FY22-23 State of Texas Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Formula)

The firearm mortality rate in Texas has continued to increase over recent years with over 4,000 firearm related deaths reported in 2020 which is an increase of 30% since 2015. In 2019, 61% of all firearm deaths in Texas were due to suicide. The Public Safety Office (PSO) of the Office of the Governor proposes to use its FY 2022–2023 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) funds to support state and local crisis intervention programs and initiatives that effectively support a whole community approach to violence reduction across the state, including expansion of behavioral health crisis response initiatives and specialized court-based programs that target the risk factors that are likely to lead to violence. Additionally, PSO will form a Crisis Intervention Advisory Board to inform and help guide Texas’ Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) and funding priorities. Grant funds may be used to provide additional personnel; crisis intervention programs; reentry and violence prevention programs; software, or other forms of technology needed for threat assessment programs; case management and information-sharing solutions; and specialized training for court, behavioral health, and law enforcement personnel. PSO anticipates the outcome will result in reduced recidivism, a reduction in crime and violence, and an improvement in responses to behavioral health crises leading to a reduction in the number of mental health related emergency calls resulting in arrests.