Dallas County’s mental health agency is set to get a new campus.
New MetroCare offices will soon replace the old Beverly Hills Tuberculosis and Psychiatric Hospital campus, and construction is already underway.
MetroCare is a mental healthcare services organization chartered by the county that operates 14 facilities in the Dallas area. The new campus will be located on Westmoreland Road and will provide adult mental health services.
Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia told NBC 5 DFW that she thinks the new campus can have an impact on some of the area’s social problems.
“When we talk about homelessness, when we talk about the criminal justice system, mental health is a big component,” said Garcia, according to NBC 5. “We’re starting to think and put the money where it is needed and thinking outside of the box. And I think this is a big improvement.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the rampant homelessness and vagrancy within Dallas city limits have been a pressing concern of residents, as evidenced by a City poll.
The 11 buildings comprising the former psychiatric facility where the MetroCare buildings are going up were originally constructed in the 1940s. MetroCare began using some of the building in the 1970s, according to NBC 5. However, over the years, the campus had fallen into so much disrepair that only four of the buildings remained in use.
The old buildings have already been demolished and construction of the new $90 million camps has begun. The project is being paid for by county taxpayers, but some private donations have been made as well. It is currently unclear whether the project will suffer delays from Dallas’ problematic permitting process.
Staff at the facility have been moved to a temporary facility on Sylvan Avenue.
Dr. John Burruss, CEO of MetroCare, told NBC 5 that the organization has always had the mission to create a welcoming environment for its guests and patients and described the new campus under construction as “perfect.”
“This is an upgrade of an existing service at an existing location so I think it’s perfect. It’s perfect for us because it’s got great access. It’s right on I-30, great bus routes, so people can get to us and we can get out into the community very easily,” said Burruss.