The details
The $8.65 million facility, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, aims to provide local care for individuals in crisis, reducing the need to send residents to other cities for treatment, according to Deborah Wigington, judge for Comal County Court at Law No. 3. She was one of the individuals who spearheaded the project.
The facility will be operated by Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, with an annual operating cost of $4.5 million, said Tod Citron, CEO of Hill Country MHDD.
It is designed to address the growing mental health needs in the county and provide a vital resource for the community, Wigington said.
Diving in deeper
The 16-bed facility will serve voluntary and involuntary patients, offering crisis stabilization, psychiatric evaluations, and other mental health services, Citron said.
The facility will help reduce the strain on local emergency rooms, law enforcement and the criminal justice system, Wigington said.
It will provide crisis care, assessments and stabilization services as an alternative to emergency rooms or jail.
It will also allow residents to stay connected to their community during treatment, improving recovery outcomes.
What's next
Construction is expected to finish by late 2025—with an estimated 10-to-12-month construction timeline—with the facility serving around 200 individuals per year.
