Opioid abuse and the need for services addressing developmental disabilities are both on the rise in Collin County, LifePath Systems CEO Tammy Mahan told county commissioners on July 19.

LifePath Systems, a nonprofit organization created by the county in 1986, serves individuals and families affected by behavioral health or developmental challenges. The nonprofit has facilities throughout the county.

Spending this past year has aimed to address a rise in demand due to exponential population growth and the pandemic having adverse effects on mental behavior, according to a budget presentation by Mahan.

Data from LifePath’s latest fiscal year shows over $2.9 million were spent on psychiatric beds, which is over budget for beds by roughly $200,000.

On treatment for opioid abuse, spending rose to $912,662 in 2020, which is up from $808,524 in 2019.

“There were a lot of people that continued to wait and not seek out services soon enough, and so it did become a crisis,” Mahan said. “A lot of substance abuse escalated during the pandemic.”

An increasing amount of funds have been invested in services related to opioid abuse since 2017, when LifePath spent $188,639. The growth in money to fight opioid abuse is largely due to a rise in state funding, Mahan said.

LifePath will benefit from another rise in state funding, she said.

New contracts with Texas Health and Human Services will net the nonprofit an additional $1.8 million to address population growth and aid with programming expansion. In addition, Medicaid rate enhancements provide another $1.6 million in revenue, according to the presentation.

“It's a very quickly, rapidly increasing service that we're trying to keep up,” Mahan said.