New $13 million mental health center coming to the Bay Area

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- In La Marque, officials have broken ground on a new, $13 million health wellness center. According to ABC13's news partners at the Houston Chronicle, it will be Galveston County's first stand-alone mental health crisis center.

The Galveston County Mental Health Wellness Center is part of the Bay Area's ongoing expansion of access to health care services so that people in crisis don't wind up in Houston, the emergency room, or jail.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the facility should open by the end of the year. It will have 10 beds for patients who need observation for up to 72 hours. There will also be another 10 beds available for people struggling with their mental health.

The center will connect them to resources to get well, and experts say it can also keep them out of the criminal justice system.

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"Being able to intervene early on very much reduces the likelihood of these behaviors resulting in criminal charges or any further involvement in the legal system. So, being able to intervene early on helps to give the community, but also individuals, the tools and resources needed to be able to navigate such situations," Corissa Barrow, a mental health therapist, said.

The project is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.

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