San Antonio is helping advance a plan for a diversion center that could allow people with mental illness or disabilities to avoid going to jail for low-level misdemeanors and get treatment instead.
After nationwide warnings, lawsuits against social media companies, and medical evidence about social media's negative affect on youth, Bexar County and the state of Texas are taking action. The new CHAAT program teaches kids and parents about what's really happening and what to do about it.
The City of San Antonio funds the only residential facility in Bexar County that treats co-occurring conditions, meaning people with both substance use and mental health disorders. A sharp drop in funding this year cut the bed number by 72%.
There are 280 inmates at the Bexar County Jail that have been designated “incompetent to stand trial” because of mental health issues, intellectual disabilities, or other problems. If they can’t make bail, they’re stuck waiting for a bed in the heavily back-logged state hospital system.