Adult Medical Services are provided to all detainees housed in the 4,294 bed Bexar County Adult Detention Center and Annex. The detainees range in age from 14 to 85 at present and have charges ranging from traffic tickets and child support problems to Capital Murder. Most are awaiting trial. Many do not have adequate medical care prior to arrest and few have sufficient funds to afford bond.
Adult Services consists of;
Medical Care
Medical care is provided to all detainees by a staff of contracted physicians, mid-level providers, nurses, social workers, mental heath counselors and support personnel under the direction of a medical director. They see a wide variety of diseases, including problems secondary to extreme substance abuse, such as including liver and kidney problems, diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders. Late stage HIV positive+ persons with the AIDS Syndrome are frequently found in these settings.
The TB Testing programs cover 50,000 detainees annually as well as the Bexar County Sheriff's Deputies, civilian staff and volunteers.
There are approximately 450 female detainees, of whom 25 are pregnant at any one time. Some have high-risk pregnancies due to substance abuse and lack of prenatal care. There are also many with various other mental and medical problems, such as liver failure and psychosis.
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Dental Care
Dental Care is required to relieve any pain and suffering and to allow the patient to eat nutritious meals. Dental Care in the Adult Detention Center is provided in two-two chair dental clinics. The dental staff sees a variety of what could be described as teaching cases due to the significant dental problems encountered. The staff performs exams, takes x-rays, does extractions and fillings, and conducts oral hygiene programs.
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Psychiatric and Mental Health Care
The mental health staff provides crisis and routine care to approximately 10% or 400 mentally ill detainees daily.
- The mental health staff offers around the clock screening and assessment for mental illness, substance abuse and other problems 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They also provide individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and referral services to inmates throughout the jail.
- The mental health staff counsels and assists inmates who are depressed and suicidal, emotionally disturbed or exhibiting psychotic symptoms. Suicidal inmates are housed in the Suicide Prevention Unit, a unique setting fully staffed by medical and security personnel. The mental health and other medical staff helps everyone work together to prevent suicides in the jail through counseling and monitoring.
Mental Health Services also operates Project Recovery, an educational substance abuse treatment program for chemically dependent inmates. Here, professionally trained social workers and counselors provide assistance to detainees and their families with issues that may arise during incarceration. Advocacy is provided for detainees with the criminal justice system. Post- release services are coordinated with local community resources.
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Adult Nursing Care
In 2007, approximately 75,611 individuals were booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. Those who are not bonded out in a few hours are medically and mentally screened by nursing and mental health staff.
Nursing personnel work in three areas:
- Screening and Treatment: The screening nurse obtains a medical history and identifies medical problems during the booking process, while the treatment nurse performs physician ordered treatments.
- The medication nurse delivers medications to the detainees in their living units.
- The four inpatient nursing units include a 39 bed male infirmary at the main jail, a 26 bed female infirmary at the Annex, an 18 bed mental health unit for the most unstable mental patients and a 10 bed male suicide observation unit.
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Pharmacy
A hospital licensed pharmacy, located on the third floor of the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, fills some 650 prescriptions daily. The Pharmacy also supports the juvenile facilities.
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