Texas county steps in to keep MHMR programs going

From KVIA-TV:

EL PASO, Texas -- County Commissioners stepped in Sept. 9 to help solve the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center of El Paso's funding crisis.

After more than five hours of discussion, commissioners decided to give MHMR $153,000 a month.

To get the money, MHMR has to sign a contract that 1,500 patients will be taken off a waiting list to get immediate treatement.

As ABC-7 has reported, without immediate funding, MHMR officials said 1,500 mentally ill adults and about 700 children would be put on a waiting list for services starting at the end of October.

It was standing-room only Wednesday as mental health patients, family members and health care professionals went before commissioners to try to come up with a funding solution for MHMR.

Many patients shared their stories of suicide attempts and the help they received from MHMR to help them deal with their depression or bipolar disorder.

In the end, only County Commissioner Willie Gandara voted against the county providing MHMR with the money.

"We just threw $2 million at a problem that already exists, within two...maybe a year or two we're going to have this problem again," Gandara said.

MHMR officials said they need about $2 million a year to keep operating, but commissioners said they need more time to look into the center's financial background.

County Commissioners said they are going to look at expanding their partnerships to help fund MHMR, including talking to school districts and private hospitals.