Travis County opened the Sobering Center in 2018 with a goal to reduce the congestion of the county’s jail and hospitals with folks who were publicly intoxicated. Instead, they would be sent to a quiet building downtown on Sabine Street. They could eat a snack, drink some water, sleep it off and leave the next […]
Austin-Travis County Sobering Center
Posted inPublic Health
Sobering center may seek expanded role
The Austin-Travis County Sobering Center, currently in its fifth year of operations, has served more than 8,000 people, according to Jana Ortega, chair of the center’s board of directors. Ortega and Executive Director Laura Elmore addressed City Council at Tuesday’s work session, laying out its current work and possible expansion of its services. The center […]
Posted inPublic Safety
County looks to Sobering Center to house jail-diversion program
On Thursday, the Travis County Commissioners Court convened a working group meeting to receive the findings of a feasibility study regarding the potential combination of a criminal justice/mental health diversion program with the Austin-Travis County Sobering Center. The county commissioned the study to ascertain whether saving costs on the diversion program by coupling it with […]
Posted inPublic Health
County looks to expand jail-diversion programs
The Travis County Commissioners Court discussed the prospect Tuesday of expanding the scope of the Austin-Travis County Sobering Center to include aid (in the form of jail diversion) to those experiencing homelessness and mental health issues. Currently, the Sobering Center provides an alternative to jail for those charged with public intoxication. Since its launch in […]
Posted inCity Hall
Sobering center loses director as operations stabilize
Barely a year after the Austin-Travis County Sobering Center opened its doors downtown, Rhonda Patrick, executive director of the center, has announced her resignation. The Sobering Center, a nonprofit local governmental corporation, was formed through an interlocal agreement with Travis County and the city of Austin in 2016. Patrick, who has served as executive director […]