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Care Solace presents citywide mental‑health navigation model to Beaumont council
Summary
Annette Ward and representatives for Care Solace told Beaumont council the service can provide 24/7 behavioral‑health navigation, book appointments, handle insurance and transportation and create data to target gaps; a magistrate urged a nominal interlocal agreement to reduce out‑of‑county placements and costs.
Annette Ward presented Care Solace’s model to the Beaumont City Council, describing a 24/7 navigation service that matches residents to behavioral‑health providers, books appointments, helps resolve insurance and transportation barriers and tracks demographic and clinical data to identify service gaps. Ward said the platform aggregates local providers and offers a “warm hand‑off” for first responders and city staff.
Fred Jackson, speaking for Judge Branick, urged council to consider an interlocal agreement or memorandum of understanding that would let county and city partners buy into the service. Jackson described the local need he sees in mental‑health and criminal‑justice cases, saying the county currently transports many people out of the area for beds and that the cost to Jefferson County for those cases is “at least $4,600 for every case filed,” adding that, at that rate, the county expense could “run well in excess of $500,000 a year.” He said reducing out‑of‑county placements even partially could offset the cost of a local navigation service.
Ward and Care Solace representatives said the platform maintains a large national network, offers live translators in more than 200 languages, supports teletherapy and on‑site placements and can arrange transportation to initial appointments. Care Solace staff said roughly half of the individuals they match are uninsured or on Medicaid and that the platform captures clinical need, treatment type and demographic trends to help target interventions.
City staff introduced the presentation as follow‑up to a focus group with local partners including Lamar University and regional health providers. Jackson said the county’s commissioners’ court had received the presentation positively and that county funding could be considered in future budget hearings.
No formal funding or interlocal agreement was acted on during the meeting; Jackson asked staff to draft a memorandum of understanding showing the expected buy‑in for jurisdictions that want to participate. The council did not set a vote date on the item during the meeting.
