Health care
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Williamson County officials have worked to increase access to mental health care, preventing many individuals in the midst of a crisis from seeing a jail cell, and instead connecting them to services. Williamson County has staffed mental health specialists in the 911 dispatch center since September, Deputy Director of Emergency Communications Stephen Hollis said. These specialists de-escalate and divert mental health calls, he said. Rather than sending all of the county’s emergency response resources to the scene, the specialist determines which ones are required. “It’s saving taxpayers money by getting the correct resources out,” said Kathy Pierce, board chair of the Williamson County and Cities Health District. WilCo addresses mental health
Also of note
Connecting services Nearly 100 individuals experiencing a mental health crisis were redirected each month away from jail to the Williamson County diversion where they were then connected to other services.
In conjunction with the improvements to dis- patch, the county also created a diversion center in 2022. The facility provides 23-hour crisis observation and psychiatric care while staff locate the appro- priate placement for the individual. Prior to this program, police officers would spend hours looking for a psychiatric hospital bed, transporting individuals to an emergency room or processing them through jail booking, said Mike Maples, a representative with the county’s mental health authority—Bluebonnet Trails Community Services. Today, officers are back on duty within 15 minutes of taking an individual in crisis to the diversion center. Additionally, most people are either taken on to their next step in care, such as inpatient hospitalization, or, if less serious, released back to their homes for outpatient treatment, Maples said.
Transfered to inpatient treatment facility Transfered to crisis respite Transfered to home or outpatient
Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Number of individuals diverted from jail
Mental health calls
What else?
398 399
400
367
363
348
While some cases require the incarceration of individuals with mental health issues, the county has also crafted strategies to provide assistance and support to these people. The county’s competency restoration program, which launched last year, works to provide psychi- atric health treatment to inmates who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial. The county’s program has helped reduce the time people remain incarcerated before seeing a judge.
The county also opened its first youth respite program in March 2022. The facility aims to reduce youth interaction with the juvenile correctional system with a 16-bed, short-term residential facil- ity that provides wraparound services for children and adolescents ages 5-17. Services include therapy, care coordination, family services, psychiatric evaluation, medication management and case management.
295
290
300
200
0
2023
2024
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TASK FORCE/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
Receiving support Officials encouraged Williamson County residents to know the signs of mental illness and take action.
Why it matters
the backlog of rooms available in state psychiatric hospitals, county officials said. “We are constantly asking the question, ‘What is the gap we’re trying to fill? What is the need that we still have?’ And of course, there’s the quantity of need that we’re trying to address,” Williamson County Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said. For more information and mental health resources contact Bluebonnet Trails.
Mental Health America data indicates Texas has consistently ranked among the worst states for mental health care. When considering both youth and adult populations, Texas exhibits a higher prevalence of mental illness and a lower rate of access to care, the data shows. Part of the problem with both routine and emergency care is nationwide shortages in mental health professionals as well as
Being sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks Trying to harm oneself or making plans to do so
Out-of-control risky behavior Changes in mood or weight Excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs Changes in sleep patterns Fears and anxiety
33
ROUND ROCK EDITION
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