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San Antonio behavioral health patients, employees face murky future amid closure of multiple facilities

On World Mental Health Awareness Day, Nix Health confirmed it will close a Vance Jackson location, a month after announcing the same fate for its downtown facility.

SAN ANTONIO — As World Mental Health Awareness Day arrives, concerns about mental health in San Antonio are worsening. 

"I know the risk, I am aware of the risk—I am willing to take it," said Tyler Morris, a psychiatric nurse at Nix Health who says he is fearful for the patients they serve now that two locations are shutting down. "You are talking about 100 beds that are not available. So these patients are going to have nowhere to go. They will to go into emergency rooms; there will be a lot of overflow and traffic."

Morris said at least one patient told him, as recently as Wednesday night, that he relies on the Nix Behavior Health Center for psychiatric needs. Now, he doesn't know where he'll go. 

Over the summer it was announced that the Nix Downtown Medical Center would close due to a decline in demand for the services it offers. Morris said most employees weren't aware their jobs were in jeopardy; more than 500 of them are scrambling to find out what's next. 

RELATED: Nix Downtown Medical Center is closing; 585 employees out of work

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RELATED: Today we recognize World Mental Health Day

On Thursday KENS 5 confirmed Nix Health is shutting down a second location in the city on Vance Jackson, leaving nearly 160 people without a job. 

"Everyone is just really scared and fearful for the future," Morris said. 

Company officials say they've organized job fairs to help employees during their transition, but the outlook for patients is murkier. Nix Health says the Vance Jackson location "will cease operations within the next 30 days," adding patients will be transferred to another behavioral health center on Babcock Road.

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