[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6545422,"mediaKeyId","3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d","parentId",3660236,"title","Travis County and partners brief committee on Scribe Care diversion pilot; 25‑bed therapeutic diversion center serves jailed individuals","audioSeconds",2243,"startMs",2468000,"endMs",4711000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d&start=2468&end=4711","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d/thumbnail_2468000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6545422/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Travis-County-and-partners-brief-committee-on-Scribe-Care-diversion-pilot-25bed-therapeutic-diversion-center-serves-jailed-individuals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545422-e952b18d361d3aaf7b45a25b6058878c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770575130&Signature=CsgFY2TFPmgEaM6avfm-DHY7vfO-46SXbH4jPmGwkPCID10vIDbyHCTn7m-pGiuN8ZIzYzJd8t68GmIdfoJQ-D1xcu~HeY9FO3YdogY5sTIezTK89GiASL~-7j7RqkWL4JGMM7bfIcSA51enamdEZempoSDVdIn3kvL5MQOqLNoW-1RnPS~iW5uZJeeF9izhRzLXhAhCGNpqdjkpoDP4K-moV1UmykSSKsO3~55xKXxKyRJlugsEeA8~dSFwTZIxQ-gJHzYUK1a8jEqy3Aa1TJvkxxkHmiTnSBUDfhQNMKmFpryI7ZbvXznyjcQashBGzAnRsSsVugOkrpN1tVfKtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","article","Travis County, the City of Austin, Integral Care and Central Health presented an update on June 4 about the mental health diversion pilot—also called the Scribe Care Diversion pilot—explaining the pilot’s two main components, projected costs and early results.

The pilot includes (1) psychiatric emergency services (PES) expanded to 24/7 to provide a clinical triage and drop-off location for first responders and (2) a 25‑bed Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP), a shelter-designated respite that opened October 7, 2024, and accepts voluntary residents for up to 90 days.

Travis County staff summarized projected pilot costs through FY27: they estimated about $11.4 million for TDP and nearly $15 million for PES over the pilot period. Funding partners outlined contributions the county listed in its overview: Travis County committed about $6 million; the City of Austin has a total planned contribution of $2 million in FY26/FY27 (one $1 million city contract and a $1 million amount reflected in the county contract as part of a funding swap); Central Health reported $4.5 million committed with a projected further contribution of $3 million per year; Integral Care reported a $5.1 million HHSC grant and indicated additional commitment projections. The county noted that some ARPA/LFRF funds supporting the pilot must be expended by December 2026, adding a timing constraint.

Operationally, Integral Care and partners reported early performance metrics through the first two quarters of the pilot (data released through March, with a third quarter in progress). PES has received drop-offs and walk-ins from emergency departments, the sobering center and first responders: presenters reported 324 unduplicated individuals served in the pilot’s first six months. TDP has admitted 83 unique individuals since opening; average length of stay at TDP is about 41 days. Presenters said most TDP admissions so far have been direct referrals from defense attorneys and the jail; the TDP waitlist from jail runs at roughly four weeks because TDP has 25 beds.

Program outcomes presented in early data included high rates of connection to continuing care and benefits during and immediately after TDP stays: staff said over 80% of individuals who engaged in TDP services were linked to ongoing care and did not have an emergency department admission for medical or psychiatric reasons in the 30 days after discharge. Presenters also noted that a majority of persons served at TDP were experiencing homelessness and that the majority of TDP clients in the second quarter were Black or African American, reflecting disparities in carceral intersections.

Pilot staff identified early lessons and remaining challenges: securing data-sharing agreements across multiple agencies, aligning referral pathways from PES to housing, and ensuring sufficient permanent supportive housing and case management to prevent reentry to crisis or the criminal legal system. The panel noted the therapeutic diversion model depends on a continuum—clinical triage at PES, short-stay observation beds where appropriate, and then transfer to the TDP once medically stabilized. The panel also described the TDP’s designation as an emergency shelter in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to avoid penalizing clients’ “homeless” status for longer stays.

Committee members asked about involuntary holds and clinical thresholds; presenters replied that current Texas statute restricts which actors can initiate involuntary holds and that expanding other responders’ authority (for example, EMS) has been discussed but would require legislative change. Robert Kingham of the Downtown Austin Community Court said the community court will bring a council item on Thursday’s agenda to extend the community court’s TDP contract term through September and add $300,000 to carry the program through the current fiscal year.

Presenters confirmed the pilot will be evaluated by Dell Medical School and that Integral Care provides quarterly performance reports and hosts quarterly stakeholder meetings. The panel emphasized cross-agency funding is essential to sustain the pilot and that the county and city share responsibility for near-term budget decisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Public Health Committee - Jun 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Travis County, Integral Care and Central Health briefed the Austin City Council Public Health Committee on June 4 about the Scribe Care diversion pilot, which pairs expanded psychiatric emergency services with a 25‑bed Therapeutic Diversion Program to provide alternatives to incarceration for people with mental health crises.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545426,"Integral Care outlines crisis services, housing programs and city funding at Public Health Committee",1410,316000,1726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d&start=316&end=1726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d/thumbnail_316000.jpg","/articles/6545426/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Integral-Care-outlines-crisis-services-housing-programs-and-city-funding-at-Public-Health-Committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545426-1e705c1e58d7aa4880692434e2da4d75/orig.mp4?Expires=1770575130&Signature=dmeVu1hx0PmPK-r1R1Wj-EAi36tTyCjcZ4E6S-fLwAbohBgbWgstSbjcqO5VSajqJT8LXKTxYQnjE-quz6vNsmcsuOHWBTWZZZ4p2tIytV43llL9mW8F8zr5xJKVa26IEAa0ygPWy5NFD7l6cRx3FV~zDsoAn3IP4-MzY3KqdlSCGQQsVKWQpoQkQHXCXjUVKbpS1g2sAusDzgD8qDe-UvVeLW3v906k8JGIdsYboh5Tamju4NB2FVkRHFTRIQ8X1QcAOUMjSH4RtjE9DtO8pUX4bJ2Hem28SBUSvSaHy7G-AgKq0oWivQU2hR1pCpPdy0sVk9sisNCf2CvvVWCFPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Integral Care, the local mental health authority for Austin and Travis County, told the City Council Public Health Committee on June 4 that it operates a wide crisis and housing continuum supported in part by city contracts totaling about $18,000,781.

The briefing, delivered by Dawn Hanley, chief operations officer and vice president of Integral Care, and other agency leaders, described crisis hotlines, psychiatric emergency services (PES), mobile crisis teams embedded in the 911 center and multiple housing programs including tenant-based and project-based permanent supportive housing.

The presentation said Integral Care served just under 30,000 individuals in fiscal 2024 and provided roughly 426,000 unique services across more than 30 programs and about 120 contracts. Hanley said the organization employs about 1,000 staff. “We provide services to adults and family and children who are experiencing a mental illness need or behavioral health needs through substance use and intellectual and developmental disability,” Hanley said.

Elizabeth Marrero, Integral Care’s provider network and authority officer, told the committee the city is projected to invest more than $24.6 million in the behavioral health system of care in FY25, with the largest allocations directed to housing and homeless services (about $10.3 million) and substance use/HIV services (about $1.35 million). Marrero described the certified community behavioral health clinic designation Integral Care holds and the agency’s approach of braiding state, federal and local funding to draw down additional dollars.

Committee members pressed for detail about funding at risk. Integral Care said several city-funded contracts expire September 30, 2025, and highlighted three items it considers at particular risk: a homeless health and wellness team ($541,714), the therapeutic diversion program contract ($2,000,000 currently set to end 9/30/2025) and an expansion of the mobile crisis field response (referred to as EM-CUT) with an incremental city funding amount of about $1,500,000 in the current contract. “That’s just the expanded dollar amount, not the full team,” Marrero said about the EM-CUT figure.

Committee members also asked about broader federal funding reductions. Integral Care reported roughly $7 million in reductions tied to the end of ARPA and other one-time federal streams and said about $4 million of the city’s investments in Integral Care programs will be part of the committee’s budget discussions.

The briefing included data on clinical need: depressive disorders were the top diagnosis; about 40% of clients served had co-occurring substance-use disorders; more than half of those served were children and families in that program area; and roughly 40% had chronic medical needs. Hanley noted the agency’s system of care emphasizes the least-restrictive setting and that services range from crisis hotline and mobile crisis to outpatient clinics, crisis residential care and permanent supportive housing. “Having that connection with us up front when that first occurs and then moving through our system of care really helps divert the overuse of the emergency department,” Marrero said.

Committee members thanked Integral Care staff for the presentation and asked the agency to provide reports with the underlying evaluation data referenced during the briefing, including a study the agency said shows multi-million-dollar systemwide cost savings tied to the mobile crisis model.

The meeting record shows committee members identified roughly $4 million in city-funded Integral Care investments that will be considered in the upcoming budget cycle; Integral Care staff said the county and Central Health are also providing significant partner funding for crisis and diversion work.

The committee approved the minutes from its May 7 meeting prior to the Integral Care briefing. The motion to approve was made by Council Member Vanessa Velasquez and seconded by Vice Chair Dugan; there were no objections and the minutes were approved.","Integral Care, Austin-Travis County's local mental health authority, briefed the City Council Public Health Committee on its crisis continuum, housing programs and funding risks, including roughly $4 million in city-supported contracts subject to renewal during the coming budget cycle.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545409,"Resident urges city to track and target student homelessness funding",172,63000,235000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d&start=63&end=235","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/6545409/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Resident-urges-city-to-track-and-target-student-homelessness-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545409-a3e5b1cbf040f098b33694289812d143/orig.mp4?Expires=1770575130&Signature=L3YxEjZhzOQaMhaJCyMJlhIoU~PBX~neTA624oYA4PjHCz-2GQgJnxliJF-XYezlA~ZfiSpTrPy~285UmIfI0jTTz4iI0RZcIKli7KqAL164lgJMnftXlQZy4UEoKEOqdooYayq6~Olys6xhDL2MMEAzqGYBMNdV0eDOL69JbxKzaoARl7Uueux~L62byb7D0IWJ0cM8vcH-h66O02s2uOa-KNbomZm-tgltEjZyFrTykapDY1NxFBKN8J2EUHaAgIgqo0NLsShQatBM994lLRbUQdA2ICNtoqNpKlq5bTmXFdB7XfYindBkCHrqNC2BxXkgsxNhs~oiWLimNRteYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scott Johnson, who said he originated a homeless student assistance fund that appears as a donation option on utility bills, spoke during the public communications portion of the June 4 Public Health Committee meeting.

Johnson asked the committee to request a staff report showing counts of students experiencing homelessness in Austin and in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and suggested the committee examine whether any of the city’s proposed budget allocations for the coming year target student homelessness. “There's approximately 1,900 in the 23‑24 school year,” Johnson said, referring to student homelessness figures he cited for the 2023–24 school year; he urged the committee to seek updated school-year counts for AISD and other local ISDs that receive donations through the utility-bill option.

Johnson noted Saint David’s Foundation supports youth homelessness work and asked the committee to check whether new budget proposals include programs targeted to students. He closed by asking staff to report to the council before budget approval if additional city funding for student homelessness is available or necessary.","Scott Johnson, creator of a 'homeless student assistance fund' donation option on utility bills, urged the committee to direct staff to report on student homelessness counts within Austin ISDs and consider targeting budget dollars for students experiencing homelessness.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545414,"Community Court and Budget Office outline pilot to train community organizations on mobile court navigation",229,6555000,6784000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d&start=6555&end=6784","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d/thumbnail_6555000.jpg","/articles/6545414/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Community-Court-and-Budget-Office-outline-pilot-to-train-community-organizations-on-mobile-court-navigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545414-cb68fa7fdaa0447f44034fdd3095ae7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770575130&Signature=T5-tChDigqa8sTL~MY2~v66lNXf2xnimJsdKdYlm54jnUS0ajobBvkIS3QyaWz7pc3BeLo-0sg7ixXzqoR-8NV7OstLCQl4z1kIjH79OLLb1M6fScOIypGNbqFu6af~8Q-OQJ66E4yY8ZDcvkBLC9PhXGUDwrpi1WjDEBDAQzBG7-BkgO9sdtbP0lxEb0jBkscFasVbVssf1ornXM6KFux~6Uw8ic8Ybkbyyf1zDwj1TrHABJFmf38wpfDMDyTx0MW3NQBepwHDAATpiheZFoIPktiOA6q79r5Zk7MuNHCAqReAELvHTDLcPkFbhFtD9iRsMSCdm8xHwAefli5w3uA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Kingham, administrator of the Downtown Austin Community Court, and Vicki Pritjian from the Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence briefed the Public Health Committee on June 4 about a follow-up to a 2024 resolution asking the city to strengthen partnerships with community organizations.

Kingham said the court and the budget office worked together to design a pilot that supplements the city’s mobile court work by training community partners to perform court-navigation functions for their clients. The pilot will work with up to 10 community organizations and use up to $25,000 through the fall to implement navigation training and extend the reach of the court’s mobile services.

The pilot is funded from existing resources in the community court’s budget for the current year; staff said pilot findings will inform future budget recommendations if scale-up requires additional funds. Kingham described the program as a way to let trusted community organizations help clients identify open cases or warrants, connect them to the judge and prosecutor when appropriate, and resolve cases where possible without deploying the community court team in person.

Council members asked whether additional funding would be required; staff said the pilot is implementable with current resources but could generate future budget recommendations based on lessons learned.

Kingham and Budget Office staff said the pilot is intended to widen access to court navigation for people served by community organizations and to reduce barriers clients face when trying to resolve low-level cases.","The Downtown Austin Community Court and the Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence described a pilot to train up to 10 community organizations in court navigation and to extend mobile court reach; up to $25,000 will be allocated through fall from existing resources to run the pilot.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6545418,"Undue Medical Debt outlines debt‑abolition model and partnership terms for Austin",2693,3383000,6076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d&start=3383&end=6076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660236-edb2a1bf416dbfcf57b70ae18f99284d/thumbnail_3383000.jpg","/articles/6545418/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Undue-Medical-Debt-outlines-debtabolition-model-and-partnership-terms-for-Austin","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545418-6b45eb875ff8c2ed03d52df806aab398/orig.mp4?Expires=1770575130&Signature=a-m-ASedzMR8SuFOPpO0QwaaA2B4qEizBU1tytIqkQ2PG5cV2tEFqNIhEJoQzSGgfp-gvpEJ3S5sID6IC5Oj-k3Z1x6mslURCsxlFXiSjWTFdJAdXy7GD27wbeaMW-YD95OEtR6YUPIhU-6Joc3l82zIuErbpGbwRJWioqLHKzmnOh81iW1Jds7IwCGeOLgdR8Am5Kc2PFQqe~7t4Ig-q94WlWKUv38cjYgYpn3i2kY~MRPejKbFjJv1mK9JI4NQlyIV3wYeaNWK5HnpmwO3yrCEF7~YlmEY2TW1g1f6MnDYzp3rftG6puSTcH4O0QyDJ3mQ4mbQ7N4rv4vfpG7EDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Undue Medical Debt presented to the City Council Public Health Committee on June 4, describing its national model to purchase and abolish medical debt and options for a potential city partnership.

Courtney Storey, vice president of government initiatives, said the nonprofit combines philanthropic donations and government contracts to buy accounts in collections and remove balances for eligible residents. “Our government work alone has abolished almost $4,500,000,000 in debt for over 3,500,000 individuals,” Storey said.

Undue staff said Texas has among the highest average medical-debt burdens in the nation and that the average medical-debt balance for a Travis County resident is about $1,350 (figure presented as an estimate). The organization explained typical eligibility criteria they require for government partnerships: household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or medical debt exceeding 5% of income, residency within the jurisdiction providing funds (ZIP‑code restrictions), and that the organization cannot target relief by diagnosis, immigration status or specific provider without provider consent.

The group described a typical contract model: government funding used to purchase qualifying accounts from local hospitals or collections portfolios, with an example cost-efficiency cited by presenters of roughly $1 of government funding abolishing $167 of medical debt in prior projects. Undue said contracts typically run at least three years to allow time to identify, purchase and process files, send notice to affected residents and complete remittance and reporting steps. They said indirect administrative costs typically run at a 15% rate across their government contracts.

Storey and a local policy analyst, Lindsay (last name not specified during the briefing), showed examples of recent government partnerships—San Antonio, Cook County and other jurisdictions—and said selecting files can require negotiations with hospital partners. Undue emphasized it does not disclose hospital or provider names without permission and that program success is easier when governments engage hospitals early in the process.

Committee members asked about the practical effect on people who have debt: Undue said relief reduces psychological burden and can increase reengagement with care. Members also asked about return on investment and cross-sector impacts; Undue acknowledged research is emerging and that part of the value of government partnerships is the opportunity to open upstream conversations with hospitals and policymakers about preventing medical debt.

Undue staff offered to work with city staff to size the market, estimate eligible debt held by local providers, and prepare a contract budget aligned to the city’s available funds and goals.","Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit, briefed the committee on a model that purchases and abolishes medical debt for eligible residents. The group described program prerequisites, contract terms and examples from other U.S. jurisdictions and noted limits on targeting and the need for multi-year city or philanthropic commitments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Travis County and partners brief committee on Scribe Care diversion pilot; 25‑bed therapeutic diversion center serves jailed individuals

Integral Care outlines crisis services, housing programs and city funding at Public Health Committee

Resident urges city to track and target student homelessness funding

Community Court and Budget Office outline pilot to train community organizations on mobile court navigation

Undue Medical Debt outlines debt‑abolition model and partnership terms for Austin