Mental illness issues draw attention at recent workshop, commissioners meeting

May 25—Members of the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) conducted a workshop in Greenville several weeks ago.

The workshop included local mental health providers, school officials, police and criminal justice officials, Texas Department of Health and Human Services staff and others involved in mental health issues in Hunt County.

All agreed that the best way to sustain momentum from that two-day workshop was to conduct quarterly follow-up meetings to identify local mental health issues and try to develop an action plan that will require community involvement. Also, a Hunt County Behavioral Health Leadership Team was established to be an online resource for the community by the end of the year.

Hunt County Attorney Calvin Grogan, who oversees civil commitments and motions for protective custody, said he has met with County Judge Bobby Stovall and comparable Texas county leaders to identify best practices in dealing with mental health issues. Grogan intends to seek state and federal grant money to use in dealing with the mental health issue in Hunt County.

Last week, Judge Stovall and Grogan met with county jail staff and with staff at Glen Oaks Hospital in trying to find ways to bridge the gap caused by the lack of hospital beds for mentally ill jail inmates.

Also, a number of people addressed the May 17 commissioners court on the subject of mental illness in the county.

Amy Weems, Lakes Regional team lead supervisor for child and adolescents — spoke about how mental illness affects youth and is a leading cause of suicide.

Nikki Haynes, an emergency nurse at Hunt Regional Medical Center, spoke about 51 violent incidents that occurred in the ER in 2021 involving mentally ill patients, who often stay three to six days the emergency room waiting to be transferred. Some hospital staff have been verbally and physically assaulted by patients with mental illness.

Whitney Threat, GISD Parent Involvement Facilitator, spoke about mass shootings at public schools and how they often involve persons with mental illnesses.

Jill Ann Gamble of Women in Need Outreach and Engagement spoke about the need for more local shelter options, and that mental illness is a main cause of domestic violence;

Sheriff's Lt. Chad Stroud, head of jail operations, spoke about the need for finding beds because of the 300 current inmates at the Hunt County jail, 50% of them suffered from some form of mental illness.