San Antonio City Council on Sept. 1 agreed to set aside $26 million in COVID-19 relief funds to bolster city services and support community partners dedicated to improving local residents mental health.

According to city officials, the city is directing the money from its total allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds over two years to aid a variety of communities significantly affected by coronavirus outbreak.

City officials said the release of a mental health survey last spring showed that the pandemic exacerbated existing socioeconomic struggles, and that there was an increase in emergency department visits for all mental health emergencies, including suspected suicide attempts nationwide.

City officials also noted based on recent community input from local senior citizens, there is a desire for more programming, activities and other socializing opportunities for San Antonio's older population.

“People of all ages have gone through a long period of disruption through the COVID-19 pandemic. Through public input meetings, provider and stakeholder feedback sessions, and input from school districts as well as faith leaders, there was a clear consensus that investments in mental health were needed across the community,” City Manager Erik Walsh said.

Of the $26 million, $22.75 million in ARPA money will be made available through a competitive request for proposal process to support four types of community members and initiatives:

• Youth, $15 million: access to mental health for youth ages 12 to 19, Project Worth Teen Ambassador and Stand Up SA programs, developmental disorder diagnostic services and family plan development for children up to age 6
• Older adults, $5 million: assistance to navigate mental health programs, social interaction activities and programs, caregiver program services and coaching
• Support for people experiencing homelessness, $5 million: chronic unsheltered homeless veterans, youth aging out of the foster care system
• Collaboration, $1 million: establish framework for upstream systems and organizations, recommend central phone number to respond to pre-crisis calls, education campaign evaluation of the state’s new 988 mental health hotline

Eligible local nonprofit, faith-based and noncity public agencies will be notified of the process and will be encouraged to submit a proposal beginning Sept. 9. Contracts will be awarded early in 2023, city officials said.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health Director Claude Jacob said these efforts to use COVID-19 relief funding to improve local mental health outcomes aligns with the city’s SA Forward plan, which identified the city’s public health priorities and supports mental health initiatives that contribute to healthier, safer communities.

“We are ready to get to work to provide these critical resources in order to support residents during these uncertain times,” he said.

Deputy City Manager María Villagómez said most of the city’s mental health care improvements are aimed at senior citizens who cope with anxiety, depression and social isolation and at youths who struggle with similar feelings that have been compounded by the pandemic’s effects on schooling and social gatherings in the last two years.

Villagómez said the city is looking at other ways to better serve local older residents, such as extending hours of the city’s comprehensive senior centers.

Some council members said using COVID-19 relief money is one part of a larger ongoing mission to aid residents who are struggling with mental health challenges.

“There are still many things we can’t address, but we hope to begin addressing some things with these funds,” Council Member Ana Sandoval said.

Council Member Melissa Cabello Havrda, chair of the council's public safety committee, which was tasked with building the ARPA funds framework, said these funds are meant to assist individuals fighting to recover from the pandemic’s effects. However, she added, it is important for the city to also consider the causes behind mental health battles.

“As stewards of public safety, the community’s front-line mental health workers cannot simply react to crises; the community needs to look at the causes of emergencies before services are needed and consider the care and treatment needed after an emergency call is placed,” Cabello Havrda said.

Representatives of organizations providing mental health care services said using COVID-19 relief funds to support their outreach efforts is a positive thing.

But Doug Beach, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness San Antonio, said more needs to be done with proactive, preventive measures to help at-risk residents, particularly homeless individuals battling mental health issues or people who are on the brink of becoming homeless because of their mental challenges.

“Reaching people before their illness becomes a crisis saves lives and improves outcomes,” Beach said.

City officials said the plan to use ARPA money to augment local mental health care services will also spell out desired outcomes and metrics.