U.S. Sen. John Cornyn will be in Pharr on Thursday morning to discuss the Justice and Mental Health Reauthorization Act.
The event will feature a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement, mental health providers and city officials followed by a tour of the Pharr ONE Northside Center, located at 1121 E. Nolana Loop.
The bill reauthorizes grant programs for mental health courts, crisis intervention teams, and other initiatives that help law enforcement assist individuals with mental illness; specifically the Pharr Mental Health Unit.
“Participants will share how federal grant funding allowed for the expansion of this Mental Health Unit, which has reduced the strain on local law enforcement while also providing enhanced mental health care services to those in need,” a news release read. :Additionally, a local resident that has benefited from these services will discuss their experience with the program. Following the roundtable, Sen. Cornyn will be shown vehicles used by the Pharr Mental Health Unit during emergency mental health calls, and then hold a press conference.”
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $550,000 federal grant to Tropical Texas Behavioral Health (TBH) earlier this year. The grant is helping to enhance TBH’s Co-Responder Team Program in collaboration with the Pharr Police Department.
“This partnership between local law enforcement and TBH has allowed the Pharr Mental Health Unit to reduce and divert individuals with serious mental illness away from jail and provide linkages to mental health treatment and support services,” the release read. “This is the first co-responder program to be initiated in the lower Rio Grande Valley.”
