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FEMA awards $122M to Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce

The federal agency approved funding for extensive repairs to the facility.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated more than $122 million to the Mental Health and Anti-addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA, in Spanish) to repair the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce. The facility provides medical-legal evaluations for people with mental disorders who have been processed by the Puerto Rico criminal justice system.

“This hospital is vital in the evaluation of people with mental health conditions, and it is essential that it operates in optimal conditions to provide adequate care. With this funding allocation, FEMA reaffirms its commitment to the recovery of specialized facilities that provide essential services to mental health patients,” said Al Gómez-Rivera, director of FEMA’s Infrastructure Division.

The Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce evaluates individuals with potential mental disorders who are facing criminal proceedings and require a determination of their competence — their ability to understand the proceedings against them and cooperate with their defense — by a doctor specializing in psychiatry. It is the only facility in Puerto Rico with an area exclusively for women.

ASSMCA operates two facilities in Puerto Rico to provide treatment and housing for mental health patients facing or awaiting judicial proceedings: the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Río Piedras, with a capacity for approximately 100 male patients, and the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce, the largest on the island, with a capacity of 125 spaces, including 26 for women and 99 for men. The minimum age for admission is 18 years old.

To ensure the well-being of patients, it is vital for the hospital to have backup systems for essential drinking water and electricity services, FEMA said.

To that end, FEMA included in the hospital’s repairs the installation of a potable water cistern, a power generator and a backup power generator. The construction project has completed certain phases, such as upgrades to the building’s electrical infrastructure, lighting, security gates and air conditioning systems.

The provision of Section 20601 of the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, which applies to Puerto Rico, allowed FEMA to maximize federal assistance through the Public Assistance program.

In addition to repairing infrastructure damaged by Hurricane María, FEMA approved more than $8 million for mitigation measures to protect the structure from similar damage. These measures include installing a photovoltaic system to prevent damage caused by power overloads and fluctuations.

The building’s doors and windows will also be reinforced with storm shutters, anchors and systems to protect the infrastructure from rainwater infiltration and hurricane-force winds.

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