First Responder Mental Health Program, FY2026
Program owner: Texas Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office (PSO)
Summary: Texas funding for confidential mental-health, counseling, peer-support, crisis, and related victim services addressing duty-related trauma experienced by peace officers and other first responders.
The First Responder Mental Health Program supports eligible Texas entities providing confidential services to peace officers and other first responders affected by direct or indirect duty-related trauma. Eligible activities include crisis intervention, peer support, professional counseling, personal advocacy, referrals, and certain legal advocacy and therapeutic services.
Local law-enforcement offices must apply through an affiliated unit of government. Projects may not exceed 12 months, must begin on or after October 1, 2025, and must end by September 30, 2026. The application deadline was February 13, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CST.
Who is eligible?
Applicant types: Texas state agencies, units of local government, and educational institutions that operate eligible law-enforcement or first-responder agencies, including municipalities, counties, independent school districts, universities, public and private colleges and universities, community colleges, and hospital districts.
Applicants must operate a law-enforcement agency employing peace officers under Article 2.12 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and/or first responders under Section 421.095 of the Texas Government Code and seek to provide direct victim services to those personnel. Police departments must apply through their municipal government. Community supervision and corrections departments, district attorneys, and judicial districts must apply through an affiliated county government. Additional cybersecurity, criminal-history disposition reporting, UCR and Texas-specific reporting, immigration-enforcement certification, SAM registration, and UEI requirements apply as specified in the notice.
What can the funding be used for?
Crisis intervention, hotline counseling, safety planning, qualifying emergency legal assistance, personal advocacy, assessment of victims' needs, case management, referrals, emotional support, qualified traditional, cultural, or alternative therapy, public education about victim rights and services, peer-support groups, outpatient professional mental-health counseling, and legal advocacy related to proceedings arising from a crime. Required program services must be accessible to eligible peace-officer and first-responder personnel, which may include line officers, command staff, administrators, dispatchers, nonsworn personnel, and nearby law-enforcement personnel.
Restrictions
Prohibited uses include lobbying; active criminal investigation or prosecution other than allowable victim assistance; fundraising; capital improvements, construction, remodeling, real estate, and property-loss expenses; direct reimbursement or cash-like payments to victims; substance-abuse treatment other than an eligible general-counseling component; services to incarcerated individuals; medical training, medical care, and forensic medical evidence collection; transitional housing costs; vehicle leasing or purchases; research and studies; program income; voucher programs; promotional items; activities that may compromise victim safety; entertainment without a clear programmatic purpose and advance PSO approval; and other costs prohibited by law or the Guide to Grants. Grant-funded personnel may not conduct fitness-for-duty examinations or officer-involved-shooting investigations.
How to apply
Applicants were required to register and apply through the Texas Office of the Governor's eGrants system. PSO screens applications for compliance and reviews them based on eligibility, reasonableness, availability of funding, and cost-effectiveness. Priority is given to applicants that have received three years or less of continuation funding.
Required materials
As applicable, applicants must provide an authorizing resolution from the affiliated unit of government for a local law-enforcement application; the Cybersecurity Training Certification for State and Local Governments; the CEO/Law Enforcement Certifications and Assurances Form for covered local governments and institutions of higher education; the CEO/NGO Certifications and Assurances Form for covered nonprofit organizations; active SAM registration and an assigned UEI; and properly executed memoranda of understanding or mutual aid agreements for services not provided in-house.
Program contact
eGrants Help Desk
[email protected]
512-463-1919
Official sources
- Texas Office of the Governor eGrants checked September 15, 2026
Grant details can change. Confirm all requirements on the official source before applying.