Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Thursday survivors of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs would receive millions in grant funding to support their recovery.
Abbott's office said $2.3 million in funding will be distributed to six agencies who will assist residents of Sutherland Springs and the surrounding areas with community resiliency and recovery programs that include counseling, mental health screenings, education and legal assistance.
Services provided by the grant include:
- $550,000 to University of Texas at San Antonio to coordinate and house two types of counseling services. One to contract with the Children's Bereavement Center to serve children and their families. The second to provide adult services (primary, secondary, vicarious) through trauma specialists and counselors.
- $268,000 to the Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas to provide licensed mental health clinicians for mental health screenings, case management, psychological education for the children and families.
- $550,000 to the Ecumenical Center to provide licensed mental health clinicians for mental health screenings, case management, psychological education and will continue mental health services if requested by residents.
- $500,000 for Floresville ISD which has had an influx of traumatized children from Sutherland Springs. They will provide ongoing victim services for students and faculty in their district.
- $15,000 for the San Antonio Bar Association to provide legal assistance to victims that need help with wills, estates, probate, and child custody.
- $450,000 to the Camino Real Mental Health Authority currently serving as Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA). They will provide recovery coordination and liaison services for activities performed by the above stated entities, as well as Targeted referrals from the existing hotline, licensed counseling and case management for new and existing clients.
"The act of pure evil inflicted on the faithful people of Sutherland Springs on Nov. 5, 2017 will deeply affect the community, especially the surviving victims, for the rest of their lives," said Abbott. "That is why it is so important that we continue to offer any necessary support to our fellow Texans still suffering from this tragedy. I hope these services will provide some relief and comfort for those Texans that need it the most."
