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Central Texas non-profit endorses crisis hub, providing communities with behavioral health services

Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center
Posted at 3:12 PM, Jul 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-29 16:17:34-04

The Central Texas non-profit Prosper Waco has endorsed $6.4-million for the Heart of Texas Region MHMR Crisis Hub project.

The Crisis Hub project will provide the Central Texas community with behavioral health services, gathering resources such as mental health and medical professionals to assist any individuals in need.

"A crisis hub is a place that is a combined resource center that can help streamline decisions, bolster support, provide a smooth handoff and share the load to help people in crisis avoid the chaos that can destroy themselves and their families," said Prosper Waco Executive Director Suzii Paynter March. "Right now, mental health professionals, medical personnel, and City of Waco leaders are working toward building the right team to respond to overwhelming crises and build a place for Waco to have a crisis hub."

According to March, the number of people in crisis and the intensity of cases are growing every month and many Central Texas residents in need of assistance find themselves moving from place to place until they give up on finding help.

"Teams in a crisis hub can function together to avoid duplication of efforts, they can minimize missed opportunities and promote persistence, they can support each other in the very hard work of helping people climb out of chaos and find hope," said March. "Concentrating services helps the person in crisis and it helps sustain the strength of the professionals working together, too."

These services will be located in a new crisis facility located on a six-acre South Waco property. The facility will be centered between two Waco hospitals, and serve residents in McLennan, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone counties.

"Through the leadership of the Prosper Waco working group, the Behavioral Health Leadership Team, the MHMR Board of Trustees, the advisement of other communities who have also tackled this problem, Waco is retooling to minimize the chaos that wreaks havoc on friends, family and neighbors," said March. "Bringing existing resources together matters, and it multiples the effectiveness of intervention."