The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, New Hope Counseling Services in Kerrville, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Dallas, and local counselors are gearing up as the one-year anniversary of the Kerr County floods approaches; leaders including Austin Dickson, Karen Mattox and Ray Gutierrez are focusing on long-term mental health supports across Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Midland-Odessa to help survivors and first responders facing renewed trauma around the July 4, 2025 holiday.
The foundation is stressing that anniversaries and community gatherings can revive trauma for people who lived through the floods and those who came to help. They want the region to be ready for delayed reactions and the emotional ripple effects that follow major disasters.
So far the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has delivered $5 million in grants to 15 nonprofit groups and has pledged another $10 million over the next two years to shore up services. The money is being distributed to organizations across the state so counseling and support are available where survivors and responders actually live, including Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Midland-Odessa.
Many who were in the Hill Country during the July 4, 2025 holiday were visiting from out of the region, which complicates recovery and follow-up care. When people return home, access and continuity of services become critical to preventing problems from worsening months later.
Austin Dickson with the foundation said the plan borrows lessons learned from other tragedies, and he pointed to prolonged recoveries in different communities as a warning for Kerr County. “They’ve also had first responders from Midland and Odessa who came to Kerr County, who rescued people out of the river, and 10 months later are having triggering events, PTSD, and are having a hard time,” Dickson said.
Counselors in Kerrville report they have been working steadily with residents since the flood but are seeing a fresh wave of need as the longer-term reality sinks in. New Hope Counseling Services and local mental health professionals say anxiety, depression and other symptoms often surge when the immediate crisis work fades and daily life settles into a new pattern.
“Generally, around the six to nine-month time period is when the symptoms really set in because the impacted person’s immediate needs have been met,” said Karen Mattox, a licensed professional counselor. She explained that once shelter, food and clothing are sorted, people often confront the emotional toll that had been deferred.
Counselors warn the community to watch for signs such as withdrawal, hopelessness and increases in substance use, and they are especially concerned about relapse among people with chemical dependency histories. Licensed chemical dependency counselor Ray Gutierrez urges openness and steady care for anyone feeling overwhelmed.
“One of the biggest things is that accepting things doesn’t mean that I like it, but accepting means this is the way it is,” Gutierrez said. “It would benefit me to find a way how to live with it instead of denying it and stuffing it because that becomes more detrimental to your mental and physical health.”
New Hope Counseling Services is one of the local groups receiving foundation support to expand outreach and treatment in Kerrville, and officials emphasize that help is available to people affected by the floods or their recovery efforts. Anyone who needs support can contact New Hope Counseling Services at 830-257-3009 to ask about counseling and resources.
The foundation’s partnership with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Dallas is built around four priorities: raising awareness about available services; expanding trauma and grief training for community professionals; improving access through key entry points such as schools; and providing treatment for specialized groups, including first responders. Those priorities are meant to create a more resilient network so people can find help quickly when symptoms emerge.
Community leaders and clinicians are urging residents and visitors heading into remembrance events to plan for emotional triggers, lean on friends and family, and use the newly funded resources when needed. The focus now is on making sure support is steady and accessible so the region can move through the anniversary with more tools for recovery and less risk of people slipping through the cracks.
