Gov. Abbott orders health authorities to provide mental health services to all Uvalde children

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stressed the importance of providing access to mental health services for the children of Uvalde.
• The governor instructed health authorities to work with families and provide all available resources to anyone who needs support.
• Education Secretary Miguel Cardona added that the School Emergency Response to Violence program offers “every available” resource.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter to the state’s Health and Human Services Commission on Wednesday instructing them to provide mental health services to every child in Uvalde in the wake of last month’s tragedy.

The shooting at Robb Elementary, which killed 19 children and two adults, has left the tight-knit community shaken and distressed.

Abbott’s letter to HHSC Commissioner Cecile Young read, “As these families begin to rebuild their lives, it is essential that the children of Uvalde have access to mental health treatment. I am asking that you use all available resources to work with families to provide behavioral health services to every child in Uvalde who desires support.”

Several individuals and organizations, both public and private, have also pitched in to help the Uvalde community recover. 

According to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the federal government’s School Emergency Response to Violence program also offers “every available” resource on the ground.

Cardona stated, “I spent the formative part of my career in a Connecticut elementary school. I will never forget the ripple effect of fear and heartbreak that spread among students and teachers in the aftermath of the horrific Sandy Hook shooting.”

Columbine shooting survivor Kacey Johnson previously talked about his ordeal in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Johnson, who hid beneath a table during the 1999 shooting that killed 13 people, said, “It is a hard life to step into. [N]obody wants to be in the ‘school shooting club.’ [Y]ou are just thrown in without asking. Everything changes, and your old normal can never exist again.” 

According to a 2020 study by Stanford University, antidepressant use increased by 21.4% among adolescents who resided near schools where mass shootings took place.

Source: FOX News