Press Release by Williamson County, TX
Georgetown, TX: Williamson County, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, and Rock Springs celebrated the completion of the new behavioral health unit designed specifically for adolescents at Rock Springs on Jan. 31. The new Maple Unit adds 10,000 square feet of space and includes 24 beds, doubling Rock Spring current youth capacity of 12 beds. It has a youth dining hall, outdoor recreation area, multipurpose room, quiet rooms and individual and group therapy space.
The unit was completed in about 14 months for $10 million. Due to an increase in demand, Williamson County allocated $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to Bluebonnet Trails for additional adolescent behavioral health services. In addition, Williamson County contributed another $1.5 million for operations and bed space for uninsured youth. The unit is specifically for young males and females ages 13 to 17.
During the pandemic, the Behavioral Health Task Force saw the number of youth experiencing behavioral health crises grow, so we discussed how we could meet that need, said Williamson County Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey, who also serves on the Behavioral Health Task Force. This new unit is beautiful and functional and will provide the treatment our youth need. However, we are not done today. We will continue to evaluate the mental health needs of our community so that we can do even better.
The Williamson County Behavioral Health Task Force works to identify gaps in services. It is comprised of members from the Williamson County Commissioners Court, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services (the mental health authority for the county), Williamson County and Cities Health District as well as other behavioral health partners.
Rock Springs CEO Erin Basalay said, Our mission is changing people’s lives by creating access points for care and breaking down the stigma associated with seeking treatment. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. This facility will provide more access to care for youth to help address this national crisis.
Anyone in a mental health crisis is encouraged to call the Bluebonnet Trails Community Services crisis line at 800-841-1255. Rock Springs is located at 700 Southeast Inner Loop in Georgetown, Texas.
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