Thursday, June 20, 1996

West Texas MHMR center to be in Big Spring

By By ANNA M. TINSLEY
Harte-Hanks Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - West Texans likely won't even see a difference.

But changes are under way for mental health services in 23 West Texas counties.

State officials are gearing up to turn over the reigns of area mental health treatment to the West Texas Centers for Mental Health-Mental Retardation - which will provide the same services now available, but will be governed by a local nine-member board of trustees.

The Texas MHMR Board is expected to give final approval - and allocate $266,507 in start-up funds - today. The target date to officially turn over control is March 1.

"This is part of an ongoing project to return a lot of responsibilities for mental health services to the communities," said Bill Cryer, spokesman for MHMR. "The West Texas Centers for MHMR will be run by a board made up of local officials. ... They will essentially be responsible for running the program, although we will have some oversight."

The West Texas Centers for MHMR, which will have an office based in Big Spring and an estimated annual budget of $20 million, has been in the works since December 1992.

For those involved, actual creation of the center has been a long time coming. Area services, officials say, will not be affected by the impending change of management.

"The same services will be provided," said Howard County Commissioner Bill Crooker, who is chairman of the West Texas Centers' board of trustees. "It is our plan and desire to provide seamless service so our consumers don't know there has been a change."

But Crooker said the board hopes to obtain private and public grants, in addition to keeping state funding, to increase current programs and add new ones - such as alcohol and drug abuse therapy and classes.

The 23-county region that could soon be served by the West Texas Centers of MHMR include: Andrews, Borden, Crane, Dawson, Fisher, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Howard, Kent, Loving, Martin, Mitchell, Nolan, Reeves, Runnels, Scurry, Terrell, Terry, Upton, Ward, Winkler and Yoakum counties.

Fifteen mental health clinics now serve those counties. Abilene, Lubbock and San Angelo State Schools, along with the Big Spring State Hospital, have facilities in the region.

"This will not affect services," Crooker said. "They will continue as they have been to consumers of mental health, mental retardation services. We actually will be able to improve services.
"As a local board, we know what local problems are."

Shelley Smith, who will serve as chief executive officer of the West Texas Centers for MHMR, said this is an exciting opportunity to better provide mental health services for area residents.

"I think that local MHMR centers have a lot more funding streams that open up to them," Smith said. "So we won't just receive money from Texas MHMR. And that will put us on a playing field to receive more funding."

And new opportunities include trying to provide increased and improved services to consumers - such as alcohol and drug abuse treatment.

"This board has identified that substance abuse services are a need," Smith said. "They may be able to address that better through funding sources that state offices might not have access to.

"This has been a very long process (to develop the West Texas Centers) and we are extremely excited," she said. "Our mission is that consumers would not necessarily even feel the change. The majority of change will be at the administrative level."