The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll not only on people’s physical health, but their mental health as well. In order to better address mental health care needs in the community, the Williamson County Commissioners Court partnered with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services (BTCS), the local mental health authority in Williamson County, on several projects that were funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act or American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
One of those projects, the law enforcement Diversion Center, is ready to open its doors this week. Bluebonnet Trails Community Services partnered with the Williamson County Commissioners Court and the Sheriff’s Office to create the Diversion Center. The professional staff at the center provide 24-hour rapid access to appropriate care for a person experiencing a crisis by triaging care with a law enforcement officer prior to the officer’s arrival at the center.
The Diversion Center includes 23-hour crisis observation and psychiatric care while the mental health professionals locate appropriate services or placement for an individual in crisis. Through this investment, persons receive more immediate care and officers expediently return to duty to handle other calls.
“The Diversion Center is another way for us to get people the appropriate help they need rather than taking them to jail, the emergency room or a psychiatric hospital,” said Sheriff Mike Gleason. “It is a more targeted approach getting people directly to the specific care they need.”
“A priority goal of the Williamson County Behavioral Health Task Force has been to divert people who have mental health issues, but are not charged with serious offenses, from our jail. This Diversion Center provides better mental health care for our residents and is at a lower cost than incarceration,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey, who serves as the Commissioners Court’s liaison on the county’s Behavioral Health Task Force.
“It is a privilege to expand our partnership alongside Williamson County and law enforcement ensuring a coordinated 24-hour crisis response in service to people experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Andrea Richardson, executive director for Bluebonnet Trails Community Services.
2 comments
You might consider the fact that your “diversion team” thinks they have the right to inject oeople they’ve garneted no medical information from and have done nothing to confirm a person’s identity with unlabeled syringes just because they don’t like you. 107 S. Holly St in Georgetown has no problem allowing someone to have their civil rights ignored and to do whatever they want to an individual in full view of law enforcement who don’t do a damn thing to stop this organization from attempting to kill a humam being.
My civil rights were not acknowledged. And now the Justice Department has been contacted.
Edit to add: the facility lied to the cops taking the report and said that I was wanted to be there and to go to rock springs- That I was not upset and wanting to leave until the psychiatrist said they were just going to put me back on a medicine and said I could go home. oh and all their cameras don’t record audio so they can and will lie about everything they say to you.
It’s all NOT TRUE. I decided I rather be dead than ever spend another moment in a place like San Gabriel crisis center even if it meant MAYBE getting funding to go to rock springs. They lie and say they are an extension to rock springs. When in reality they’re all just people collecting a pay check and clearly hate their lives/work they do.
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Went to bluebonnet trails community service because I am uninsured after losing my job in April when my father passed. I wanted medication management and therapy. They recommended an inpatient facility called rock springs and said they had a bed for me but to get funding I had to go to THIS shit hole of a place- all volunteering and on my own will. It is connected to the county sheriff department and where they hold people in a crisis. I got there at 4:20 and by 5pm realized how incompetent the staff were, condescending and uneducated . I essentially had to BEG to call my mom. 40 min later I was able to call her- At this time I had told the case worker I wanted to leave. She said she would not give my mom the address and advised I just wait to see the dr. I agreed to wait to see the psychiatrist when the case manager said she would ask to get me seen sooner.(5:20) In between this time I asked to speak to someone and an African American male with gold in his teeth said “nah, you ain’t the only one here you can wait”. — there were TWO other patients. I responded that I wanted to leave and he said “then go!”. I said “ go get my stuff and I will” he said no. So I slammed my door as hard as I could. A nurse came in and asked what was going on and I said I was told that I’d see the dr soon and it’s been over an hour I just wanted to call my mom to tell her to head this way- we live an hour away- she said “I heard her already tell your mom to come, just take a deep breath”. Less than 10 min later ANOTHER case worker comes in and says okay let’s go call your mom to tell her to pick you up.I responded- oh okay so y’all are liars too.
I told my mom to just honk when she was outside. I heard her. They buzzed that it was time for me to leave so I opened the door and they refused to let me out. From 5:20- 9:55pm this place held me there against my will. UNTIL my mom called the police bc she could hear me screaming to let me out and I made the door alarms sound by escaping.
I was not court ordered to be there. Or even ordered by a dr. I was lied and told I had to go there to get to rock springs. It’s all non sense. You’re better off just being suicidal than EVER stepping foot in this place.