|
Our weekly e-newsletter to providers combines provider resources, stories of interest, exclusive educational opportunities, and grant information. In this issue:
Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) was authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The purpose of P-EBT is to provide food assistance to families with students who would have received free or reduced-price lunch while attending school but are not attending school in person because of COVID-19 restrictions.
This benefit is available only to families with students enrolled in a Texas school who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or the school is a Community Eligibility Provision participant. The deadline to apply is Sept. 13th.
The P-EBT application is now open. Visit yourtexasbenefits.com to apply.
 September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and National Suicide Prevention week is from September 5th to 11th.
While mental health and suicide awareness is important year-round, for the month of September, we encourage you to promote suicide prevention and education with your networks. With the help of Texas Health and Human Services, we've put together a toolkit with social media posts, resources, and graphics to help raise awareness about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
These messages and links can be used as is, or they can be customized in any way that works best for your community by directing to your prevention program’s information.
The Texas Youth Helpline (TYH) focuses on assisting youth 17 and under navigate through many issues that arise in a teens life.
Staff and volunteers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year to listen, offer suggestions, help navigate through many common situations and provide local, state and national resources to assist youth.
TYH also helps parents and family members of youth. Many resources are available for parents as well.
Call, Text and Chat available: 1-800-989-6884 / www.texasyouthhelpline.org
Twitter: twitter.com/TexasDFPS
Facebook: facebook.com/TexasYouthHelpline
Download materials for the Texas Youth Helpline.
 The 2021 First3Years webinar September Series will focus on four key areas: Empowering and Partnering with Parents, Resiliency and Calming Chaos, Caring for the Caregiver, & Equity in Early Childhood. Each focus area will provide a deep dive into connecting research to practice and how the topics interrelate with the needs & support of early childhood development
This training will help early childhood professionals understand how they can support caregivers who are preparing to embark on a journey of creating an Individualized Education Program for their children. This can be a daunting task for both caregivers and professionals; however, it does not have to be when you have the necessary tools.
Learn more at the First3Years website.
 Join us as we explore current, relevant topics based on state trends, featuring PEI speakers and guest experts.
Quality Incentive Project: Phase II
Date: September 21st
Time: 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. CST
Register
Join us to learn about the next phase for PEI’s Quality Incentive Project. This session is particularly relevant for Texas Home Visiting, HOPES, and FAYS programs.
 To take these courses: Type or paste the course names below into the search bar on the PEI Learning Hub:
- Click on the course and select “request”
- On your transcript select “launch” to begin
- When the video is complete, go to "completed" courses in your transcript
- Select "evaluate" to provide feedback
For questions, contact PEITraining@dfps.state.tx.us.
Foundations of Infant Mental Health Practice in Home Visiting (Self-Paced Course)
Caring about the parent-child relationship is a primary purpose of home visiting with families. By using the power of observation, listening, and inquiry with a family, you activate a parent's learning so they use the same strength-based skills with their child. This course covers critical issues in infant mental health, including brain development and attachment. It provides practical ways home visitors can use observation and listening to strengthen the parent-child relationship. It also incorporates strategies for incorporating reflection to extend the 'learning together.’
This Achieve OnDemand learning experience qualifies for .3 IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Managing Difficult Conversations with Skill and Confidence
How to address difficult situations and manage sensitive issues in the workplace
 Grantees can now download a complete list of upcoming trainings on the PEI Learning Hub.
Access the Essentials of Home Visiting Portal free of cost. Use this link to register.
Matching Family Needs to Resources
Date: September 15th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
Register by: September 14th at 12:00 P.M. CDT
As a home visitor, it can be challenging to align available resources to the needs of families. This webinar explores how to carry out your role in the infant mental health spectrum and feel confident in connecting families to community resources and supports when the need arises. Note: This webinar complements the Foundations of Infant Mental Health in Home Visiting self-paced course.
Trauma for Supervisors: Putting the Pieces Together
Date: September 20th
Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CDT
Register by: September 19th at 10:00 A.M. CDT
As a supervisor, how can you support your staff and yourself in an intentional and trauma-informed manner? This webinar discusses the impact of trauma on multiple constituents – children, families, home visitors, supervisors and communities. We also identify common supervisory pitfalls as well as support strategies designed to improve the outcomes of each scenario.
The Texas Center for Child and Family Studies and Casey Family Programs are asking for your participation in a statewide survey about Family Resource Centers (FRCs). The purpose of this survey is to collect information about agencies in Texas identifying as FRCs, and agencies providing services similar to FRCs. The ultimate goal is to inform the growth and sustainability of the FRC model in Texas.
Please share the survey link below with organizations in your local community who are working to get concrete resources and supports to families:
or copy and paste https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamilyResourceCenters
Questions? Contact Dr. Jennifer Lawson, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Texas Center for Child and Family Studies.
The WhyTry Program is a social emotional curriculum that has proven effective at increasing student resilience, motivating unmotivated students, increasing GPA, reducing dropout rates, improving social emotional health and reducing bullying and violent behavior.
The WhyTry Level 1 training is designed to give the attendees a general overview of the WhyTry approach, curriculum and introduce skills that facilitators need to begin using the curriculum. This training also includes an implementation discussion for any setting including an overview of strategies to use for virtual learning. After the WhyTry Level 1, attendees will be able to begin using the program immediately as a toolkit for in person and virtual social and emotional learning. Registration is $599 per person.
Upcoming Training
WhyTry is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) and may offer NBCC approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.
Curriculum can be renewed for $99 annually per person
|
If you have any events or news that you would like to share in the next e-newsletter please email PEINews@dfps.texas.gov
|
