CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Nueces Center for Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities is expanding with a 32-bed facility that will be offering several mental health resources to the community.
Since 2018, the MHID has offered several mental health programs in the Nueces County and now with their new diversion center it will be one of the largest and most comprehensive in the state of Texas.
MHID Director of Mental Illness Andrea Kovarik said their new 32-bed diversion center will provide on-site services such as primary and psychiatric care. There will be also be 24-hour monitoring, support, and engagement in treatment services.
"Here in town, a lot of times it can take up to four months just to get a psychiatrist. So, the fact we're gonna be able to do that rapid access is going to be a huge game changer to our community. We can get them into the care, then we get to start on the treatment," Kovarik said. "And having those 30 days, allows us to work on all the skills and invest in the change that we want to see in that recovery process and that they want to see."
Brenda Cantu has worked with MHID for 10 years. She said this facility will help improve the community's response and support for a person struggling with mental health and substance abuse.
"Whenever you are in a crisis, you are not in your full state of mind so being able to get care right then and there, whether you walk in or CCPD walks you in, or one of our case managers brings you in," Cantu said.
In the past four years alone, MHID has saved the county nearly $18 million dollars. Kovarik said with this new center it could save even more by cutting back on arrests and hospitalizations.
"One hospitalization and jail experience can be almost $3000 dollars per episode and so if we can invest in this, this is something that is all paid for. It's really a return on itself," Kovarik said.
Kovarik says the diversion center is more than 50% complete and they are hoping to open it to the public in June 2025.
For more information on the mental health services MHID provides, visit their website here.
