Texas county opens first in-patient treatment facility for people with a mental health crisis

From The Houston Chronicle:

By the spring of 2011, Montgomery County, Texas, is expected to have its first in-patient treatment facility for residents suffering a mental health crisis.

Tri County Mental Health Mental Retardation, a nonprofit organization which covers Montgomery, Liberty and Walker counties, is building a 16-bed, short-term crisis stabilization unit for adults in the county. It will offer a psychiatrist, counseling, psycho-social rehabilitation and skill training for system management, medication compliance and diet and nutrition for up to 14 days.

“They can be treated locally and have the support of their family and friends,” said Cindy Sill, executive director of Tri-County. “They will have lots of services to keep them complaint with their treatment.”

According to a 2007 survey of county needs by the Montgomery County Community Development Block Grant program, one of every four adults in the county has a mental disorder and 6 percent – or 17,342 -- are seriously mentally ill. Among school children, 5.6 percent—or 4,790 students -- have been identified with emotional or behavioral issues.

“Chronic mental or physically disabilities is the number one contributing factor for homeless,” said Joanne Ducharme, director of the county CDBG program.

In the past, residents in a crisis were sent to Rusk State Hospital or referred to private mental health hospitals in Harris County. Many wound up in jail or at local emergency rooms. This is the first residential mental health facility available in Montgomery County, and it will serve indigent and insured clients, including walk-in patients; referrals from family, friends or hospitals; involuntary commitment; or people with mental illness who commit minor, non-violent offenses.

It is part of a comprehensive approach to mental health that is being adopted in Montgomery County. In addition to the new residential unit, the county is building a secure mental health facility for those committed by the criminal courts, and it is applying for a grant to establish a mental health court to divert minor offenders with mental illness from jail. It also plans to build a 14-unit apartment for stable residents with severe mental illness in Montgomery.

“Those are the person we are trying to identify and to try and help to prevent recidivism,” said Judge Cara Wood of the 284th District Court, who is spearheading the effort. “This is not unlike the rest of the country, where a substantial percentage of the jail population is identified with mental health issue.”

Chief Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said it is a “significant” issue in the county, with many mentally ill defendants in the county jail because of a lack of beds in state hospitals. Some are sent to the jail on minor criminal offenses, like trespassing or disturbance of the peace, and others by involuntary commitments.

“We do not have the staffing, expertise or physical facility to deal with this population,” and McDaniel “They don’t need to be in jail. They need to be in a mental health facility.”

Bed space is often hard to find and the state hospital often diverts patients to more local programs. Sheriff’s deputies are often tied up for hours transporting patients to hospitals.

The new crisis intervention unit is a cooperative effort among many state and local agencies. The 12,000 square foot facility, located next the Lone Star Family Health Cener on FM 2854 in Conroe, was funded by a $1.5 million grant from the county’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

The State Department of Health Services is providing $1.7 million in annual funding to operate the facility, with local matches provided by the Montgomery County Hospital District and Montgomery County United Way. The hospital district committed $1 million over three year to fund operations and United Way of Montgomery County offered $150,000.

“We have so many community partners working together to meet the need,” said Sill.
Tri County already provides outpatient mental health services to 1,800 adults and 400 children in the community and about 60 to 65 percent of their clients are indigent. The new crisis unit can link patients with community services once they are released.

“It gives folks a lot of treatment options locally that were not available in the past,” Sill said. “The unit will stabilize people and get them involved in outpatient treatment.”