Our hearts are heavy with the tragedies that have happened in our community as a result of the flooding on July 4th. Here are some free mental health resources and other ways to gain support during this time.
We’ll keep this page updated as we learn about new mental health resources.
SAMHSA & 988 Lifeline
If you’re struggling with the emotional toll of this disaster, please remember that you’re not alone. Call SAMHSA at (800) 985-5990 or text 988 to connect with a trained mental health professional.
Free Counseling & Mental Health Support
Therapists from San Antonio, Houston, and Kerrville are set up to help anyone in the Hill Country alongside free virtual options. The K’Star Counseling Center and New Hope Counseling Center are two businesses in Kerrville offering free services to help anyone impacted by last week’s flooding.
The Greater Houston Healing Collaborative is getting ready to come to Hunt, Kerrville, and Ingram to give free in-person support and counseling. If you can’t make it in person, the Institute of Spirituality and Health out of Houston is offering free virtual sessions.
Ingram Independent School District is also offering mental health support and resources Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm at Ingram Elementary. If staff members, parents, or children need assistance, please stop by.
Peer-to-Peer Support Groups
Preston Kinikin, a certified first responder chaplain and former military and law enforcement officer, is encouraging the communities around the first responders amid the devastation to create peer-to-peer support groups.
In San Antonio, he created Warriors of Ramoth, where military and first responders create a safe space to talk about the trauma they experience. He says families should look for signs of PTSD in the first responders in the next few weeks and months. He offers the following list of resources available to first responders in Texas.
Disaster Distress Helpline
The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7/365 free and confidential multilingual emotional support to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Alamo Workforce Solutions personnel are available to process unemployment daily from 7am to 7pm at the Kerrville Career Center starting immediately. They will also be assisting with all other agency funding applications (SBA, FEMA, LiftFund, etc).
1099 workers are now included in this benefit and can apply for unemployment assistance. Individuals affected by the flood can apply for benefits online through the Unemployment Benefit Services or by calling TWC at (800) 939-6631 between 8am and 6pm Monday through Friday.
For Providers: Free Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) 101 Course
Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development TCU is offering free access to their Trust-Based Relational Intervention 101 course to those in Central Texas who have been impacted by the recent flooding disaster.
This is a self-paced, online learning experience that introduces the basic principles of TBRI and provides practical tools for building safety, connection, and empowerment with children who have experienced adversity, trauma, or loss.
How to Navigate Conversations with Children
We also encourage you to talk to children about traumatic events. This article from the nonprofit Eluna can help you approach those conversations with your kids or other youth in your life.
Eluna’s mission is to support children, teens, and families impacted by grief or addiction.
Stay Informed with “Kerr Together” Site
Kerr Together is your central location for Kerr County disaster information and resources. It’s a united organization of Kerr Economic Development Corporation (KerrEDC), City of Kerrville, Kerr County, Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB), Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce, Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau (KCVB), and the West Kerr Chamber of Commerce.
They’ll continue to gather official sources of information and help organize structured relief efforts. Here’s the page for those who are looking for help.
