The Williamson County Commissioners Court altered an agreement Jan. 5 with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services that defined when the county’s Mobile Outreach Team responds to mental health emergencies.
Bluebonnet Trails, the county’s local mental health authority, ensures emergency mental health services and connects persons in crisis with mental health, social services or medical providers. Williamson County also created the Mobile Outreach Team in 2004 to offer assistance to those suffering from emotional and psychological issues and assist them in obtaining the appropriate social services available to their specific need, sometimes connecting them directly to Bluebonnet Trails.
The outreach team has had to refocus their resources because of a 45 percent increase in call volume, and county commissioners changed an agreement to allow Bluebonnet Trails to respond to calls coming in to the mobile outreach team’s crisis hotline between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The agreement also has representatives from Bluebonnet respond directly to hospitals to help those in need of their services.
“We’ve basically had more calls than we could handle, and it’s time to figure out how we can effectively help the mentally ill, and we hope that this is a good compromise with Bluebonnet agreeing to take over these calls,” County Commissioner Lisa Birkman said.
The agreement makes Bluebonnet Trails solely responsible for responses to hospitals that have requested a mental health assessment of a patient. Birkman said allowing Bluebonnet to accept those calls and respond to hospital requests will let the Mobile Outreach Team help other people in crisis outside of hospitals.
The crisis hotline has been receiving about 3,500 to 4,000 calls per year, said Annie Burwell, the director of the outreach team. Letting Bluebonnet take the night calls will drop the call volume by 400 to 500 calls per year, which will help the outreach team help others in crisis inside of their homes, she said.
Persons who are in need of mental health services or are in crisis are encouraged to call the Crisis Hotline at 800-841-1255.