Texas grants over $295K to fund Uvalde County program for at-risk youth
AUSTIN, Texas - The state of Texas has awarded a grant of over $295,000 to the Uvalde County Juvenile Probation Department to fund a program to provide services for at-risk youth.
The $295,562 discretionary state aid grant will fund services for at-risk youth exhibiting emotional or behavioral problems at school who need additional help beyond school-based interventions during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, according to Gov. Greg Abbott's office.
The program is expected to serve 45 people each year and will help youth through cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and working with families to reach their kids early. The program will also set up preventative services, such as weekly sessions with families, and attendance check-ins with schools for the kids in the program.
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The program will also provide community-based counseling, skill building, and case coordination to kids on probation and those at risk of juvenile justice involvement due to truancy and behavioral problems at school or have siblings already involved in the justice system.
The program is also expected to work closely with schools to prevent kids from becoming involved in the justice system. Uvalde program staff will engage with public and private schools across the community and with school districts just outside the city, says the governor's office.