COLUMBUS — The Health and Behavioral Wellness Center for Greater Colorado Valley convened its monthly meeting on March 9 at the Colorado County Courthouse in Columbus. Its focus is Developmental Disabilities Awareness month in March.
Special guest Robert Dole, LCSW-S and Deputy Associate Commissioner for Texas Health and Human Services, spoke on rural mental health and the special project, All Texas Access. All Texas Access ensures all Texans have access to care at the right time and the right place.
All Texas Access is a legislatively direct Senate bill focused on increasing access to mental health services in rural Texas communities and decreasing crisis utilization. It seeks to address the cost to local governments providing services to persons experiencing a mental health crisis, transportation to mental health facilities, incarceration of people with mental health in county jails and the number of ER visits by people with mental conditions.
The All Texas Access includes a regional plan to coordinate jail diversions. The chain of events starts with co-responders, drop off at crisis receiving centers, 911 integration, law liaison, law enforcement training, remote crisis evaluations and mental health deputies. Other new strategies include crisis transportation and children’s therapeutic respite.
