Grant Program Announced To Assist Veterans With Mental Health Support

AUSTIN — The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has announced it will award up to $10 million in grant funds to 20 community collaboratives located across the state to assist Texas veterans and their families struggling with mental health issues.

These grant funds, awarded as part of HHSC’s Texas Veterans + Family Alliance grant program, are intended to improve the quality of life of Texas veterans and their families by supporting local Texas communities across the state to expand the availability of, increase access to, and enhance the delivery of mental health treatment and services.

The program was established by Sen. Jane Nelson’s Senate Bill 55, which provides $20 million in state funds over the 2016-2017 biennium to be matched with local and private funds by grantees demonstrating commitment to addressing mental health needs of veterans and families living in their communities. 

“As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I am a big believer in this program because it brings the state, local organizations, and the private sector together to meet the specific needs of veterans in their communities. These grant projects are going to make it easier for veterans and their families to access the mental health services they need,” Sen. Nelson said.

Projecting to serve more than 10,000 veterans and family members in total with grant-supported services, the following organizations have been selected as apparent awardees and will begin providing services pending execution of contracts:

• Andrews Center – proposing to serve Henderson, Rains, Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties
• Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Plainview Lodge #1175 – proposing to serve Bailey, Briscoe, Castro, Floyd, Hale, Lamb, Motley, Parmer and Swisher counties
• Bluebonnet Trails Community Services – proposing to serve Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Lee and Williamson counties
• City of Houston – proposing to serve Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jefferson, Montgomery, Orange, Walker and Waller counties
• Dallas Metrocare Services – Equine – proposing to serve Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant counties
• Dallas Metrocare Services – Expansion – proposing to serve Archer, Baylor, Callahan, Camp, Clay, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Henderson, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Titus, Van Zandt, Wise, Wood and Young counties
• Dallas Metrocare Services – Traumatic Brain Injury – proposing to serve Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties
• Easter Seals Central Texas – proposing to serve Bastrop, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties
• Ecumenical Center – proposing to serve Bee, Nueces and San Patricio counties
• Family Endeavors, Inc. – proposing to serve Bell, Burnet, Coryell, Falls, Lampasas, McLennan, Milam and Williamson counties
• Mental Health America of Greater Tarrant County – proposing to serve Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties
• MHMR Services for the Concho Valley – proposing to serve Coke, Concho, Crockett, Irion, McCulloch, Reagan, Schleicher, Sterling and Tom Green counties
• Resource Recovery Council – proposing to serve Cooke, Denton, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties
• Scott & White Memorial Hospital – proposing to serve Bell, Coryell, Hill, McLennan, Travis and Williamson counties
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – proposing to serve Bailey, Borden, Castro, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Parmer, Swisher, Terry and Yoakum counties
• United Way of Denton County – proposing to serve Denton County
• University of Texas at Austin – proposing to serve Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Grimes, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Llano, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, Washington and Williamson counties
• University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth – proposing to serve Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties
• University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Project – proposing to serve Anderson, Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bowie, Brazos, Brewster, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Caldwell, Cameron, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Cochran, Coke, Comal, Concho, Cooke, Crane, Crosby, Dawson, Delta, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmitt, Duval, Ector, Edwards, Ellis, El Paso, Fannin, Fayette, Franklin, Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Grayson, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Hale, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hockley, Hopkins, Howard, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Jones, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, Lamar, Lamb, La Salle, Lee, Leon, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Mario, Martin, Maverick, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Midland, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nueces, Panola, Pecos, Potter, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Rusk, San Patricio, Scurry, Smith, Starr, Sterling, Taylor, Terry, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Upshur, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wood, Yoakum, Zapata and Zavala counties
• University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio – Strong Star – proposing to serve Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Cameron, Chambers, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fort Bend, Frio, Galveston, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, LaSalle, Lee, Liberty, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, McCulloch, Medina, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, San Saba, Somervell, Starr, Tarrant, Travis, Uvalde, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson and Wise counties

Veterans and family members seeking assistance and services should contact the service provider directly.

For more information on accessing behavioral health services in Texas, please visit https://MentalHealthTX.org/.

For more information on services for Texas veterans, families, and their survivors please visit https://veterans.portal.texas.gov/.  For immediate assistance, please call 2-1-1 or (800) 252-VETS. 

Veterans and family members can also access services on their smartphones through the Texas Veterans App.  The app can be downloaded by using the search feature in the Google Play or the App Store or at these links:

• Texas Veterans App for iPhones: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/texas-veterans-app/id838440993
• Texas Veterans App for Android phones: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hhsc.texasveteransmobile
  

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