Travis County Finally Gets Woke: New Mental Health Facility Opens

Oh joy, oh bliss! Travis County has finally pulled its head out of the sand and expanded its community mental health offerings with a 25-bed residential facility in downtown Austin. You know, to keep people experiencing mental health crises out of jail for minor crimes. Because, shocker, jail isn't exactly a five-star mental health retreat.

Drumroll, please! The refurbished Geneveive Tarlton Hearon building on East 15th Street swung open its doors on Monday, kicking off a $23 million, three-year therapeutic diversion pilot program. And because mental health crises don't keep office hours, a separate facility on Airport Boulevard will now operate 24/7. Bravo, Travis County, for stating the obvious and shuffling patients into the pilot program after they're stabilized.

Our fearless leader, Travis County Judge Andy Brown, assures us this program is modeled on existing centers in Nashville, Tenn., Tucson, Ariz., and Miami. So, you know, it's like the trendy new restaurant in town, but for mental health. Brown also casually mentioned that about 40% of inmates at the Travis County Jail have mental health issues. No big deal, right?

The Travis County Commissioners Court is dreaming big, folks. They hope to have a larger mental health diversion program up and running in the next five to six years. But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves. A larger program would require a facility with more beds, which is still in the planning stages. Baby steps, people.

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. The prime candidates for this mental health makeover will have committed "victimless, misdemeanor offenses and be nonviolent," and be homeless and cycling in and out of jail. Lucky guests can stay at the voluntary facility for approximately three months, receiving psychological and psychiatric support while rebuilding their lives. It's like a reality TV show, but with more therapy and less drama.

Marisa Malik, an Integral Care administrator, dropped some knowledge on us: the two-story building will house up to nine women and 16 men in separate units. Men often make up a larger portion of the populace seeking community mental health treatment, but fear not, the facility is also equipped to take in individuals who identify as trans. Progressive points for Travis County!

"We want to be able to provide some normalcy, compared to either where they're coming from or where they're heading, (and) get them into the habit of day-to-day living so they can be successful independently within the community," said Aurora Amador, another Integral Care administrator.

Patients will have a regimented schedule, complete with breakfast, a morning meditation circle to discuss their "highs" and "lows," and group activities and counseling sessions. And since the program is all about making patients self-sustaining, they'll learn life skills like doing laundry and medication management. It's a full wraparound service, folks! Once they've made progress, patients will be encouraged to apply for jobs and housing. It's like adulting boot camp, but with more feels.

And because sometimes it's hard to connect with a clinician, the program will also employ peers who will share their experiences as formerly incarcerated or homeless individuals with patients. "They are able to engage and build rapport and help someone walk through their recovery process because they've been there," Malik said. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call true support.