In a Wednesday press conference about the Uvalde shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott suggested “mental illness” drove the shooter to gun down students and teachers at Robb Elementary School, though he said the gunman did not have a history of mental health issues. He then called for more mental health care resources.
It’s a common refrain after mass shootings, yet mental health services remain out of reach for many in the U.S. for reasons like cost, proximity to care or even stigma. That’s especially true in rural communities like Uvalde, which are less likely to have adequate access to mental health providers.
Alejandra Castro, director of Rural Services at Family Service Association, a nonprofit based in San Antonio, joined Texas Standard to discuss mental health care in rural parts of the state and the needs of those communities.
