From the cover
Managing mental health
Assessing the need
Two-minute impact
Behavioral health process The model maps how people with behavioral health needs encounter and move through the Kendall County criminal justice system after police respond to mental health calls.
Kendall County is similar to the surround- ing rural communities in lacking mental health-focused facilities. Winn said Kendall County is in line with a national increase in demand for mental health. In a fiscal year 2024-25 needs assess- ment, Hill Country MHDD served more than 13,000 individuals across its 19 counties. The Boerne location accounted for around 562 of those cases. “We have seen an increase over the last few years in the need of crisis services, as well as routine services,” Winn said. “In Kendall County, we have seen the trend going up like each of our other counties.”
Around five years ago, the Boerne Police Department hired its first mental health officer, Rebecca Foley. Since its inception, the department has expanded to a second position, held by Eric Gomez, due to increased demand. Mental health officers respond to calls involving potential mental health crises, such as suicide calls, paranoia, psychosis or other challenges. Gomez said mental health challenges affect all age groups, and the police department is focused on serving the community and public safety personnel with peer support, household resources and other assistance to improve mental health. “I would say the majority of what we actually respond to are those crisis calls when people are in a crisis, and they require an emergency detention where we show up, and we do our evaluation to determine whether they need that inpatient stay at a hospital,” he said. Through partnerships with Kendall County, Fair Oaks Ranch, Hill Country Family Services, Boerne ISD and other organizations, the community has access to mental health resources and support. These organizations have come together to develop a network that highlights the process of getting mental health resources to adults and children. Foley said one goal is to have someone from the mental health authority embedded in the police department, allowing mental health evaluations on site. One of the primary challenges of providing services to the community is the lack of inpatient facilities, which means that people in need of professional care often have to seek support outside of the county, said Krista Pomeroy, chief of student support services at Boerne ISD. “Anytime we have a student who’s in a serious crisis, we’re having to transport to San Antonio, to either Clarity [Child Guidance Center] or Laurel Ridge [Treatment Center] or San Antonio Behavioral Health,” she said. Pomeroy said the district has a share-and-care center open to all students who say they are in need. This center offers clothing, food and other household items, helping fill an immediate need while utilizing other resources to get students the proper care. Bryce Boddie, executive director of Hill Country Family Services, said the organization has hired a social worker for the county jail, which is the county’s largest mental health facility. The new role will help inmates access professional assistance and ideally reduce the number of people detained. “The number of folks that we have in the Kendall County Jail with an undiagnosed, unmedicated mental illness is huge,” Boddie said.
Adults (18+)
Children
Community
Crisis care continuum
Crisis lines
Local law enforcement
Hill Country MHDD visits
911
Children
Adults (18+)
Boerne
85
477
Kerrville
Initial detention
183
1,464
Detention or release
New Braunfels
551
First court appearance
2,099
SOURCE: HILL COUNTRY MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES CENTERS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Specialty court
JPD* intake
Jail
What else?
Court
Dispositional court
While many mental health resources are focused on the community, police depart- ments in Kendall County also support public safety officials’ mental health initiatives. Following the July 4 flooding in the Hill Country, more focus was placed on existing mental health support for first responders. Gomez said the stigma of mental health and the fear of losing a job have prevented first responders from having mental health conversations, but peer groups and other initiatives have opened the door for more conversations. “Some people may just need to talk; other people may need some more professional help,” he said. “So, we’re kind of like that guideline of, ‘Hey, this is where we can help you out.’”
TJJD* reentry services
Jail reentry
Prison reentry
Probation
Parole
Community
*JPD: JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT *TJJD: TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
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