Psychiatric care for crime victims in Texas — covered by CVC
If a violent crime has left you struggling with fear, sleepless nights, or depression, the Texas Crime Victims' Compensation (CVC) program can pay for your psychiatry and therapy related to the crime — up to 60 sessions, telehealth included, at no cost to you. Our board-certified psychiatrists see CVC patients across Texas, usually within a week. We bill the program directly, so approved patients pay nothing out of pocket — no bill, no copay, no reimbursement to chase.
Care the CVC program covers with us
Violent crime leaves more than physical injuries. PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia are among the most common — and most treatable — after-effects. Psychiatrists (MD/DO) and psychiatric nurse practitioners are approved CVC mental health provider types, and the program covers telehealth under the same rules as in-person care, so you can be seen from home anywhere in Texas.
Psychiatric evaluation & medication management
A board-certified psychiatrist evaluates how the crime has affected your sleep, mood, anxiety, and concentration, then prescribes and adjusts medication when it helps — covered by CVC as mental health care directly related to the crime.
Trauma-focused therapy
Individual therapy for PTSD, acute stress, panic, depression, and grief after an assault, robbery, domestic or sexual violence, human trafficking, or the loss of a loved one to homicide. CVC covers up to 60 sessions per person, per claim.
CVC paperwork, handled
The program requires itemized bills with CPT and diagnosis codes, your CVC claim number, and insurance EOBs. We prepare and submit all of it for you — including the Request for Exception if you ever need more than 60 sessions.
From CVC claim to your first appointment
Apply to the CVC program
Apply online through the Attorney General's Crime Victims' Compensation portal or by mail — applying is free, and a local victim advocate can help. You have three years from the date of the crime, with extensions for good cause.
Book a telehealth appointment
Request an appointment and tell us you're a CVC applicant or claimant. Most new patients in Texas are seen within a week by secure video — no travel, no waiting rooms.
We bill the program, not you
By law CVC pays last: if you have insurance we bill it first, and CVC covers what's left — copays, coinsurance, and deductibles — for crime-related care. Once your claim is approved, your covered care with us is completely free: you pay nothing out of pocket, and there's no bill or reimbursement to chase.
Is CVC-covered psychiatric care right for you?
Violent crimes the program covers
CVC is for victims of violent crime — and their families — when the crime happened in Texas and was reported to law enforcement. You don't have to be sure you qualify to reach out. Common qualifying crimes include:
- Assault and aggravated assault
- Domestic and family violence
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Child abuse and neglect
- Human trafficking
- Robbery
- Stalking and harassment
- Kidnapping and unlawful restraint
- Homicide (for surviving family members)
- DWI crashes and intoxication assault
- Hit-and-run
- Elder abuse
This isn't the full list, and eligibility is decided by the Attorney General's office — not by us. If you're unsure whether your situation qualifies, ask us or a local victim advocate; we'll help you find out.
What CVC pays for — and what it won't
Treatment has to be necessary, reasonable, and directly related to the crime. That's the whole test — and it's exactly the kind of care we provide.
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management (psychiatrist MD/DO or psychiatric NP)
- Individual therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and grief
- Family and group therapy, and specialized treatment such as EMDR
- Telehealth sessions — same rules as in-person care
- Copays, coinsurance, and deductibles your insurance leaves behind
- Conditions that existed before and aren't related to the crime
- Missed or cancelled appointments
- A provider's court appearances or testimony
- Care unrelated to the crime injury
Full rules: Mental Health Care Expenses and provider reimbursement at the Office of the Attorney General.
See a psychiatrist by video — from anywhere in Texas
CVC covers telehealth sessions under the same rules as in-person care. That matters after a crime: no drive across town, no waiting room, no explaining yourself at a front desk. You meet your psychiatrist or therapist from wherever you feel safe.
We see CVC patients in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso — and every rural county in between. If you're anywhere in Texas, you're in our coverage area.
How to apply for Texas Crime Victims' Compensation
Applying is free, and you don't need a lawyer. A victim advocate — at your local police department, sheriff's office, or district attorney's office — can help you with the application at no cost.
The crime must be reported to law enforcement within a reasonable time, and you'll be asked for the agency and report number on the application. Keep copies of medical bills and receipts as you go.
Apply through the Attorney General's CVC application page or mail your application to Crime Victim Services, P.O. Box 12198, Austin, TX 78711-2198. Questions? Call the program at (800) 983-9933. You have three years from the crime, with good-cause extensions.
You can begin treatment while your application is pending. Tell us you're a CVC applicant or claimant when you book: once your claim is approved, we submit the itemized bills the program requires directly to CVC.
The conditions crime leaves behind
Most of what victims carry after a crime has a name, a diagnosis, and an evidence-based treatment — and all of it can qualify as crime-related care under CVC. Hover a condition to see how we treat it.
Flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and a constant sense of danger long after the event. We use trauma-focused, evidence-based therapy — and medication when it helps — to help your nervous system learn it's safe again.
Learn about PTSD careRacing thoughts, a pounding heart, and panic that shows up without warning. We treat the anxiety that so often follows a crime with therapy and, when appropriate, medication that takes the edge off without dulling you.
Learn about Anxiety careThe heaviness, numbness, and loss of interest that can settle in after trauma. Our psychiatrists and therapists treat crime-related depression together, so both the mood and the memory get care.
Learn about Depression careWhen your body won't let its guard down enough to rest. We address the sleep disruption that trauma causes directly, because sleep is often where recovery either starts or stalls.
Learn about Insomnia careSometimes people cope with what happened the only way they can find. We treat trauma and substance use side by side, without judgment, as part of the same recovery.
Learn about Substance use careFor families who lost someone to homicide or a violent crime, grief can be tangled with trauma. CVC covers care for immediate family and household members too — you don't have to carry it alone.
In immediate danger? Call 911. In emotional crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233. RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: (800) 656-4673.
Program details on this page come from the Office of the Texas Attorney General — Crime Victims' Compensation Program, Mental Health Care Expenses — and TexasLawHelp.org. Program rules can change; the Attorney General's office makes all eligibility and payment decisions.
How CVC works with your insurance
CVC is the payer of last resort: if you have health insurance, we bill it first, and the program pays what's left of your crime-related mental health costs — including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. If you're uninsured, CVC pays the allowed cost of care directly. Either way, once your claim is approved you pay nothing out of pocket for crime-related care — we accept the program's payment as payment in full, so treatment is completely free to you. We're in-network with major Texas plans, which fits the program's preference for in-network providers. Questions about your claim or coverage? Call us at (888) 730-5220.
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Common questions about CVC-covered psychiatry
Does Texas Crime Victims' Compensation cover a psychiatrist?
How many sessions does CVC pay for?
Does CVC cover online (telehealth) psychiatry?
How much does Texas Crime Victims' Compensation pay?
How long does it take to get crime victims' compensation?
Who is eligible for CVC in Texas?
What if I already have health insurance?
What won't the program pay for?
Start CVC-covered psychiatry today
Request an appointment and we'll confirm your insurance up front. Most patients are seen within the week.
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