Austin ISD elementary students have just become the first in Texas to receive nearly $4.5 million from the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor for mental health services.

The grant, derived from the Victims of Crime Assistance Act of 1984, is aimed toward victims of crime and their families, according to a press release from the district.

"This grant will help ensure that these young students' lives are not defined by the crimes they have experienced but with the right help move on to be happy and productive," Gov. Greg Abbott said.

Twenty-two elementary campuses will each have two staff members to deliver the therapeutic services, the release said. The schools include Andrews, Blazier, Blanton, Casey, Cook, Guerrero-Thompson, Harris, Jordan, Kocurek, Langford, McBee, Menchaca, Norman, Overton, Palm, Padron, Pecan Springs, Perez, Lucy Read Pre-K, Sims, Wooldridge and Wooten.

"By providing mental health services on campus, we are able to identify, support, and efficiently provide clinical treatment for our students experiencing a variety of issues," said Tracy Spinner, AISD assistant director of comprehensive health services.

Schools included in the program fall within the "East Austin crescent" pattern of high child maltreatment, identified in a 2012 study by Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas and Children's Optimal Health. Children in the area often reside in high-crime neighborhoods, where lack of transportation and challenges navigating social services are not uncommon.

AISD already offers mental health services at 18 middle and high school districtwide—infrastructure that will help to support the addition of these services, the release stated.

At a Dec. 18 meeting, trustees approved an 18-month contract with Vida Clinic LLC to provide the services, which will include victim identification, therapeutic services and teacher professional development.