Travis County officials today dedicated a new $3.4 million building in Del Valle that will expand the capacity of the inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation program run by the adult probation department.
The 72-bed building, near the Travis County Correctional Complex on FM 973, expands the capacity of the county SMART program to 116. Participants are ordered by judges to attend the program as part of their probation and typically remain in the residential portion for five months, said Geraldine Nagy, director of the adult probation department.
“People can be successful,” Nagy told dozens gathered in the building parking lot this morning. “We can change lives.”
SMART, which stands for Supervised Management and Rehabilitation Treatment, is designed to reduce recidivism by helping offenders live drug and alcohol free, to change their thinking to avoid criminal behavior and to teach them job skills. The county also contracts with outside groups to provide additional rehabilitation options.
“We know that substance abuse, if treated, makes a great difference not only for the client, but for the health and safety of our community,” said County Judge Sam Biscoe.
Officials noted that treating substance abuse saves money in the long run on incarceration and other costs.
The 18,000-square-foot building has many environmentally friendly features and is expected to receive silver certification, the third highest, from the U.S. Green Building Council’s green building program.
Photovoltaic panels provide more than 10 percent of the building’s electrical needs, low-flow water fixtures are installed and products with low or no volatile organic compounds were used throughout project, said Roger El Khoury, director of facilities management for the county. He said that 87 percent of construction waste was recycled or diverted away from the landfill.
Residents will begin moving into the building in the next couple of weeks, said Lila Oshatz, who oversees the SMART program.
