Travis County Expands Mental Health Services to Divert Nonviolent Offenders from Jail

Travis County has opened a 25-bed residential facility in downtown Austin aiming to keep individuals experiencing mental health crises out of jail for minor offenses. The refurbished Geneveive Tarlton Hearon building on East 15th Street launched a $23 million, three-year therapeutic diversion pilot program on Monday. Additionally, a separate facility on Airport Boulevard will now operate 24/7 to receive emergency psychiatric admissions, who can then be transferred into the pilot program after stabilization.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown stated that the diversion pilot was based on similar programs in Nashville, TN, Tucson, AZ, and Miami. The initiative targets the approximately 40% of inmates at the Travis County Jail who have mental health issues. The Travis County Commissioners Court plans to implement a larger mental health diversion program in the next five to six years, though a facility with more beds is still in the planning stages.

According to Integral Care, the county's mental health authority, patients will be referred to the center by emergency rooms, mental health public defenders, EMS, and law enforcement agencies. Eligible candidates will have committed "victimless, misdemeanor offenses" and be nonviolent, homeless, and cycling in and out of jail. Patients can stay at the voluntary facility for around three months, receiving psychological and psychiatric support while rebuilding their lives.

Marisa Malik, an Integral Care administrator, said the two-story building would house up to nine women and 16 men in separate units and is equipped to accommodate individuals identifying as trans.

"We want to be able to provide some normalcy... and get them into the habit of day-to-day living so they can be successful independently within the community," said Aurora Amador, an Integral Care administrator.

Patients will follow a structured schedule, beginning with breakfast, followed by a morning meditation circle to share their "highs" and "lows," and group activities and counseling sessions. They will also learn life skills like doing laundry and medication management. The program aims to prepare patients to become self-sustaining and encourages them to apply for jobs and housing after making progress in their treatment.

The program will also employ peers who have experiences as formerly incarcerated or homeless individuals to support patients. "Sometimes it's hard for people to connect with a clinician. ... (The peers) are able to engage and build rapport and help someone walk through their recovery process because they've been there," Malik said.