The city of Austin has begun dispatching a team that includes both mental health experts and police to address mental health emergency calls coming from the downtown area. The Austin Field Integrated Response Support Team, or Austin FIRST, includes an Austin-Travis County EMS paramedic, an Integral Care mental health clinician and an Austin Police officer […]
Integral Care
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center takes another step
Last week, Travis County kicked off the design portion of its long-awaited mental health diversion center and central intake project. The lead architectural firms, Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, Kirksey Architecture, and Pulitzer Bogard, will work with county staff and UT’s Dell Medical School to conceptualize the physical diversion center, which will take approximately 18 months […]
Posted inPublic Health
Council adds funding to bolster Integral Care’s mental health efforts
Responding to the need for more mental health workers to staff Integral Care’s Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, City Council on Thursday voted to allocate additional funding to the program. The action will inject more than $1.4 million into the diversion program, drawing dollars from the city’s 2025 budget stabilization reserve fund. Council initiated the […]
Posted inPublic Health
Questions abound over pilot program for mental health diversion
As City Council is set to consider authorizing negotiations on a contract that would include allocating $2 million for a mental health diversion pilot program, a lot of questions remain unanswered. On Tuesday, Mayor Kirk Watson started the work session discussion by asking Robert Kingham, administrator of the Downtown Austin Community Court, about how much […]
Posted inBudget
Integral Care, Austin’s largest mental health care provider, approves 48 layoffs in next budget
Integral Care, the mental health authority for Austin-Travis County, voted Thursday to approve a budget that eliminates nearly 10 percent of its positions. Along with the 48 individuals who were identified for layoffs, 67 vacant positions were also cut. Employees in the union United Workers of Integral Care said layoffs would further strain staff already struggling […]
Posted inTravis County
County-supported development brings more multifamily housing to market
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized final approval on a multifamily housing revenue bond for the Kensington apartments. The property spans 148 units located at 3300 Manor Road. All of the units are intended for those making at or below 60 percent of the area median income, according to county officials. The Travis […]
Posted inPublic Health
County and city collaborate on robust mental health program ahead of diversion facility launch
With the wheels officially in motion for Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center, City Hall is doing its own work to scale up the mental health services that will be key to its success. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, City Council’s Public Health Committee spent last week’s meeting hearing from Emergency Medical Services […]
Posted inHousing
County, nonprofits prepare to administer supportive housing resolution
The Travis County Commissioners Court met for a work session Thursday to review the ongoing, federally funded affordable housing initiatives in the Austin area. Multiple nonprofits are preparing to build supportive housing in Travis County using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, earmarked for use by commissioners last year. The nine groups – the Other […]
Posted inHousing
City anticipating three new hotels for homeless housing
The city expects to have about 190 new hotel rooms available by the end of June to provide permanent supportive housing to homeless people who are found to need long-term assistance to avoid winding up on the streets again. Approximately 60 additional affordable units will be operated by a nonprofit partner. During a presentation at […]
Posted inPublic Health
County renews agreement for substance use treatment services
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved and ratified an amendment to the substance use disorder managed services agreement for the 2022 fiscal year. The interlocal agreement between the city, the county and Integral Care is aimed at contracting for substance use treatment services, and has been in effect since 1999. “It was developed […]
Posted inTravis County
Employees at Integral Care, Travis County’s mental health agency, want to unionize
Employees at Integral Care, the nonprofit that manages mental health care across the Austin area, intend to unionize. A group of more than 20 employees gathered at Integral Care’s South Austin headquarters Monday morning, dropping off a letter to the nonprofit’s CEO, David Evans, informing him of their intent. Employees say unionization would help address […]