Valley mental health services awarded $1.3 million
Fewer mentally ill adults and children will have to travel to mental health facilities outside of the Rio Grande Valley, now that Tropical Texas Behavioral Health will receive money from the state.
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Monday that Tropical Texas, the region's public mental health provider, was awarded $1.3 million in additional funds to be used to contract with local, private mental health centers.
These contracts will allow patients to stay at local facilities, rather than being transported to state hospitals elsewhere if the Valley's state hospital, Rio Grande State Center, is full - which it often is, officials said.
"We've just heard, and it's outstanding news," said Terry Crocker, Tropical Texas CEO, of the state's decision. "It's going to make a huge impact on the Valley ... we're very grateful, and we'll put it to good use."
In the last legislative session, lawmakers appropriated $82 million to improve crisis mental health services in Texas. Of that amount, the state kept $21 million and asked local mental health centers to submit bids to receive a portion of those additional funds.
Tropical Texas had already received $1.7 million to expand its crisis services.
These new funds will help more patients get the care they need without leaving the region, Crocker said.
In the past, if Rio Grande State Center couldn't take a patient, police officers or constables would drive the patient to San Antonio, Austin or even farther away. Prior to receiving extra funding, Tropical Texas was arranging an average of 400 transports to other hospitals a year, Crocker said.
The transports put a strain on local police departments as well as patients and their families, officials and advocates have said.
The burden was even heavier for mentally ill children, because the region has no public mental health facilities that accept children.
Most children had to be sent to facilities outside of the Valley, advocates said.
Earlier this year, Tropical Texas began contracting with South Texas Behavioral Health Center in McAllen for bed capacity. The additional funds also will allow the mental health provider to send patients to Valley Baptist's psychiatric facility in Brownsville and Renaissance Behavioral Center in Edinburg, Crocker said.
Making sure children are placed in local hospitals will be the top priority, he said.
Crocker predicted that these contracts ultimately will reduce the number of transports by about 90 percent.
Advocates said Monday that they were delighted by the announcement.
"That's great, wonderful, fabulous news," said Stephanie Contreras, a founding member of the Mental Health Coalition of the Rio Grande Valley. "Those beds for children are sorely needed ... it means they will no longer have to go to San Antonio when they're so sick."
