News and Events

WACO, TX – The Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network has Pandemic Emergency Assistance Funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF-PEAF) program to address housing and supplemental needs of families who have been financially impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Eligibility for funding includes:

• Families with limited incomes who might also be receiving public assistance, such as food stamps.
• Families must have a dependent child under the age of eighteen.
• Someone in the family must have a mental health diagnosis, a verified substance use disorder, or be diagnosed with an intellectual disability or autism.

Eligibility for these funds also requires the need be short-term in nature and specifically related to COVID.

“For example, the single mother in a family lost a job due to the COVID shut down. Rental payments were missed for three months and even though she returned to work, she is behind in rent those three months. The property owner is threatening eviction. TANF-PEAF funds can be awarded to pay back rent for those three months,” said Vince Erickson, spokesperson for the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network.

“If a family believes they are eligible for these funds and a member of the family is a currently one of our consumers, they should contact their Case Worker or Service Coordinator. If they do not know who that is, they can contact the main number of the program through which they receive services,” Mr. Erickson added. “If they are not currently one of our consumers, they can contact our Deputy CEO, Ryan Adams, who can forward their information to the appropriate staff to answer questions and possibly get the application filled out.”

Ryan Adams can be reached at (254) 752-3451. Funds are available through September 30, 2022, or until all available funds have been expended.

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