A proposed 24/7 mental health and jail diversion center for Denton County moved a step closer to reality Friday, Aug. 7, when the Denton City Council voted unanimously to join a 15-partner funding coalition that includes neighboring Lewisville.
Neither Flower Mound nor Highland Village has signed on.
The effort has a direct Flower Mound connection: state Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) tried to secure state funding for a Denton County diversion center during the 89th Texas Legislative Session in 2025, but the Texas Health and Human Services Commission told his office the community needed a completed study first. That requirement is now driving the local coalition to fund the strategic plan on its own.
The plan, being developed by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, carries a $75,000 price tag. Denton County committed $45,000, United Way of Denton County is contributing $10,000, and the City of Denton added its own $10,000 on Friday. Lewisville, Lakewood Village, Oak Point, Bartonville and Hickory Creek have also signed on as municipal partners, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. Other partners include Texas Health Resources, Medical City Lewisville, Denton County MHMR, Recovery Resource Council and several other healthcare and education organizations.
What the center would do
Nearly 1 in 5 new bookings at the Denton County Jail involve people charged with low-level, nonviolent offenses, many tied to untreated mental health conditions or housing instability, according to Denton Director of Community Services Jesse Kent, who presented the proposal to the council.
The proposed facility would operate around the clock, offering intake, mental health evaluations, medical triage, case management and service navigation. Stays would range from six hours to 11 days, redirecting people away from jail and into short-term stabilization.
Kent described the types of charges involved as "low acuity" offenses such as criminal trespass and illegal cannabis possession.
Timeline and next steps
The strategic plan is expected to be finalized in November 2026 and presented to the 90th Texas Legislature in January 2027 to secure construction funding.
United Way of Denton County President Gary Henderson, who is serving as fiscal agent for the project, told the council the coalition is prepared for either outcome. "If that doesn't work, then we try it again," Henderson said at the Friday meeting. "We have the strategic plan already in place. So, then, it just becomes a matter of finding the pathway to implementation."
Denton council member George Ferrie voted yes but flagged a capacity concern that has gone unanswered since the pilot was first approved in April: with only five medical respite beds available in Denton, where do diverted individuals go when those beds are full?
The plan originated from Denton County's Behavioral Health and Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team, which approved the pilot at an April 2026 meeting. No physical site for the center has been identified.
