What happened
The $5 million in funding was included in the state budget, which was passed during the 89th Texas Legislative session. It follows years of advocacy from county and local leaders, including the Pearland Chamber of Commerce, which has made the issue its top legislative priority, Community Impact previously reported.
The need for local crisis care has grown in recent years. Currently, Brazoria County does not have its own mental health hospital or crisis stabilization unit, forcing law enforcement and families to transport individuals in crisis to Houston or Galveston for treatment, Community Impact previously reported.
Quote of note
“It goes without saying that we need more mental health care resources in Brazoria County,” Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, said in a social media post. “I am glad to report that the final budget we approved this session includes $5 million for additional crisis stabilization facilities and state-purchased psychiatric inpatient beds through our local mental health authority, Gulf Coast Center.”
Some context
This session, the Pearland Chamber of Commerce lobbied the state to fund Brazoria County’s first mental health hospital, a $115 million, 115-bed facility, as previously reported by Community Impact.
While the coalition did not secure the necessary funding for the facility in its entirety, it aims to return during the 90th legislative session to advocate for the full construction of the county’s first mental health hospital, Pearland Chamber of Commerce Jim Johnson said in an email.
Johnson told Community Impact in June the initial $5 million will allow officials to begin planning out the facility and carry out early construction.
