By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
An emergency grant of $150,000 was announced today for the state of Texas as part of a $600,000 package of funding for Gulf Coast region states dealing with mental health assessment and crisis counseling for those impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the funding as Texas offers refuge and a variety of services to the remainder of the more than 200,000 evacuees from the hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast.
Leavitt said Texas state officials have identified their being able to provide methadone medications and related activities as the state's highest priority need relative to mental health needs of the affected evacuees. The state is using U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funds to support existing methadone providers to allow for services to evacuees in shelters.
Other states named for these Emergency Response Grants by Leavitt include Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
These grants, which are made available immediately, allow state and local political jurisdictions to provide services even though their own resources may be overburdened. The states were asked to identify their highest priority need in mental health and substance abuse in seeking the grant funds.
SAMHSA processed the award to Louisiana in 24 hours, said Leavitt, and is prepared to provide rapid turn-around to the other three states when applications are received.
"It is just as important to deal with the emotional and psychological wounds of this crisis as it is to care for the physical wounds," Leavitt said. "These emergency funds will help ensure that the victims of Hurricane Katrina - and those who have come to their aid - will receive the counseling they need to cope with the aftermath of this disaster."
The other grant recipients are:
Louisiana: $200,000 grant to provide counseling to disaster workers and first responders, including fire fighters, police, shelter staff, rescue and recovery workers and others. The state of Louisiana will create a team of behavioral health specialists to evaluate and assess patients, provide medication management, brief interventions, referrals to longer-term treatment, education and group interventions and also staff a 24-hour call in number.
Alabama: $100,000 grant to create a pool of funding to support clinical assessments and immediate direct services such as psychiatric services, nursing services, medications, brief interventions, crisis case management and short-term residential support.
Mississippi: $150,000 grant for behavioral health expenses related to emergency support for populations in mental health treatment facilities in the southern parts of the state, including overtime staffing, technical support for an emergency operations center, transportation expenses for a relief team, and emergency food and supplies.
SAMHSA also has established a toll-free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of this disaster. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis counseling centers across the country and will receive counseling from trained staff who will assist them in getting the mental health service they need. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
More news links and relief effort resources from KERA
More coverage of the health care crisis in Texas on KERA's Life in the Balance page