Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly said Metrocare was not able to provide consolidated services for children in previous spaces. The story also incorrectly said the campus was in West Dallas instead of Southern Dallas.
The largest community mental health provider in North Texas is expanding its services in Southern Dallas.
Metrocare on Thursday unveiled its new $96 million campus in the Hillside neighborhood near I-30 and Westmoreland Road.
The Mental Health and Disability Innovation Center is expected to increase Metrocare鈥檚 capacity to serve by almost 25%. The organization is Dallas County鈥檚 primary behavioral health services provider, serving.
Dr. John Burruss, Metrocare鈥檚 CEO, said the campus is a critical investment in an area of health care that鈥檚 becoming a large public health concern. It鈥檚 the second new space Metrocare has opened this year.
鈥淥ne of the few areas of medicine that's going backwards, that's not making great success is mental health care,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淲e have to be ready as a society to start to look at why. If you tell people, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be upset about it, go get help,鈥� you have to give them help. If you say, 鈥極vercome the stigma to receive help,鈥� we have to have an open door for them to walk into.鈥�
The facility is expected to open to the public in about a month. It includes a 45,000-square-foot clinical space and a 98,000-square-foot client services space.
鈥淭his will revolutionize the way we address [mental health] issues, particularly for people who don't have many assets in life, who don't have the education or the background in mental health that helps them move forward by themselves,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also going to deliver services that are educationally based.鈥�
The client services space will increase Metrocare鈥檚 capacity to educate and train providers, as well as develop programs to address mental health needs across the county.
The clinical space is designed to serve all ages through three individual clinics.
The Early Child Intervention Services and Behavioral Treatment center allows Metrocare to provide consolidated services for children with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues, increasing the number of clients they serve.
鈥淭hey'll be in the same building,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淭hey'll walk the same halls. The treatment providers will be in this same place.鈥�
The campus also increases the tools providers can utilize in treatment, he said, such as a therapeutic playground.
鈥淲hen you're a kid, your job is to play and learn,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淲e need ... an environment where they can play and learn while we're helping them progress.鈥�
The space also houses the children and adolescent clinic, which serves children 3 to 18 years old.
Regina Walker, director of Child and Adolescent Services with Metrocare, said the organization will also provide specialty care, such as treatment for complex trauma. The space also includes an adult services clinic for anyone over the age of 18, an on-site pharmacy to make medication more accessible and community-based service clinicians.
鈥淭hey go out in the community and meet them in community-based locations and service them in schools, churches, homes, and provide clinical services there as well,鈥� she said.
Walker started at Metrocare 14 years ago as a provider. She said it鈥檚 been emotional watching the organization work on projects like the Hillside campus.
鈥淚t's just an awesome thing to see how we have transformed as an agency,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淎nd how we are really pushing and striving to meet the needs of the community, fill service gaps and provide services to those individuals.鈥�
And now is a particularly critical time to address those needs, according to providers and experts. With and confusion caused by changes to state and federal policy, Burruss said there's a lot of uncertainty affecting the health care industry and patients. That uncertainty is something mental health professionals have to take into account when providing services.
鈥淭hat breeds the climate in which people struggle with depression, anxiety, drinking too much, using too many illicit drugs,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淭hose are the populations that we want to step in and help. In that uncertainty, we鈥檒l provide the open door for them even in the face of that.鈥�
The goal of the campus is to further Metrocare鈥檚 goal to intervene effectively by providing a place for someone to go, he said, either remotely or by walking into the building.
鈥淲e have effective services, but the biggest limits has been people being able to get them,鈥� Burruss said. 鈥淢etrocare fills a niche that very few do because we'll see people today. We see people on the same day. If you've realized that you really are at the point where you need our help, all you have to do is show up.鈥�
Walker said the value of the Mental Health and Disability Innovation Center is that it provides a space where everyone in a family can receive care.
鈥淢ental health services are for everyone,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淓veryone could benefit from mental health services. There is no age, gender or specific person that meets the criteria for the service.鈥�
Abigail Ruhman is 四虎影院鈥檚 health reporter. Got a tip? Email Abigail at aruhman@kera.org.
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