Hill Country Community MHMR Center Serving the Greater TEXAS Hill Country
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November 2, 2011

Hill Country MHDD Celebrates Another Year of Community Service

Hill Country MHDD Company Picnic

The employees of Hill Country Community MHMR Center (Hill Country), along with their families, came together at the Riverside Star Event Park to honor those who served for 5 and 10 years  and to celebrate another year of serving individuals living with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Hill Country through its mission of promoting independence, community integration, and recovery serves individuals from 19 counties throughout the greater Texas Hill Country including: Bandera, Blanco. Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, and Val Verde. With over 500 employees throughout its 22,000 square mile service area, Hill Country, organized in September 1997,  provides mental health, developmental disability, early childhood intervention, and substance use services.  

Hill Country operates 10 Mental Health Clinics which served over 7,000 children and adults during the last year.   The Mental Health clinics offer treatment for Major Depression, Bipolar and Schizophrenic disorders. The mental health clinics also serve as the mental health crisis response system for the local area and respond to calls made to the Mental Health Crisis Hotline (1-877-466-0660).  Throughout the past year Hill Country’s Mental Health clinics have participated in a number of national initiatives aimed at promoting recovery and continually improving patient care.  Currently Hill Country, realizing that the vast majority of people we come in contact with have trauma histories and that that trauma is a leading factor in the onset of mental illness and substance abuse, is integrating Trauma Informed Care throughout its service delivery system.

The Hill Country Crisis Stabilization Unit located in Kerrville served 649 individuals with a mental health crisis requiring inpatient treatment during the past year.  The Hill Country Crisis Stabilization Unit provides continuity of care between the inpatient and outpatient settings and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Service Administration Office of Rural Health Policy as a Rural Behavioral Health Program Promising Practice for the coordination of care provided between the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Hill Country also offers Veteran to Veteran Peer Services and Veteran Support Services.  These services are designed to give Veteran’s of all military branches the opportunity to come together and discuss their experiences and any challenges they face as they reintegrate into day to day activities after returning from deployment.  In addition, Psychiatric Services, Counseling, Skills Training, and client support funds for items such as rental assistance, clothing, and temporary support needs are available to Veterans and their family members.  This program is made possible by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance.  The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families.  Funding for these grants comes from a portion of Veterans scratch-off lottery ticket sales.  If you are interested in Veteran services, please contact your local mental health clinic.

Hill Country also served over 1,000 individuals with Developmental Disabilities.  They attend classes learning vocational skills, living skills to enhance community living, social skills, and job placement assistance.  Services are offered to families to help with individualized life planning, linkage to appropriate community resources  and monitoring services. Services also include temporary care, either in home or out of the home for persons with disabilities, as well as residential and day programs for those who qualify.

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) served over 1,800 children. ECI is a statewide program for families with children, birth to three, with disabilities and developmental delays. ECI supports families to help their children reach their potential through developmental services. The staff works with  families, as a team, to focus on  growth and development of the child in their environment.

Under the umbrella of Hill Country, and offered in Kerr County are a variety of Substance Abuse Services.  Adult outpatient Counseling and support groups are available for individuals in recovery from all forms of substance abuse so the individual can have an ongoing treatment and support to help them throughout the recovery process. Last year, Hill Country served approximately 70 people in Outpatient Substance Counseling.  Hill Country also operates Villa Del Sol, an Intensive Residential Treatment Facility for male adolescents, ages 13-17 who are recovering from substance abuse, and has implemented a Co-Occurring Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder Program for individuals recovering from both a substance use disorder and a mental illness.

According to Linda Werlein, CEO of Hill Country, “The picnic is a time for us to come together as a family and celebrate the achievements of the past year and to look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.  Our employees commit their lives to serving others and it is wonderful to have this opportunity to thank them for their dedication and commitment to assisting individuals living with mental illness and developmental disabilities in their recovery.”

One of the highlights of the Hill Country picnic each year is the recognition of individuals who have completed five and  ten years of service.  This year 28 employees were recognized for the service. 
“These individuals, along with our dedicated board and all of our staff, are truly devoted to helping improve the lives of individuals living with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and recovering from substance abuse,” stated Werlein, “Together, we make a difference in individual’s lives by promoting independence, community integration and recovery for those we serve.”

For more information on Hill Country Community MHDD Centers and its services, please visit www.hillcountry.org.