The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Spindletop Center has recently acquired funding and is looking to expand their services in Orange and surrounding areas. Spindletop will receive Medicaid funding for residents who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health issues and substance abuse challenges. Under a statewide 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver program, Spindeltop will implement 14 projects valued at $37 million.

One in five people will struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues. In addition, about three of every 100 babies born have intellectual disabilities, according to Sally Broussard, chief authority officer for Spindletop.

“It’s important for our clients to access help in places where they will be treated with dignity and respect,” Broussard said. “They deserve to have professionals available who will treat them as a whole person, taking into account both their physical and mental needs. We want to be leaders and innovators in that.”

One of the projects coming to Orange is a Specialty Psychiatric Clinic. The clinic will target those who don’t have serious mental issues but still need help.

Existing buildings owned by Spindeltop Center will be renovated in Beaumont to create seven new apartments while in Orange, the renovations will allow for 12 new studio apartments. They hope to have the project completed in April. These housing additions will be for their behavioral health clients who are at risk of being homeless.

Spindletop is also looking to expand peer to peer support programs. Ricky Greenwood, who is a consumer of the Spindletop MHMR programs for more than a year, has been working on acquiring the necessary training to help run the group. Some of his training included an eight week program for peer support in November. He also received an emotion CPR certificate in December.

Spindletop is looking to expand in other areas of their program. A youth repsite is much needed in the area. They have plans to open a 24 hour-seven days a week, short-term respite/residential for youth ages 10 to 17 years old as a diversion for detention centers.

In addition, Spindletop will look to expand their outpatient substance abuse program to include indigent clients. Plus, they will work with Baptist Hospital of Beaumont to equip a 10-bed unit within the Behavior Health Hospital for the express purpose of providing medical detox services for residents of Southeast Texas.

“It has been an exciting time at Spindeltop Center, “ wrote CEO Dr. N. Charles Harris, “We are proud of the many exciting developments.”