Bexar County crisis helpline.
Bexar County crisis helpline is a service that provides referrals across the greater San Antonio area and county. They do not offer support on their own, but rather offer information on who may be able to meet the client's needs. There are dozens of non-profits that the crisis helpline has details on, and many can offer support.
The assistance available is wide ranging. There may be medications for health care needs. When it comes to financial aid, this is often addressed by using government grants for expenses such as rent, water bills, utilities, or deposits. Other programs provide free food or homeless prevention advice.
Staff from Bexar County crisis helpline will also direct families in poverty to government benefits, as indicated below. While these can be difficult to obtain due to income restrictions and/or waiting lists, they can help meet long term needs.
Utility bills, whether for electric or telephone costs, can be paid by grants from Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or many other resources such as Lifeline or weatherization. Each of these has a different goal.
LIHEAP is a federally funded Block Grant. The Department of energy (DOE) has created this. There will be funds for paying cooling or heating bills under certain situations. Any grants from LIHEAP are paid directly to the customer's electric or power company. In some cases, a credit is also placed on their account.
The crisis helpline can direct people to weatherization. This is the state's primary tool for reducing energy usage. There will be free updates made to the home, such as adding insulation, and these will in effect address conservation needs.
Lifeline as well as SafeLink can provide discounts on phone bills. Not only that, but SafeLink is a federal government supported program in Texas that provides free cell phones and minutes to income eligible applicants.
There are several health and dental care services in Bexar County. The agency can also offer referrals to these, which can help patients either save money on their medical bills or access free care.
Medicaid is a comprehensive state of Texas health care insurance program for low-income families and individuals. The insurance will pay a portion of the bill for in-patient/outpatient hospital care, pharmacy, check ups, nursing home costs, personal care, mental health, basic physician care, and substance abuse treatment.
The Bexar County crisis helpline can direct low income patients to dental clinics. These offer cleanings, X-Rays, extractions, and more. There are several centers in San Antonio and other towns in the county that residents can turn to.
A Prescription Discount Card is also available in Bexar County. This is free to sign up for and use. It will allow residents to save money on their prescription medications. It is for anyone to use, whether they have insurance or not, and it is not income dependent.
Housing programs range from shelters to Emergency Eviction Prevention services. There are resources available from non-profits for people of all backgrounds. Clients may be single parents or veterans in the region. Another focus is on rehousing currently homeless families that live in the county, and referrals from Bexar County crisis helpline can help fill that need too. One key resource for dealing with this crisis is money to pay for a portion of a security deposit.
Tenants with an eviction notice can inquire into crisis intervention support. There is assistance to qualified individuals and families. While limited, in some cases there may be funds for paying overdue rental expenses from ESG, and this is for residents that are at high risk of losing housing as well as victims of disasters.
Some people may be facing homelessness because they have no power or water in their home. In these cases, there may be help for overdue utility payments. This will be focused on homeowners or tenants with a disconnection notice, or that currently do not have electricity.
Shelters also service the homeless in Bexar County Texas. Guests of the centers are also given clothing and a hot meal. A stay at the shelter will often lead to placement into transitional housing. This is more of a mid term solution that staff from the crisis line can refer clients to. It provides people time to get back on their feet. Space is offered for families to stay together and they are offered increased supportive services to address the unique problems that individuals face.
Bexar County crisis helpline Self-Sufficiency is primarily for low-to-moderate income households. Staff from various non-profits assist families in becoming and remaining self-sufficient. Case managers or program specialists coordinate financial assistance. They also help the individual get a new or higher paying job.
Assistance may be available for people that are facing a crisis that threatens their self-sufficiency. Any support given to clients is based on eligibility. Mostly due to funding guidelines and cycles, not all programs have funds available at any given time, and everything is subject to change.
A key part of the case management process is that many applicants may be referred to other local non-profit service providers if the specialist from the crisis line identifies a need or service not available. This type of advice will always require an appointment.
Aging and Disability Centers in Bexar County run a consolidated access point for the disabled and elderly. The sites offer assessment, resource coordination, consultation and service planning for seniors. Assistance is also available for persons with physical disabilities. Some of the common requests are for SSI applications and other grant based support.
Referrals to public and government support services
The crisis line arranges public aid too. These are mostly run by the state or federal organizations such as USDA, and the main programs for people in poverty are as follows.
Child Care Subsidies assist parents that are working or in job training. There are vouchers that can be used for contributing to the cost of child care bills. The caseworker assigned to the applicant will also determine which program the applicant is eligible for, if any.
Head Start is for children from low income families, provided they are age 5 or younger. It will offer them comprehensive educational, medical, free dental, mental health, and nutrition services. Teachers from San Antonio area schools that are part of the service will offer speech/language, educational, and health screenings too.
Food Stamps provide an EBT card to residents. Bexar County crisis helpline can help arrange long term, monthly financial benefits to eligible households. This can benefit all persons in a home who purchase and prepare food on a regular basis.
The crisis line, which is paid for by donations and non-profit grants, can be reached at 227-4357.
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