BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – It’s a big development for Bexar County. S.M.A.R.T., the county’s crisis mental health response team, is now a 24/7 operation.
“People with mental health issues should not be in our jails,” Leticia Dominguez, the behavioral health manager with Bexar County’s Department of Behavioral Health, said.
The team’s expansion comes four years after the program was first launched. S.M.A.R.T. is the county’s crisis response team that answers 911 mental health calls.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for “Specialized Multidisciplinary Alternate Response Team.”
“We can offer them different opportunities besides just being hospitalized,” Andrea, the behavior health supervisor for S.M.A.R.T., said. The unit asked KSAT not to share the last names of its staff members.
At last, funding and staffing have aligned to push expansion forward.
Each S.M.A.R.T. unit is a team of three comprised of a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy, a paramedic contracted with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council and a Center for Health Care Services crisis response clinician.
“Everyone knows their role,” Dominguez said.
Operating on the road, this team has outfitted its response. The unit uses two unmarked vehicles to answer these calls and meet residents with the appropriate resources.
“Seeing the relief in their eyes,” Andrea said. “They’re just really thankful that we were able to do something.”
The team was created to fill a gap in crisis response.
“This started with the Damien Daniels case in 2020,” Dominguez said. “That is when the community really needed to step back and say, ‘What can we do different? What is it that we are missing?’”
Daniels was shot and killed outside his home by a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Aug. 25, 2020, during a mental health check.
Hundreds of calls later, Dominguez said the team is constantly evolving.
“They’re consistently moving forward to see new techniques,” Dominguez said. “Trying to de-escalate new practices.”
Now that they have the resources to work around the clock, members hope they can tackle more calls than before.
“It’s a collaborative effort,” Andrea said. “I think the most room for growth and S.M.A.R.T. would be eventually to have a team at every quadrant.”
“Crisis in Question: Measuring Mental Health in South Texas” will begin airing on Monday, Nov. 11 on The Nightbeat with a new episode each night at 10 p.m., culminating on Friday, Nov. 15 at 10 p.m. All episodes can be seen on KSAT, KSAT+, KSAT’s YouTube channel, and KSAT.com.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.
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