Special to The News

BEAUMONT — Spindletop Center has been awarded a $75,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas to employ staff capable of addressing behavioral health crisis services to the community using the center’s mobile mental health clinic.

The center was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from The Moody Foundation to purchase and implement the mobile mental health clinic. The projects will provide outreach and treatment services to those experiencing mental health crises, substance use disorders and other behavioral needs.

Spindletop Center’s Chief Clinical Officer Scott P. Strang, Ph.D., expressed the center’s appreciation for the Blue Cross Blue Shield funding asserting that “with funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield, the center will be able to recruit, hire and train qualified staff dedicated to serving the community using the mobile mental health clinic.”

The mobile mental health clinic will act as a way to provide the community with the help they need in their own neighborhoods and homes, as transportation to treatment facilities is often a challenge to individuals and families. Seeking help is often times the biggest hurdle and by eliminating this barrier and bringing treatment to the individuals, the center will be able to have a more meaningful and lasting impact on the community.

During times of non-disasters, the clinic will be available across the community to contribute to a collaborative and on-going culture of health and to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. Schools, nursing homes, churches and other community gathering places can benefit by the educational services afforded by the clinic.

The services provided by the mobile mental health clinic are currently set to be implemented in fall 2019.

 

See also: Spindletop program extends to Hardin