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In this issue:
As chair of the Family and Protective Services Council, Bonnie Hellums is committed to expanding her knowledge of agency policy and understanding how DFPS employees work to protect children and families.
The role of the former family court judge, and her colleagues on the council, is to advise the agency and help provide a more direct line of communication between the public, stakeholders, and agency leadership.
Shadowing caseworkers in the Houston area this spring gave Judge Hellums an eye-opening, first-hand experience into the incredibly difficult work that our front-line staff do every day. “They’re very professional. I’m impressed with their dedication, patience, politeness, and hard work,” she said.
A New Viewpoint
Hellums met with caseworkers across several DFPS programs and said, “Seeing the care they show and the relationships they have with the people they serve, really changed the way I look at things.” It was also unusual for the caseworkers to see a judge out of the courtroom. Conservatorship Caseworker Scarlet Vargas said “Before I go to court, I pray for a good outcome for the child. And Judge Hellums told me she does the same thing.”
Vargas was happy Hellums could see for herself the relationships that grow between caseworkers and the children they serve. “They hug me, they kiss me, they call me by name. They run to me,” Vargas said. “And that’s not in the court documents.”
Making a Difference
Hellums spent a day shadowing Child Protective Investigations Caseworker Jennifer McGee. “Judge Hellums made it so comfortable and talked to me like I was her best friend. She asked a lot of questions,” McGee said. As an alumni of foster care who aged out, McGee knows a lot about what her families have gone through in their lives. “I want to make a difference — so many of the bad things I see as an investigator have happened in my life,” said McGee. “Now I get to go into people’s homes and say, ‘I am here to help.’ ”
 Working to Engage Families
“I was incredibly impressed by caseworkers’ patience and willingness to drive around all day to get answers to their important questions,” said Hellums. “I used to ask, ‘What do you mean you haven’t seen the kid?’ as a judge. Now I see that sometimes parents are hiding their children,” she said. DFPS Regional Director Monica Sanders agreed. “It’s important to appreciate the work it takes to engage families and ensure children are safe,” she said.
Hellums was moved by the sad stories she encountered, including visiting an older Texan living with someone who had exploited him financially, and seeing young people who had no friends, no sleep overs, and didn’t attend school. But she was also uplifted by the relationships caseworkers built with their clients and their acts of everyday dedication.
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At the end of June, Henry “Hank” Whitman, Jr. stepped down as DFPS commissioner.
In his three years of leading the agency, he worked for well-deserved pay raises for program staff to help reduce turnover and caseloads.
A Ten-point Plan
As part of his ten-point plan to improve agency services, he helped launch a human trafficking program, implemented new trainings and assessments for supervisors, expanded the role of volunteers, continued transforming foster care with Community Based Care, revamped the special investigator program, and doubled the number of faith-based partnerships across the state.
“Commissioner Whitman’s long-standing commitment to putting the needs of children and families first helped create a safer future for Texas,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Because of his leadership, DFPS is left better than he found it.”
When Whitman joined the agency in 2016, he had his work cut out for him. “Once I found out the caliber of employees who were working on the front lines, all the way up to the executives in Austin, I knew we could get the agency headed in the right direction,” he said. Whitman spent a lot of his time shadowing caseworkers in the field, to better understand their work. “I’ve testified about it at the Legislature, and said it many times,” Whitman said. “These caseworker jobs at DFPS are the toughest jobs I know.”
Capable and enthusiastic support from supervisors is crucial to caseworker performance, so Whitman overhauled how DFPS hires, trains, and assesses supervisors in its programs. “He values the hard work of the front line most of all,” said DFPS General Counsel Audrey Carmical.
The Heart of a Hero
“Hank is an honest broker — staff, legislators and community groups quickly recognize his sincerity and empathy when they meet him,” said DFPS Chief of Staff Rand Harris. Kezeli Wold, associate commissioner for Adult Protective Services agreed. “Because Hank is so genuine, people are willing to follow him, trust him, and give him the benefit of the doubt,” Wold said.
“He has the heart of a hero,” said Kristene Blackstone, associate commissioner for Child Protective Services.
A Wealth of Experience
Whitman has more than 34 years of law enforcement experience, including a decade as a Texas Ranger. During his tenure, Whitman served as chief of the Texas Rangers division, created and supervised the elite Texas Ranger Reconnaissance Team, and led border security operations.
A veteran of the Marine Corps, Whitman has degrees from both Texas State University and Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.
Whitman is thankful for his time at DFPS, working to improve the lives of children and families in Texas. “I will never forget the people here, what they’ve done, and what they will continue to do each day when I’m gone,” he said.
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As an alumni of foster care, DFPS Education Training Voucher and Youth Program Specialist Davina Hollin understands the importance of advocating for youth in the foster care system.
She also knows honest feedback from youth will help the agency improve its services, and part of her role is to get direct input from youth.
Advocating for Youth
Hollin’s job is not only to listen to youth, but make sure their voices are heard by agency leadership. “It’s important to ask ourselves as an agency, how can we better meet their cultural needs,” Hollin said. Debra Emerson, director of Youth Transitional Living Services with DPFS, agreed that Hollin helps strengthen the voice of youth within the agency. “She’s an excellent employee who brings a lot of energy and insight when we look at policy and protocol,” Emerson said.
Gaye Vopat, DFPS Transitional Living Services Program team lead, has known Hollin since 2013, when they first met at the Texas Teen Conference at Texas Woman’s University (TWU). Hollin was studying for a bachelor’s degree in social work, and credits attending the conference with steering her career toward helping youth in foster care through advocacy and policy change. “Davina is real determined and reliable. She’s able to juggle a lot of responsibilities and has passion for her work,” Vopat said.
Prior to being hired by DFPS, Hollin was appointed by the Governor to the Family and Protective Services Council, which advises the commissioner regarding management and operation of the agency.
Youth Leadership Council
Hollin’s main focus at DFPS is on the Youth Leadership Council. She facilitates three council meetings each year. Over 20 foster youth attend and help give the agency feedback on services for youth. Hollin also contributes in other ways to give back to youth in foster care. Last summer, when Vopat attended the national independent living coordinators meeting in Washington, DC, she brought Hollin to share her perspectives on transitioning from foster care to a successful adulthood.
Working Toward the Future
After graduating from TWU, Hollin earned her master’s degree in social work from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She wants to be a licensed clinical social worker in five years, working hands-on with youth through crisis intervention. Right now she spends her free time answering calls for the Travis County suicide hotline, and writing a book about her life. “With my story, I hope to provide energy and support to people who feel they can’t get through their problems,” Hollin said.
This year, Hollin led an information session for the Family and Protective Services Council about the importance of youth advocacy through the Youth Leadership Council. “I told her to let her personality shine when she presented,” said Vopat. “Davina has credibility — she’s lived it. She does a great job speaking on behalf of her brothers and sisters in care.”
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In 2017, the 85th Texas Legislature transformed DFPS. It strengthened the agency’s ability to make quick decisions to ensure client safety, improve long-term outcomes for clients, and increased the agency’s capacity to train and retain high-quality caseworkers.
This year, the 86th Legislature continued that work and built upon DFPS’ success. Among the many bills that address DFPS services, three will have a major effect on how the agency fulfills its core mission to protect children, families, and older adults in Texas.
House Bill 1
House Bill 1 provides a 6% increase in all funds for DFPS. This includes funding for more employees for programs around the agency, and pay raises for Adult Protective Services and Statewide Intake to boost morale and improve retention. The Legislature also increased some foster care rates and provided funding to continue to expand Community Based Care (CBC).
Senate Bill 355
Senate Bill 355 directed DFPS to look at the options and risks associated with implementing Community Based Care (CBC) and how that is affected by the Federal Family First Prevention Services Act.
The agency will explore not only the programmatic components of the federal law, but also their fiscal impact, working with stakeholders and providers to give the Legislature a road map for moving forward with CBC.
Senate Bill 781
Senate Bill 781 amends existing and adds new regulations for general residential operations (GRO’s) which are licensed by HHSC. SB 781 requires DFPS to establish trauma-informed runaway reduction protocols for residential treatment centers (RTC), while improving the quality of the services provided to youth.
New RTCs must submit an operational plan that includes the RTC’s plan for educational services, community engagement and interactions with local resources, including law enforcement.
DFPS will also partner with TEA to make trauma-informed resources available to school district staff.
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The Father’s Playbook is a brand new mobile application (app) introduced in May which helps new dads understand more about their partner’s pregnancy and prepares them for life after their baby comes.
The app covers a variety of topics, including financial planning for the baby, recognizing what their partner is going through, helping her during the pregnancy, and better understanding medical terms. Developed in conjunction with The University of Texas at Tyler, UT Population Health, The University of Texas at Austin, and the DFPS Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) program, the app gives new and expectant fathers crucial parenting knowledge and information about how to help their partners have a healthy pregnancy.
A Visual Aproach
Based on early feedback by fathers about existing resources for mothers, the visual approach to the app was developed. “I appreciated the inviting graphic design and clean, simple layout," said one father who tested the Father’s Playbook. Dr. Michael Mackert, director of the Center for Health Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, developed and tested a web-based version and later helped develop the app. “An idea we had early on was to create a version with sports references, but guys actually preferred a food-based version,” Mackert explained. “It puts the focus on nutrition during pregnancy.”
Helping Out During Pregnancy
The app also encourages new fathers to identify ways they can help during pregnancy. “Financial planning for the baby is something dads can help take control of,” said Mackert. Financial planning was added to the app after testing found that fathers wanted it.
The Father’s Playbook was designed with the ability to distribute new content so fathers receive timely, supportive, and interesting information. Mackert hopes the app will be a powerful tool for improving health outcomes for mothers and children. He’s excited that it serves as an example of how to reach non-traditional audiences with health information.
iOS and Spanish versions are planned for release at the end of the summer. PEI funded part of the development and will be working to connect fathers to the app as it rolls out.
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In June 2018, DFPS and the Texas A&M University System announced a new program dedicated to easing some of the daunting challenges young people in foster care face when they are trying to prepare for life as college students.
The collaboration is designed to support young adults who are in extended foster care and attending college. The students get financial aid and other assistance through the Supervised Independent Living (SIL) program to help minimize the challenges of learning to live independently.
A New Partnership
This is the first time that DFPS has partnered with a university system to bring this program to young adults in extended foster care who are pursuing higher education. “It’s a collaboration with higher education to improve the educational outcomes for youth who have experienced foster care,” said Director of Youth Transitional Living Services Debra Emerson, “We want to increase the number of young adults attaining their post-secondary degree.”
Building a Team
The SIL Program works in tandem with the Texas Tuition and Fee Waiver Program and the Federal Education and Training Voucher Program to pay for not only college tuition, but also other costs that a student may have like books, computers, and printers. The program seeks to build a team of college and DFPS staff around young adults so they stay focused on their academic success, while building independent living skills.
An Easier Transition
“The most difficult challenge for me has been the experience of living with roommates,” describes Theresa McMahon, a student in the SIL Program at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. The SIL program helped her to contact the on-campus housing manager and enabled her to overcome some of her doubts. “They helped to make my transition a lot easier,” she said.
“We also make sure that students have a place to go for the holidays, if needed,” said Emerson. “Foster care liaisons provide activities during the holiday season so that young adults are not alone on campus.” By helping students build a supportive community, the initiative eases some of the burdens associated with the transition into independent living.
Year-round Dorms
“They help us pay for classes and food and other stuff that financial aid doesn’t cover,” said McMahon. The initiative also arranges “365 dorms” where students can live in their dorms for the entire year, making sure they don’t have to worry about finding a place to stay when classes are not in session.
Although the SIL campus-based program is relatively new, Emerson has a lot of hope going forward. “We are in the process of developing a strategic plan to grow the program,” she said. “We want to have a campus-based SIL program at all state colleges and universities in Texas that have year-round access to housing.”
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 For more information regarding your region or county, please visit the DFPS Data Book.
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Texas Family and Protective Services Council Meeting
Friday, August 9, 2019 in Austin
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