The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD Accredited

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (The Harris Center) is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Authority for Harris County (the third most populous county in the US with its county seat, Houston, which is the fourth largest city in the US) with a governing board appointed by the Commissioners’ Court.

The Harris Center is responsible for the planning and delivery of behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities services to over 80,000 individuals per year while leading 2500 team members at 86 care locations with an annual budget of $305+ million. The organizational structure involves 4 primary divisions (Mental Health, Crisis Services, Forensic Services, and IDD Services) and also includes a foundation, and 4 permanent supportive housing complexes. Our continuum of care includes: Psychiatric Emergency Center (36 beds), Jail Diversion Center (38 bed), Crisis Respite (16 beds), Crisis Stabilization (16 beds), Crisis Residential (18 beds & 16 beds), Crisis Call Line (150,000 + calls with >50 counties of National Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls), 21 Law Enforcement Co-Responder teams, 18 Alternative 911 Response Teams, Homeless outreach teams, ACT/FACT Teams, multiple outpatient clinics for adults and adolescents, Offender/Re-Entry Clinics, diversion courts, Harris County Jail (4th largest jail in the country), primary care integrated into community mental health centers, Juvenile Detention Services, Dual Diagnosis Resident Treatment Program (140 beds), Detox targeted to Homeless persons (8 beds), Jail Diversion (36 beds), Hospital to Homes (34 beds), State Hospital Step Down Facility (10 beds), Peer Respite home (10 beds), Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams, 42 School based care locations, SUD treatment, IDD Home and Community Services, IDD Cottages, IDD Crisis & Respite, & ECI services. Additionally, The Harris Center is responsibility for over 50 community partner agencies contracted to provide a variety of service as well as utilization management of 350+ people in acute psychiatric inpatient beds throughout the state hospital system.