County mental health and behavioral health authorities have received a boost for counseling services after an injection of federal funds.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced May 6 that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received $5.8 million in federal aid dollars to provide crisis counseling services to Texans.

The funding is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Immediate Services Crisis Counseling and Training Program, according to a May 6 news release from the governor’s office.

"As Texas continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working to provide Texans with access to the mental and emotional support resources they need,” Abbott said in the May 6 news release.

The federal funds will now be distributed to 31 mental health and behavioral health authorities across the state, such as Integral Care in Travis County or the Harris Center in Harris County.

These authorities will then work to connect residents to short-term counseling services, including emotional support services, referrals to other disaster agencies and connecting residents to appropriate resources and agencies.

The services rendered through this grant are expected to reach 260,000 residents across Texas, the governor’s office stated in its news release.

Texans looking for additional resources are advised to visit the Health and Human Services website for mental health and substance use resources, found here. Residents can additionally dial 2-1-1 for more information about programs and services.