDD received 183 crisis hotline calls in Comal County, the majority from hospital emergency rooms, followed by concerned residents, Sturdivant said. “We have a number of calls from law enforce- ment or the jail that we may respond to, but the vast majority of the calls do come from hospital emergency rooms,” said Sturdivant, who added that the new center will reduce the burden on hospital emergency departments. Wigington said she’s witnessed rsthand the strain on local resources, as she handles the judicial aspects of mental health cases, including signing warrants for evaluations and orders of protective custody. “It’s a huge burden on our community, and it’s not the best way to care for people in crisis,” Wigington said. Comal County mental health crisis hotline calls Calls to the Comal County mental health crisis hotline came from hospitals, police or sheri ’s o ces, jails, schools, clients, the community and sta .
Sturdivant, deputy CEO of Hill Country MHDD. “The goal is to reduce psychiatric hospital utilization and divert individuals from jails to appropriate care,” Sturdivant said. Law enforcement o cers and judges will have the option to send individuals in mental health crises to the facility as an alternative to jail when appropriate. In addition, those experiencing crises— whether referred by local hospitals, family members or 911 responders—can be directed to the facility for stabilization and care, o ering a quicker and more appropriate alternative to emergency rooms. The $4.5 million in annual operating costs will cover a sta of around 50 employees. Hill Country MHDD will also provide $1 million in furniture and equipment for the facility, said Charles Rittenhouse, chief nancial o cer of Hill Country MHDD. The facility is set to break ground in December, with an estimated 10-12 month construction timeline, Hornseth said. Once completed, it will be operated by Hill Country MHDD, he said.
The new facility will be built by Comal County and operated by Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. Funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act grants, the facility will provide a vital resource for residents experiencing mental health emergencies, Comal County Administrator Tom Hornseth said. “We’re sending people all the way to San Antonio, Austin or even Kerrville for treatment,” said Wigington. “That means taking our o cers o the streets and paying for expensive ambulance services. It’s traumatic for the individual, and it disconnects them from their support system here at home.” By keeping individuals within their community, a new crisis stabilization unit aims to improve outcomes and reduce the revolving door of the criminal justice system, Wigington said. Hill Country MHDD will coordinate closely with the Comal County Mental Health Coalition, which includes law enforcement, courts and other stakeholders, said Landon
16 beds total • 6 extended observation unit beds • 10 crisis residential beds Length of stay • EOU beds: up to 48 hours • Crisis residential beds: up to 2 weeks
2,500
337
2,118
2,099 2,085
1,991
2,000
1,748
New mental health facility
1,500
New Braunfels
1,000
SOURCE: COMAL COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
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2020 2021
2022 2023 2024*
*AS OF SEPTEMBER 2024 SOURCE: HILL COUNTRY MHDD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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