FEMA Authorized To Expand Crisis Counseling Grants for COVID-19 Response
Plain and simple, COVID-19 is scary. Worries about the multitude of deaths caused by the pandemic, along with the uncertainties related to the virus and its impact on our daily lives can often be too much to handle for many individuals. Therefore, it’s only fitting that the White House recently issued a memorandum authorizing federal assistance under the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for states issuing major disaster declarations related to COVID-19.
The Crisis Counseling program (Assistance Listing No. 97.032), which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides grants to states to assist individuals and communities in recovering from the challenging effects of natural and human-caused disasters through the provision of community-based outreach and psycho-educational services. Services provided under the program involve assisting disaster survivors in understanding their current situations and reactions, mitigating additional stress, assisting survivors in reviewing their options, promoting the use or development of coping strategies, providing emotional support and encouraging linkages with other individuals and agencies who may help survivors recover to their pre-disaster level of functioning.
In an April 28 memorandum, President Trump used authorities under Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207, to enable FEMA to make available crisis counseling assistance and training services to states, territories and Indian tribes where COVID-19 pandemic-related disasters were declared prior to memorandum date, and where (1) the total number of cases of COVID-19 exceeds 5,000 within the state or territory; or (2) the total of number of cases of COVID-19 exceeds 1,000 per 1 million of the state or territory’s population.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 is stressful for many people,” FEMA stated in a May 2 fact sheet about the new program authorities. “Fear and anxiety about a pandemic can cause strong emotions in adults and children.” FEMA will assess whether state governors requesting COVID-19 crisis counseling have provided “sufficient justification” to support the provision of such services within the state.
FEMA added that this new delegation of authority does not affect the Crisis Counseling program’s usual grant application and review process. State, tribal and territorial governments have 14 days from the date Individual Assistance was designated on the major disaster declaration to submit the Immediate Services Program grant application, and 60 days after the date Individual Assistance was designated on the major disaster to submit the Regular Services Program grant application.
Mental health is just as important as physical health so we support this new authorization.
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