John Cornyn Announces $11 Million for Texas Mental Health Programs

Senator John Cornyn (R) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded nearly $11 million to Texas to expand crisis intervention programs, strengthen behavioral health response efforts, and support specialized treatment courts across the state.

What funding was awarded?

Sen. Cornyn announced that the DOJ has awarded $10,973,066 in federal grant funding to the Texas Governor's Public Safety Office.

The funding will support state and local crisis intervention programs aimed at improving responses to behavioral health emergencies and addressing factors that contribute to violence.

How will the funding be used?

According to the announcement, the grant will help expand a variety of public safety and behavioral health initiatives, including:

• Behavioral health crisis response programs.
• Law enforcement training for behavioral health emergencies.
• Drug treatment courts.
• Mental health treatment courts.
• Veterans treatment courts.
• Specialized court-based programs designed to reduce risk factors associated with violence.

The funding is intended to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing mental health crises while enhancing public safety through evidence-based intervention strategies.

Where does the funding come from?

The grant was awarded through the Department of Justice's Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP).

The program was authorized under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation co-authored by Senator Cornyn, which was signed into law on June 25, 2022.

What Cornyn is saying

Sen. John Cornyn: "Evidence-backed crisis intervention and prevention programs reduce violence, enhance public safety, and improve outcomes for individuals facing mental health challenges."

Sen. Cornyn continued: "These resources will help train law enforcement in how to better respond to behavioral health crises and ensure drug, mental health, and veterans' treatment courts continue to have the resources they need to serve Texans and save lives."

The Bottom Line

Texas will receive nearly $11 million in federal funding to expand behavioral health crisis response programs, improve law enforcement training, and support specialized treatment courts aimed at reducing violence and improving outcomes for Texans experiencing mental health challenges.