---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 5183"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "5183"
heading: "Crisis counseling assistance and training"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/5183"
units:
  - "Chapter 68 — Disaster Relief"
  - "Subchapter IV — Major Disaster Assistance Programs"
---

# §5183. Crisis counseling assistance and training

- (a) **In general—** The President is authorized to provide professional counseling services, including financial assistance to [State](/usc/42/5122.md?p=4) or local [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) or private mental health organizations to provide such services or training of [disaster](/usc/42/5204.md?p=2) workers, to victims of [major disasters](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) in order to relieve mental health problems caused or aggravated by such [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) or its aftermath.
- (b) **Training—** Each [State](/usc/42/5122.md?p=4), local [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), or private mental health organization providing professional counseling services described in [subsection (a)](#a) shall ensure that, any individual providing professional counseling services to victims of a [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) as authorized under [subsection (a)](#a), including individuals working for [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) partners and recovery organizations, is appropriately trained to address impacts from [major disasters](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2) in communities, and to individuals, with socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–288, title IV, § 416, formerly § 413, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 157; renumbered § 416 and amended Pub. L. 100–707, title I, § 106(i), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4705; Pub. L. 117–251, § 7(a), Dec. 20, 2022, 136 Stat. 2357.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 416 of Pub. L. 93–288 was renumbered section 419 by Pub. L. 100–707 and is classified to section 5186 of this title.

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–251 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b).

1988—Pub. L. 100–707 struck out “(through the National Institute of Mental Health)” after “authorized”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2022 Amendment

Pub. L. 117–251, § 7(b), Dec. 20, 2022, 136 Stat. 2357, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall apply with respect to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2022].”