New Mental Health Treatment Center Opens In Denton
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DENTON (CBS 11) – As more and more people continue to move into North Texas health experts say the need for mental health services are increasing at an alarming rate.
Mental Health Mental Retardation Denton is reporting they are seeing about a 40 percent increase this year compared to just last year in documented cases of people seeking treatment throughout Denton County.
Tammy Weppelman, a Crisis Services Administrator for MHMR Denton said "More and more people moving into our county and more and more people with mental health issues," about the rising trend.
The need for expanded services has become so great MHMR Denton was awarded a 5.3 million dollar grant from the Federal government to cover costs associated with expanding services.
Those dollars helped pay for a Krum ranch house which was turned into 12 bed crisis residential center for both men and women.
Weppelman said most of the clients at the residential center are dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
She said the purpose of the crisis residential center is to offer a different setting that could provide more therapy than an institution would.
She added, "We're trying to come up with an alternative to hospitalization for people who are experiencing intense crisis and mostly suicidal crisis."
The trend isn't expected to slow down. MHMR Denton administrators say the cases they have registered within the last 6 months prove that without the proper funding the need for their service could outpace their ability to provide it.
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