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Our weekly e-newsletter to providers combines grantee resources, stories of interest, exclusive educational opportunities, and grant information. In this issue:
FY23 Annual Refresh Webinar
Can you believe it is that time of the year again? FY23 is around the corner!
Join PEI for the FY23 Annual Refresh Webinar for your designated program. This webinar will provide guidance and helpful tips to better understand and prepare for the upcoming fiscal year. PEI will detail the entire refresh process and provide expectations, associated deadlines, and required forms. In addition, we will provide guidance on how to ensure your Project Work Plan aligns with your grant budget and supports overall grant performance.
Please sign up for the webinar specific to your program area:
Early Childhood - HOPES Grantees
Date: May 17th
Time: 9:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. CDT
Early Childhood (HOPES)
Early Childhood Grantees (TNFP Grantees)
Date: May 17th
Time: 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. CDT
Early Childhood (TNFP)
Youth & Family - FAYS & SYSN Program Grantees
Date: May 18th
Time: 9:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. CDT
FAYS/SYSN Grantees
Youth & Family Grantees - Excluding FAYS & SYSN Program Grantees
Date: May 18th
Time: 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. CDT
Youth & Family Grantees (NOT FAYS/SYSN)
 Date: May 26th
Time: 10:00 A.M. – 11:00 P.M. CDT
Register
Join us to learn how Results-Based Accountability can help you to align stakeholder priorities and increase accountability to propel your community coalition work forward.
Hear from Clear Impact’s Senior Consultant, Marcos Marquez, about how RBA can level-up your coalition work through Turn-the-Curve Thinking, and help you to track progress on community goals.
There will also be a guest PEI grantee speaking about how RBA helped their community coalition.
Virtual NFSN Standards of Quality Certification
This two-day virtual certification training details how the nationally adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support can enhance work with families. Whether you are setting up a new program or strengthening an existing one, the Standards provide a blueprint for implementing best practice.
Participants who complete the full 2-day session will receive a certificate from the National Family Support Network that is valid for two years.
For more information on this training, please see the NSFN website here.
Note: this is a two-day training with two opportunities:
Date: June 8th-9th
Time: 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. CDT
Register By: May 26th
Registration link
 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.
Achieve OnDemand: 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.
Stress Less - Well-Being for Work and Life
Take control of the work pressures you face, control negative thought patterns, make the most positive experiences
 Access the Essentials of Home Visiting live webinars through the Essentials of Home Visiting Portal free of cost.
Use this link to register for any webinars from Start EarlyTM
Partnering for Change: Having the Conversation
Date: May 17th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
Register By: May 16, 12:00 PM CDT
As a home visitor, how do you engage with families around the topic of substance abuse? This webinar explores strength-based strategies and conversation starters you can incorporate in your work with parents to successfully engage families around the issues of substance abuse and support the growth and development of their children.
This webinar complements Challenges in Home Visiting: Substance Abuse self-paced course.
 Do you have questions about renewing your Infant Mental Health Endorsement? Endorsement is an internationally recognized credential that supports and recognizes the development and proficiency of professionals who work with or on behalf of infants, toddlers, and their families.
Join First3Years during these upcoming virtual support hours to get questions answered and application help walking through how to take care of Endorsement renewal on:
May 17th from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.
June 3rd from 12:20 to 1:30 P.M.
June 13 from 2:00 to 3:00 P.M.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/491966641
The Essentials of Home Visiting self-paced online courses and live webinars for family professionals count towards training requirements to earn and renew an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® from the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
 Date: May 19th
Time: 11:00 A.M CDT
Register
Books Beginning at Birth is a new statewide program that provides young children birth to age 4 and their families access to books and resources to support the development of early literacy skills and foster a love of reading. Through a grant provided by the Texas Education Agency, TXAEYC and BookSpring are partnering in this initiative to increase the number of books in children’s homes that may have limited to no access to reading materials and help support parents in reading together with their children. There will be a webinar on May 19th for organizations to learn more about how they can partner and increase access to these opportunities for the families they serve.
 Addressing the Root Causes of Child Abuse and Neglect
Date: May 19th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
RSVP
Join a panel of experts, including PEI's very own Sarah Abrahams, discussing the latest findings, data, and available community resources in child abuse prevention. Learn how advocates play a critical role in connecting families and children to resources that can stop abuse or neglect before it ever happens.
Announcing a call for applications for a new 2022-2023 implementation cohort, building on the inaugural alternative 911 emergency response implementation communities. In the past year, the Government Performance Lab has supported Durham, NC; Harris County, TX; Long Beach, CA, Philadelphia, PA; and Phoenix, AZ, as these jurisdictions work to implement local alternatives to nonviolent 911 calls. The inaugural implementation cohort members are joining jurisdictions like Albuquerque, NM, Portland, OR, and San Francisco, CA, in showing that alternative approaches to traditional law enforcement and medical emergency responses can safely redirect 911 calls to staff trained to de-escalate a crisis and link residents to community-based resources. The 2022-2023 implementation cohort will help to expand and support more jurisdictions testing local emergency response alternatives to better address residents service needs.
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Who should apply: Any city or county jurisdiction that is actively piloting or is committed to launching an alternative 911 emergency response team of trained unarmed responders to handle 911 calls within six to nine months of cohort start.
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What to expect: Twelve months of real-time implementation assistance on program planning and launch support with ongoing facilitated learning between participating cohort jurisdictions.
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How to apply: Complete and submit a first round application by May 23rd. The application should take no more than an hour to complete.
Financial Stabilization for Families -TANF Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund
Texas has until September 30 to give $17 million dollars on needing families who were affected by COVID. Only $267,480 has been spent to date.
Over $17 million is being allocated to local mental and behavioral health authorities (LMHAs, LBHAs) and local intellectual and developmental disability authorities (LIDDAs) for families with dependent children with a mental health condition, intellectual or developmental disability (IDD), and/or substance use disorder that need housing support.
Funding allocated must be used to address urgent, direct, and ancillary needs of needy families with dependent children with a mental health condition, intellectual or developmental disability (IDD), and/or substance use disorder through the provision of direct financial assistance or services aimed at short-term stabilization efforts for families. A family can be eligible for a cumulative value of services (inclusive of direct financial assistance, payments, vouchers, gift cards, goods, and other forms of benefits designed to meet a family’s non-recurrent, short-term needs) of up to $7,000 per eligible individual and $10,000 for families of two or more over the entirety of the service period which should not exceed four months.
Eligible services under this contract may include:
Rental Housing Support Services – Provide direct financial assistance to eligible participants to prevent immediate homelessness by assisting needy families to obtain or maintain housing for a period less than four months. These activities may include rent and utility assistance, security deposit assistance, and other time-limited expenses to help needy families maintain current housing or move quickly into housing:
Housing Modifications – Provide direct financial assistance for home modifications to make housing for needy families accessible and safe for dependent children who have a diagnosis of a mental health condition, intellectual or development disability (IDD), or substance use disorder. The lack of accessible housing is a major barrier for families of children with IDD and children with serious emotional disturbance. Funding home modifications will help stabilize and create safer housing options--without uprooting families;
Emergency Housing and Hotel Vouchers – Provide direct financial assistance for short term emergency housing or hotel vouchers when a member of the household tests positive for COVID-19 to reduce the chances of spreading the virus and to eliminate the financial burden associated with a safe and healthy living environment;
Ancillary Expenses -- Provide financial assistance for short-term basic needs such as purchasing diapers, clothing, emergency food, burial assistance, and other necessary personal care items to promote short-term family stability.
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Get Parenting Tips Posters are now available for order. This set of twelve posters features positive parenting stories, children's art, and tips endorsed by The Texas Pediatric Society. Posters can be ordered in English and Spanish. Order a set for your office space today! |
Our Activity Books feature artwork, puzzles, and language learning activities, and each box comes with crayons for children.
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Registration is now open for the Virtual Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) 2022, convened by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families.
Virtual RECS 2022 will provide an opportunity to hear the latest findings from evaluations of social welfare programs and policies, discuss ways to incorporate findings into the design and implementation of programs, and develop strategies for future evaluations. The conference will focus on programs, policies, and services that support families on the path to economic self-sufficiency and well-being. This year’s conference will feature presentations and discussions on the following topics:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs, Policies, and Populations
- Employment and Mobility in the Labor Market
- Youth Well-Being and the Transition to Adulthood
- Strengthening Families, Fatherhood, Marriages, and Relationships
- Evaluating Social Programs, Building Evidence, and Using Data
- Approaches to Alleviate Poverty and Expand Opportunity
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Demonstrating Policy Effectiveness to Promote Black Youth
The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following funding opportunity announcement.
Announcement Number: MP-CPI-22-001
Award Amount: $350,000 to $400,000
Estimated Total: $3,000,000
Application Due Date: June 22, 2022, 5:00 P.M.
This notice solicits applications for projects for the Demonstrating Policy Effectiveness to Promote Black Youth Mental Health Initiative. This initiative seeks to identify health and wellness policies that are successful in improving Black youth mental health, including suicide prevention.
Learn more about this FOA and how to apply.
A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held on May 5, 2022 at 3:00 P.M. Click here to register for the technical assistance webinar.
Here are the latest updates on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations:
- The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a fourth Pfizer and Moderna dose for people age 50 and older, and people diagnosed with compromised immune systems
If you need a test now
- Locate providers in your area using Vaccines.gov or texting your zip code to 438829 (822862 in Spanish) to find a nearby clinic.
- Residents can also call 3-1-1 (512-974-2000) for more information regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
- Visit the Texas DSHS and HHSC websites for more updated statewide COVID-19 information and resources.
Thoughts, comments or suggestions to make PEI Grantee News work better for you? Send them to PEInews@dfps.texas.gov!
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