Questions abound over pilot programs for mental health transformation

The City Council will consider approving contract negotiations that include allocating $2 million for a mental health diversion pilot program, but many questions remain unanswered. On Tuesday, Mayor Kirk Watson asked Downtown Austin Community Court Administrator Robert Kingham about how the city’s partners Travis County, Central Health and Integral Care’s psychiatric emergency services program is working. We began the work session discussion by asking questions about the extent to which participants would contribute.

Project partners say the pilot program will leverage existing programs and facilities to expand community services and address unmet “turnaround and diversion needs” in the face of behavioral health crises. We look forward to providing access to services to members of our community. The pilot project will include 25 beds for program participants.

Travis County is proposing to allocate $1.2 million in addition to the funds provided by the city. It’s not clear exactly how Integral Care’s Emergency Services Program and 15th Street Crisis Housing Program will be valued in dollars. Integral Care’s Psychiatric Emergency Services Program is funded by Central Health and Travis County.

The city owns the 15th Street building that formerly housed the Ronald McDonald House, and the pilot will be housed there. Watson asked about the value of the property and whether the city was getting credit for its use.

Rental costs were estimated at approximately $300,000 per year. Kingham told the City Council that under the current proposal, the city would not receive a rental value credit.

The mayor also wanted to know how many referrals the city could make compared to other partners. Kingham didn’t have an answer to that question.

The lack of information is “alarming,” said City Council member Vanessa Fuentes. But she emphasized her support for the idea of ​​a mental health diversion program, noting that she visited a mental health diversion facility in Harris County.

Interim City Manager Jesus Garza indicated that negotiating a final agreement could take one to two months. He said it’s critical that negotiators recognize that the city needs significant input on various decisions. In fact, Garza said the project should be treated like a joint venture, with the partners making decisions together.

Garza noted that the city is providing $2.9 million for the Travis County Central Booking Facility, adding, “In a way, the city is paying twice as much for this program. This type of… “We want to better understand these questions,” he concluded.

Law enforcement and other emergency services agencies consistently do not have access to transport locations for people believed to be facing a mental health crisis, including those in prisons and hospitals. . This pilot project is intended to test whether the city, county, and Integral Care can successfully provide an outlet for people facing a behavioral health crisis.

The diversion project will provide up to 90 days of care, according to city documents. Individuals experiencing homelessness should then be connected to “stable exit options through housing-focused case management services.” This means additional work for the city’s homeless services office.

Documents related to the pilot project indicate that the program will begin on March 1, 2024, but that seems highly unlikely. Watson asked Kingham when he thought the city and its partners would be ready to embark on a long-term program, and Kingham didn’t know the answer.

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