BEAUMONT, Texas — A $70 million overhaul of Baptist Hospital's Behavioral Health Center might benefit law enforcement and patients who need immediate care.
Beaumont Police say they've seen a spike in calls involving people with mental illness. They have to make quick decisions when people are in trouble.
So what happens when BPD officers show up for a mental health call?
Often times, they don't know what the situation is until they arrive. What happens from there varies on a case by case basis.
"We get calls from family members who are at their wit's end because they have a family member that's suffering from a mental health crisis," said BPD PIO Haley Morrow. "We have a lot of officers that are mental health peace officers, of course we have one dedicated position for a mental health officers who works with Spindletop MHMR."
Morrow says between training and protocol officers make the decision on where to take people who need help.
"Baptist and St. E rotate every other week on who's on rotation for anybody that we have to do a peace officer's emergency detention order. But there's very specific criteria that has to be met," she said.
If a crime is committed, the person may end up going to the hospital first.
"Laws still have to enforced," said Morrow.
The $70 million overhaul will help more people get care they need right here in Southeast Texas.
Jefferson County is considering spending $8 million on a new diversion center to help those with mental illness.
"They can bring them there, divert them from the criminal justice system," said Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens.
Michael Ford, a 50-year-old Beaumont man, supports the diversion center. He ended up in jail during a health crisis last year after he allegedly assaulted a BPD officer.
"They were not sure if I was going to harm myself," he said. "I think would be a place that if they diverted me there rather than the jail house on 69 that this all would have been squashed."
12News spoke to a Jefferson County official about an update on the diversion center. They say they are meeting Monday to discuss the architectural plans for the center.