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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:
New Senior Leadership at DFPS
Governor Greg Abbott announced new leadership appointments at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) that strengthen the agency’s mission of serving vulnerable adults and children across Texas by providing high-quality programs and services.
DFPS Associate Commissioner for Adult Protective Services Kezeli "Kez" Wold will take over as interim DFPS Commissioner, with Stephanie Muth assuming the role of Commissioner effective January 2, 2023.
Additionally, Anne Heiligenstein will return to DFPS in a Senior Adviser role to lead a number of key projects at the agency.
PEI Publishes New Reports
PEI published two new reports:
All PEI reports can be found on the DFPS website.
 Date: December 8th
Time: 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. CST
Register
Partners in Prevention isn't just a once a year conference - it's a year round call for action and collaboration.
Our new Partners in Prevention Learning Series will begin in December. We will be hosting a different speaker related to relevant and timely issues on a different subject every other month. One (1) Social Work CE credit/contact hour will be provided for this event after evaluation feedback is received.
Our first topic is Moving the Work Upstream: Addressing Disproportionate Representation and Disparate Outcomes. Our featured speakers will be Mosley Hobson and Sharibeth Niehaus with the Office for Addressing Disproportionality and Disparities.
PIP Learning Series Topics for 2023
Be on the lookout for a detailed announcement for next year's Series Topics soon!
- Safe Sleep: Keeping Them Safe While Your Kids Get Their ZZZs
- Fostering Interactions that Build Community: Creating Community Circles
- Texas Child Mental Health Consortium: Game Changer in Youth Mental Health
- Working at the Intersection of Child Welfare, Family Violence, and Race Equity
Supporting the health of staff who work in child care centers, family child care, Head Start, preschool, home visitors, and other early childhood settings is crucial to sustaining their role for children, families, and communities.
Early childhood staff, administrators, and partners that work in the early childhood community may qualify for savings (like tax credits and reduced cost-sharing amounts) on a Marketplace plan. The Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period runs through January 15.
Visit the ACF's ECE Workforce Shortage Strategy Resource Pages to learn more and access other resources, webinars and tools that support the ECE workforce.
 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.’
Diversity Dynamics
Diversity is a key element in any successful workplace. To be successful, a diverse workforce must figure out how to work together. This course covers the concepts and recommendations needed to foster an environment of diversity that in turn promotes excellence in your workforce.
In Case You Missed It
PEIRS Training for New Providers
How do I enter an enrollment in PEIRS? What tools are available for adding home visits? We'll answer these questions and more in an orientation for new providers. This is a general overview of the PEIRS application and will include a range of important topics for PEIRS data entry. This training is meant for new users who need that first-hand knowledge on getting started with the PEIRS application or any other providers who would like a basic refresher.
To take these courses: Type or paste the course names above 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.
Reminder: Complete your Course Evaluations!
Courses in the PEI Learning Hub remain in a “Pending Evaluation” status until the course evaluation is completed. So get those evaluations finished!
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Maintaining Boundaries in Home Visiting for Supervisors (Webinar)
Date: December 7th
Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CST
Register By: December 6th, 10:00 A.M. CST
As a supervisor, how can you help home visitors set and maintain boundaries with the families they serve? The discussion will cover self-awareness, challenges home visitors face, and how to support staff. This webinar complements the Supervising Home Visitors self-paced course.
Home Visiting Boundaries (Webinar)
Date: December 14th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CST
Register By: December 13th, 12:00 P.M. CST
This webinar will describe a process for observing the interactions between the parent and the child that provides clues into the type and quality of dyadic relationship that exists. By using a process that allows for more awareness of perception, the home visitor can strategize how to best approach the work of enhancing and supporting the parent-child relationship and the quality of attachment which is vital for healthy child development.
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
Date: December 15th
Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CST
Join the HHSC Office of Disability Prevention for Children for a free, live webinar on the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
Children with IDDs are at a higher risk for ACES, which put a child with an IDD at a higher risk of developing mental health conditions and other challenges that may last a lifetime. This webinar examines the role you can play in addressing childhood trauma and preventing negative health outcomes among children with IDDs.
This webinar is intended for parents, providers who work with families, and others caring for infants and children.
This free event will include live captioning and American Sign Language interpretation.
For questions, email Jay Smith at jay.smith@hhs.texas.gov or call 512-206-5100.
Date: December 8th
Time: 10:00 A.M. CST
Register
This Fall, TexProtects is virtually “traveling” to seven different Texas regions to discuss the best ways to serve families and children and how to navigate those needs in the upcoming Legislative Session. These community-focused virtual meetings offer deep insight into the unique needs of children and families throughout Texas and help shape the future of policy work.
TexProtects is honored to partner with Our Community Our Kids, the longest-running Single Source Continuum Contractor for Community-Based Care serving Metroplex West. They have built strong partnerships in their community and have been providing a continuum of services for children in the foster care system since 2014.
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Miracle Foundation Prevention Partners Program
The Miracle Foundation seeks Partners in the realm of family strengthening! The selected partner will leverage Miracle Foundation’s Thrive Scale technology to power their work towards keeping families together.
Funding Amount: Miracle will provide 1-3 applicants a range of $75,00-$300,000 over 3 years.
Who Should Apply: Any program, organization, or entity providing family strengthening or preservation services to prevent separation and entry into out-of-home care in Texas. Can work towards any of the following types of prevention:
- Primary - prevent or mitigate crises before reaching the point of family separation and getting involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) and foster care system.
- Secondary - families are already at risk of separation based on certain risk factors and may be involved with CPS. Prevent children from facing court-ordered removal and entering foster care.
- Tertiary - children and families are - or have been - involved with CPS and went through foster care. Keeping families and children from returning to the system (reduce recidivism).
Applications Due: February 3rd, 2023
This money can go towards whatever is needed to make a program successful: staffing, training, marketing/PR, technology, fundraising, outreach, service delivery or more.
Successful applicants will be innovative in their approach, center families, children, and people with lived experience at the core of their work, and highlight community and collaboration with other stakeholders to avoid duplication or siloed efforts. Programs should be supported with evidence and data, show potential to scale, and be able to demonstrate sustainability after funding ends.
Questions?
Reach out with any questions or concerns about this opportunity to Audria Choudhury at audria@miraclefoundation.org.
The 2023 Calendars are now available for preorder. This free family resource is filled with helpful tips for parents and caregivers of children of all ages. It’s available in English and Spanish, and endorsed by The Texas Pediatric Society.
Calendars can be ordered in multiples of 100 with a maximum order of 500.
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