SAN ANTONIO — A new state hospital will be opening on the south side of San Antonio. But Bexar County wants to study how it could re-use the current campus to offer additional services to people with mental illness.
County leaders and a non-profit leader are both calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the SASH 30-acre campus which opened in the 1890’s.
The road to recovery from mental illness, addiction or any kind of behavioral health challenge is not always a straight one. Doug Beach, board president of NAMI San Antonio says taking the time to address mental health issues is critical.
“Most of the time because of insurance or because of capacity, people aren’t able to stay in a hospital setting for more than 7 to 14 days max. That doesn’t mean they’re ready to go back out in to the community,” Beach said.
Beach approves of the re-use study because it creates what he calls a recovery community, instead of continuing a cycle of behavior.
“We’re helping people live the life that they can live and live up to their potential. But we’re also creating a way for people living with a mental illness to stay out of crisis,” Beach said one of the things that excites him the most about the study is the possibility for future step-down housing.
“Being able to move into a housing unit, but with services on site or that wrap around so that they get an opportunity to gradually reintegrate in to the community,” Beach adds.
Bexar County leaders want to study how the vast land and existing buildings on the state hospital grounds can be repurposed once the new State Hospital is complete in 2024.
According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the new hospital will be 300-beds and they are renovating another building to add 40 new beds to the campus.
Earlier this year, Bexar County Commissioners approved using $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money to fund the study.
“We’ve been in discussions with the state on trying to look at are there different ways to utilize that campus to help people with behavioral health problems,” Mike Lozito, Director of the Bexar County Office of Criminal Justice told KENS 5.
According to Lozito, the study is still in the negotiation phase with a third-party architect. He says the study may not be complete until June 2023.
Beach says the reuse study is not just about adding capacity, but increasing quality of care for people suffering mental illness.
“It’s a two-way street. It’s an opportunity for people living with mental illness to begin to move into more recovery. And it’s an opportunity for community to come onto campus and facilitate that process,” Beach said.