HEALTH CARE Data shows rise in mental health care demand, calls in Montgomery County
According to Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable Phillip Cash, who heads a countywide intervention team, calls for mental health services to the county’s mental health unit have increased annually since 2017. CALLING FOR HELP
Number of mental health calls countywide:
10K
BY ANNA LOTZ & JISHNU NAIR
Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force said they are trying to improve access. Precinct 1 Judge Wayne Mack created the task force in 2022. The task force will begin an analysis in late September to deter- mine what services are needed in the county, said Brenda LaVar, a task force member and president of the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Houston. “When [families] can’t nd help, that’s a real problem,” she said. Uptick in mental health demand Cash projected the mental health unit will receive 9,566 calls for service by the end of 2022, a 101% increase from 2021. He said the most common category of calls from January-June was mis- cellaneous crisis intervention team responses, which include check-ins with citizens who have recently experienced mental health issues. Meanwhile, Tri-County Executive Director Evan Roberson said he believes demand for mental health services is high because “people are not doing well.” Tri-County statistics show as of June, the center had served 4,251 people in crisis—3,426 adults and 825 children. Roberson said sta ng shortages caused the center’s crisis stabilization unit to close in November. Roberson told commissioners Aug. 3 it would require nearly $2 million per year to resta the program and pay competitive salaries
The county is expected to see
Local entities in Montgomery County are stepping up to improve access to mental health services as the region sees a rising number of calls for mental health services, but experts said more help is needed to address the crisis. Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable Philip Cash—who helps head the countywide mental health unit and crisis intervention team— told Montgomery County Commis- sioners Court on July 26 the mental health unit had received 4,783 calls from January-June this year, already surpassing the 4,765 calls received in the entirety of 2021. The county expanded the unit in August 2021 with federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. According to project and expen- diture reports from the U.S. Depart- ment of the Treasury, Montgomery County budgeted $8.16 million from its ARPA funds to support mental health services, more than one-third of its ARPA expenses. As of March 31, the county had spent $1.93 million of that mental health allocation to add law enforcement o cers and support Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare, a federally quali ed health center providing services in Montgomery, Walker and Liberty counties. Statewide, a 2022 report by Mental Health America ranked Texas last out of 51 states and territories for access to mental health care. As such, local groups such as Montgomery County’s volunteer-based Behavioral
by the end of 2022, which would more than double the number of calls made in 2021. 9,566 CALLS
8K
6K
4,785 Jan.- June
4,765
The number of calls to the county's mental health unity jumped
4K
3,660
280.59% from 2017-21.
2,588
2,183
2K
1,252
0
2022
2021
2020
2019
2017
2018
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRECINCT 1 CONSTABLE PHILLIP CASH COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
but said he does not want to sta full- time positions using ARPA funds as concerns would rise when the money runs out. No funding was immedi- ately approved for Tri-County. “[Having those beds] is one of the biggest needs for this county, for law enforcement,” Precinct 3 Commis- sioner James Noack said Aug. 3. “Not having them is a disservice.” Sherry Burkhard, director of educa- tion for Mosaics of Mercy—a non- pro t based in Montgomery County
that helps residents nd mental health services—said providers often have a waiting list. State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R Conroe, said in an August email he expects the state to increase its mental health funding and resources for youth in the upcoming legislative session, which will begin in January. “Lawmakers will work diligently to ensure communities large and small have the mental health resources they need,” Creighton said.
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