HAYS COUNTY — In an effort to provide substance abuse support to those incarcerated, the Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a partnership with Evoke Wellness at its Jan. 30 meeting.
Evoke Wellness, located at 1106 IH-35 Frontage Road in San Marcos, is an addiction treatment center focused on the recovery of those dealing with drug and alcohol abuse through detoxing and receiving care from licensed physicians and nurses, psychiatrists, therapists, counselors and support staff.
This contract was a part of the plan created by the Judicial Services Department, previously known as court and pretrial services, to establish partnerships to evaluate and treat those with mental illnesses in the Hays County Jail. The evaluation would then determine whether they can reenter society while awaiting court dates. The local jail has had notoriously long wait times prior to trial — more than five years for some — so the hope with this program is to aid inmates who are suffering from addiction in their sobriety transition to society and curb future criminal behavior.
According to Assistant Director of Judicial Services, Albert Sierra, “There is a direct correlation between criminal behavior and a person’s substance abuse and mental health status.”
Jason Facundo, judicial services supervisor, noted that more than 50% of their clientele come from possession of controlled substance and driving while intoxicated charges.
Commissioner Lon Shell commented that the current situation is a “lose, lose as far as I am concerned. The taxpayer is funding long-term incarceration in our facility and the individual is not getting any better — many times, [they are] getting worse.”
“We know that people have been held in our facility for long periods of time and suffer from various mental illnesses, including substance abuse, and we know that the jail is not solving those problems,” continued Shell.
According to Assistant Director of Judicial Services, Albert Sierra “there is a direct correlation between criminal behavior and a person’s substance abuse and mental health status.”
The agreement allows clients to enter an intensive outpatient (IOP) and/or residential treatment in a timely manner. Those with insurance will be responsible for their copay, while those without can have their treatment covered by the department. A portion of the contract that Sierra emphasized is that Evoke Wellness agreed to provide the department with a discount for the daily rate of treatment, as well as five scholarships for clients who cannot afford the program.
The IOP program is available both in-person and virtually, with the ability to carry on outpatient treatment. This “step-down” is toward the end of their journey and would include one three-hour session a week and a one-on-one session with a counselor or therapist.
Sean Flynn of Evoke Wellness spoke of his experience shadowing a therapy session, stating that there was a “night and day shift” between the client’s initial anxiety and apprehension to being “embodied in the recovery.”
Evoke Wellness is also willing to provide transportation to the rehabilitation center, as it is less than 2 miles away from the Hays County Jail. The facility currently has 24 inpatient beds, which will increase to 50 by the end of the year, and is working on a separate wing that will be utilized strictly for IOP.
Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, who sponsored the item, stated that although this is a pilot program, she believes it will be successful.
“We need to give these individuals the opportunity to be productive members of our society and our communities and they certainly don’t need to be in jail where the treatment just isn’t there,” said Ingalsbe.
Because he has experience working with a program such as Evoke Wellness, commissioner Walt Smith suggested adding an alumni program.
“[New clients are] 10 days out from having a drink or 10 days out from using and they can see somebody who completed the program from a year ago and say, ‘If that person can do that, then I know that I can,’” he explained.
Prior to approval, commissioner Michelle Cohen praised the partnership and shared her excitement for the future, stating that “[this is] the direction that we want to head in regard to mental health and helping those that need that assistance.”
To watch the meeting, visit bit.ly/4bv7zI6.
Judicial services to partner with substance abuse clinic
“We know that people have been held in our facility for long periods of time and suffer from various mental illnesses, including substance abuse, and we know that the jail is not solving those problems.”
- 02/07/2024 09:20 PM
