HAYS COUNTY, Texas — New mental health resources are coming to Hays County.
The commissioners court approved the creation of a behavioral health coordinator position within the county's health department during a meeting last week, and the job is now posted online.
The coordinator will create programs to address mental health and substance abuse outside the criminal justice system. The goal is to address mental health disparities and lay the foundation for how the county can address mental health in the future.
“The behavioral health coordinator will form the behavioral health program for Hays County,” Matthew Gonzales, manager of the health department, said. “This position will address mental health disparities that can exist in the places where we live, work, learn and play. It will develop a roadmap for how the county address mental health in the future.”
Commissioners expressed interest in the development of a county position to address mental health during the 2023 budget cycle. The end of the budget process kicked off work toward finding the funding to create and define the position.
“Our county has seen disparities in mental health and substance use for quite a while,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Michelle Cohen said. “I trust the work the department has begun and will continue to do toward addressing mental health.”
The Hays County Commissioners Court believed the position would fit best in the county’s health department.
“The growth of our department has been tremendous,” Health Department Director Tammy Crumley said. “We are grateful for the support of the court, which allows our services to expand to better serve our Hays County residents.”