Plumbing 
Courtesy of office of Tony Gonzales, U.S. Congressman for District 23
Mayor pro tem Everardo ‘Lalo’ Zamora, Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell, U.S. Congressman for District 23 Tony Gonzales, and Hill Country MHDD Centers deputy CEO Landon Sturdivant shovel dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the 32-bed Uvalde Region Behavioral Health Campus which is to be built next to the Uvalde County Fairplex. The groundbreaking was held Oct. 17.
State and local officials on Oct. 17 celebrated the groundbreaking for a long-anticipated 50,000-square-foot Uvalde Region Behavioral Health Center, which will employ 100 people.
The 32-bed facility, specializing in crisis stabilization, will be built on over 7.5 acres on U.S. Highway 90 West near the Uvalde County Fairplex, on land the city of Uvalde donated. It will function as a 24/7 diversion center for walk-in patients, with a separate entrance for law enforcement drop-offs.
There will be 16 beds for adults, including 10 crisis residential beds and six beds for extended observation. Sixteen beds are planned for children and adolescents, including 12 for crisis and four for extended observation. Extended observation beds are intended for those in immediate need, typically requiring 48 hours of intensive care and monitoring.
The state allocated over $38 million for operational and construction costs. The yearly operating budget is expected to be about $10 million.
Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers CEO Tod Citron said his agency created a partnership with Southwest Texas College to establish a behavioral health technician certification program. The first class of 15 students will help staff the new facility.
Citron, whose agency will operate the center, said it is expected to open in about 18 months.
Mayor pro tem Everardo “Lalo” Zamora, Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell, and former Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. emphasized the facility’s importance.
“What we are fixing to do as we go out here and break the ground and turn that dirt, will create a lasting memory for the state of Texas, for this community, for the United States of America, as we venture into what I think is a very important field of providing more mental health assistance for people,” Mitchell said.
McLaughlin said he approached the city council in 2019 about donating the land, gaining unanimous support. He spoke of hours-long calls trying to drum up support to make the facility happen.
Zamora, also the county veterans service officer, said the facility will also be accessible to area veterans, saving them a four-hour drive to Temple.
Gladys Gonzalez, care coordinator at Hill Country MHDD Centers and mother of Robb School shooting survivor Caitlyne Gonzalez, spoke on the importance of trauma care. She advocated for mental health, noting the effect on those awaiting placement and praised the planned facility.
“Mental health involves recognizing your thoughts and imperfections and accepting yourself of who you are,” Gonzalez said. “It is understanding that despite your trials and tribulations, there is hope for a better tomorrow.”
Her speech received a standing ovation.
U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales, representing District 23, secured the initial $2 million in federal funding, announced in July 2021.
“I’d like for this facility to be the gold standard for the country,” Gonzales said, adding that mental health concerns are an ever-worsening nation-wide issue. He said coming together to make the facility a reality is helping to better the lives of children and adults in the region.
“Focusing on healing, recovering, wellness for this community, it will be a lifeline for those experiencing mental health challenges and crises, for families in need of support and people seeking to improve their overall well being, said Trina Ita, Deputy Executive Commissioner for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Facility details
There are plans for separate entrances and facilities for youth services, along with privacy fencing.
The center will house a second building for outpatient programs, relocating the Hill Country MHDD facility from its current location south of town at 328 Crystal City Highway.
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