High Plains Mental Health details Crisis Intervention Center opening, launches 'Be There' outreach

High Plains Mental Health Center told the Ellis County Commission that its Crisis Intervention Center (CIC) is scheduled to open May 4, with a public open house set for April 16 and a ribbon cutting April 30.

Greg Poe, representing High Plains, said the CIC is designed to provide short, intensive care — a three‑day stay that can be extended by judicial or clinical authority — and to reduce pressure on state hospitals. “We're not gonna provide clinical services at a coffee shop, but we will provide conversation, encourage people to talk more,” Poe said, describing a parallel outreach effort called the 'Be There' campaign to reduce mental‑health stigma across 20 counties. Poe told commissioners the state has provided a $3,000,000 operating contribution for the current fiscal year and that county and state funding will be tapped to serve uninsured or underinsured patients.

Poe also described access and staffing plans: the CIC will allow voluntary walk‑ins via a main entrance on 7th Street and a secure back entrance for law‑enforcement or coordinated drop‑offs; the center is expected to stabilize demand for higher‑level beds by serving people who otherwise would wait in hospitals or jails. He said hiring remains active and that staffing was expected to increase substantially over the coming weeks. The center’s opening timeline, funding structure, and outreach plans were the core requests and assurances presented to the board. The commission did not take an action vote on the program at this meeting.