$8 million given to agencies that help victims, families of Pulse nightclub, DOJ announces

ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that it will award an additional $8.4 million to the Florida Attorney General's Office to reimburse agencies for the counseling services they've provided since the mass shooting last June that killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others.

The money will provide grief counseling for victims, survivors, witnesses and first responders, as well as reimburse the costs for establishing an on-the-ground Family Assistance Center in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The assistance center opened at Camping World Stadium to help victims and their families navigate health care, funeral expenses and therapy, as well as other needs. Then the Orlando United Assistance Center opened on Michigan Street to continue providing services.

The grant writer calculated there are more than 3,000 people who could need help because they were at Pulse the night of the shooting.

The three agencies receiving the most money are Orlando United Assistance Center, the city of Orlando and Orange County.

The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and smaller organizations are also receiving money for providing counseling, rent assistance and lab testing.

The Center, an agency in Orlando, isn't on the list to receive reimbursement, but the executive director told Channel 9's Deneige Broom that every day they have people looking for counseling.

"We don't know how long the people are going to be affected, that they're going to need counseling, that it's going to be a year, three years, five years, 10 years. You never know when this is going to trigger," said Terry DeCarlo with The Center.

Cox Media Group