Home of the Spurs, San Antonio is a city of over 1.3 million residents¹. Located in Bexar County, in the south central region of Texas, this bustling area welcomes approximately 26 million tourists every year for sporting events, cultural experiences, and other forms of family fun. Some come to remember the Alamo, while others spend time in the area to enjoy Six Flags or Sea World. The city also becomes a home away from home for students attending one of several institutions of higher education, including Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.

Mental Health Statistics
The Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported that in 2010, 15.8% of San Antonio area residents experienced more than five days of poor mental health in any given month². Nearly 27,000 adult women and just over 20,000 adult males in Bexar County have some type of mental impairment; 612 adults were in residential treatment centers and 517 adults were in psychiatric hospitals or other psychiatric inpatient facilities in 2010. From 2000 through 2006, there were 100.2 suicides for every 1 million residents³, a figure that falls below the state average.

San Antonio Pursues Resilience and Excellence
Designed to meet the needs of all area residents, the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District⁴ offers a wealth of information and resources via local sites and the internet. Residents can learn positive health behaviors, improve their physical and mental health, and connect with medical professionals, community volunteers, and nonprofit organizations to get the help they need to stay physically and mentally fit.

One of the city's strengths is the San Antonio State Hospital (SASH), which provides comprehensive services to all area residents. The facility offers psychiatric and psychological services that allow residents and family members easy access to the care they need. The staff works to ensure all patients receive appropriate care and that their mental health care needs are advocated and fulfilled. SASH develops individualized plans of care so that residents can resume normal activities in a timely manner. By offering a broad range of services and working under the direction of the Texas Department of State Health Services, SASH allows those most in need to receive the maximum level of care to address their mental health issues⁵.

The vision of the State's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division (MHSA) is “Hope, Resilience, and Recovery for Everyone.” This vision has been embraced by all departments dedicated to mental well-being in the region, and employees, affiliates, and partners in care are focused on helping San Antonio area residents gain hope, achieve resiliency, and find recovery for all of their mental health and substance abuse issues. With that goal in mind, the name of the Resiliency and Disease Management department of the Texas mental health division was changed to reflect the new focus: since 2012, the department has been called Texas Resilience and Recovery, and it continues to serve children and adults with emotional and mental needs⁶.

¹ State & county quickfacts, San Antonio, Texas. (2016). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanantoniocitytexas,US/PST045216

² Texas Department of State Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. (2013). BRFSS Risk Factor Data Table Lookup. Retrieved from http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/Layouts/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=35474

³ City-Data.com. (2013). Bexar County, Texas (TX). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/county/Bexar_County-TX.html

⁴ City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. (2013). About Us. Retrieved from http://www.sanantonio.gov/health/About-Us.html

⁵ Texas Department of State Health Services. (2013). San Antonio State Hospital, Mission, Vision and Values. Retrieved from http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhhospitals/SanAntonioSH/SASH_Goals.shtm

⁶ Texas Department of State Health Services. (2013). Texas Resilience and Recovery (formerly RDM): The Mental Health System Redesigned. Retrieved from http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhsa/trr/