KYLE — “On both of our bridges … we’ve had people jump off of them and so, that is where it becomes some sort of responsibility to at least direct [residents to resources],” said council member Yvonne Flores-Cale.
At the Kyle City Council meeting held on May 2, council members Bear Heiser, Daniela Parsley and Flores-Cale sponsored an item that brought forth a discussion of providing mental health resources for the community.
Heiser began by emphasizing how important the ability to offer residents services in Kyle is to him.
“I’ve sat in rooms with parents [who have suffered a loss] and the stories are the same: they sought treatment, but insurance was an issue; they couldn’t afford it or they were sent to North Austin. We need to be able to offer or have something here for people to use,” said Heiser.
He continued by stating that as the city grows, the need for services coincides with it. Ascension Seton Hays Hospital has stated in conversations with the city that behavioral and mental health services are the second reason individuals visit the hospital, yet it is forced to send patients 40 minutes to an hour away, as it is not equipped to provide those services.
“If you’ve ever been in that situation, 40 minutes to an hour can feel like a lifetime,” said Flores-Cale.
The goal of the item was to bring awareness to the issue at hand and take the time to investigate other cities to study how they handle mental health and collaborating with third parties for resources.
As the need for mental healthcare increases in the nation, the state has begun the process of creating funding for cities to provide and curate these services for the need of their constituents. Upon learning of this, council members Michael Tobias and Flores-Cale supported the idea of working with them and the county to start a facility not only for Kyle, but for neighboring cities as well.
Bradshaw partially disagreed with the item: “I don’t think it’s the government’s role to get involved in mental health.”
She did understand that the issue is important and simply said that she would not support a program that uses tax dollars to fund it.
“I’m not willing to expend resources on it,” Bradshaw said.
Ultimately, council motioned 6-0 to bring back the item after directing staff to look into resources and third-party options.
Kyle explores mental health treatment options for residents
— “On both of our bridges … we’ve had people jump off of them and so, that is where it becomes some sort of responsibility to at least direct [residents to resources],” said council member Yvonne Flores-Cale.
- 05/10/2023 08:40 PM
