Tarrant County Commissioners Court passed a resolution on Tuesday requesting that the State Legislature allocate funding for a mental health facility in Tarrant County.
The Commissioners Court “strongly urges the State of Texas to fund the development of a state mental health facility in Tarrant County,” County Judge Tim O’Hare said. He read the resolution aloud before the commissioners unanimously passed it, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“It is my hope that your prayers and the prayers of all the rest of us will help get those prayers beyond the ceiling so the Legislature will hear them and act,” Commissioner Roy Brooks said after commending O’Hare for his leadership.
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn has stated in the past that the mental health of inmates has been a major issue for the jail. He told The Dallas Express that around 60% of inmates receive My Health My Resources mental health services through the county.
“Mental Health has been absolutely thrown on to law enforcement. We are doing everything we know to be that safety net for the community, including de-escalation training for officers dealing with exploding mental health issues,” Waybourn previously told The Dallas Express.
“This issue must be addressed, including not only care but what is the root cause, one of which is the plethora of drugs including K2, marijuana, along with other hard substances,” he added.
Julie Griffin, a resident of Fort Worth, expressed her approval of the resolution but added that mental healthcare is needed long before it becomes a county jail issue.
“Mental health crises should be treated at the appropriate level of care before they become a forensic caseload,” she said, per the FWST. “Competency restoration is important, but it is a small sliver of the overall population.”
Last month, O’Hare announced his intention to present the resolution during a special meeting called by Sheriff Waybourne, during which he briefed commissioners on a federal report on mental health services at the county jail.