News

Partners work together to receive state funds

February 19, 2018

The Health Foundation and the El Paso Behavioral Health Consortium congratulate Consortium partners, Emergence Health Network, El Paso County, City of El Paso and University Medical Center, who submitted a proposal to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Senate Bill 292 and were selected from across the state to receive funding.

The partners are leveraging recently approved local resource allocations for development of a crisis intervention response team (CIT) in El Paso County. The partners on this project include the City of El Paso, the County of El Paso and Emergence Health Network. Senate Bill 292 was passed during the 85th Legislative Session as part of a group of bills intended to improve behavioral health service and support systems across the state. SB292 created a “matching grant program to reduce recidivism, arrest, and incarceration among individuals with mental illness and to reduce wait time for forensic commitment.”

The CIT is a co-responder program partnering a trained law enforcement officer with a masters-level licensed professional clinician. The officer and clinician attend roll-call together and ride together in a patrol car. The response team brings a non-stigmatizing specialized response to situations where individuals in serious mental health crises can receive timely and appropriate assistance.

For more information on the project contact: Cindy Hernandez, Director of Planning and Development at 915-887-3410 - Ext. 18875.