Mental health program for Texas first responders launches

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) recently launched a program to support vital mental health programs for Texas first responders. A federal grant of $497,066 was championed by U.S. Congressman Troy Nehls (R‐TX‐22) as part of the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act and was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a TEEX news release stated. Through this program, TEEX has developed “Support that Saves: A Guide to Building and Sustaining Peer Support.” In this three‐day class, TEEX experts assess the peer‐support mental health program needs of first responder agencies and departments and provide recommendations and assistance in developing mental health peer support teams of their own. In March, TEEX hosted the first delivery of this program for law enforcement, firefighters and dispatchers from first responder agencies in Fort Bend County, Texas. The grant funding will also be used to establish TEEX's Wellness and Counseling Center in College Station. The center will provide first responders with professional mental health counseling services using evidence‐based practices to improve overall mental health and well‐being. At the center, licensed counselors will also train other mental health professionals in providing trauma‐informed care to first responders.