Connections, communication help Boerne PD mental health unit succeed in first year

Officer’s goal next year is to make more follow-up calls

BOERNE, Texas – It’s been a year since Boerne Police Department launched its mental health unit, and the officer in charge says the success is measured in community education.

Boerne Police officer Rebecca Foley said she is pleasantly surprised by the first year of the city’s mental health unit.

“Our goal is to help the people get resources in the Boerne area that we’re needing help for mental health,” Foley said.

The program’s focus is getting people mental health access to prevent them from ending up in jail.

The number of mental health calls has remained roughly the same, but Foley says the community’s education and involvement have increased.

Her job is to slow down calls and listen for those who need help.

“Just seeing the signs of symptoms, listening to them, you know, understanding what they’re trying to say. And then by knowing all that information, just realizing that they need it -- they need help -- that they need to call somebody,” Foley explained.

Foley said the countywide focus on resources for mental health is making a dent overall. Her goal next year is to make more follow-up calls.

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About the Authors:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.

Before starting at KSAT in August 2011, Ken was a news photographer at KENS. Before that he was a news photographer at KVDA TV in San Antonio. Ken graduated from San Antonio College with an associate's degree in Radio, TV and Film. Ken has won a Sun Coast Emmy and four Lone Star Emmys. Ken has been in the TV industry since 1994.