Perla Cavazos

Today, the Travis County Commissioners Court gave final approval for Central Health’s FY27 budget. This is a historic investment and a huge step in our community's ability to break the cycle of homelessness for those experiencing mental and behavioral health issues and realize transformative improvements in brain health for Austin and Travis County.  I thank both Central Health and Travis County for working with us. This joint effort between the healthcare district, Travis County, and the City of Austin helps address longstanding gaps in our behavioral health system by advancing No Wrong Door, a regional effort to better coordinate emergency response, case management, and care, and invests in a comprehensive Mental Health Crisis Care Center. Central Health’s budget commits $127.5 million toward mental and behavioral health care, including $54 million in new revenue to fund immediate crisis intervention and long-term comprehensive brain health care. ➡️ No Wrong Door - $33.1 million invested in 32 new psychiatric beds at Dell Seton Medical Center for complex, high-acuity cases who currently have no place to go for stabilization and care, and $4.9M in new dollars to establish and expand local crisis and recovery care resources. ➡️ Mental Health Crisis Care Center - $16 million, with $3 million going to the Sobering Center, for the planning and future operation of a comprehensive crisis care center, a project in development with Central Health, Travis County, Integral Care and other community partners. ➡️ Psychiatric Emergency Services- $400,000 for additional Psychiatric Emergency Services provided by Integral Care. Today’s approval of these investments demonstrates a shared commitment to a goal of ending an expensive cycle and giving vulnerable people a real chance at stability. It's a significant step, but there is more to do. Read more: communityimpact.com/central-…