CRCG Q1 Newsletter

Community Resource Coordination Groups of Texas Newsletter

Version 2.1

Published by: State CRCG Office (512) 206-4658

Table of Contents

Child
Adults

Events Calendar

April 12— Bridge Call
2-3pm CST

May 10 — Bridge Call
2-3pm CST

November 7-10 — Strengthening Youth and Families Conference

Resources

Legislative Report

The State CRCG Office and Workgroup submitted a biennial legislative report to the Governor and 84th Texas Legislature.  The report provides information on or about the experiences of local CRCGs, services barriers, and next steps to strengthen CRCG initiatives.  The report is available here.

Webinar Recordings

The State CRCG Office launched a webinar series in March 2015 to bring valuable resources and information to CRCG partners and members.  Webinars are generally held bimonthly. Click the links below to view the previous recordings.

 

Sharing Is Caring!

Please feel free to share our newsletter with your colleagues or anyone that might benefit from this information! Just use the SHARE button at the bottom left!

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you!  If you have thoughts, concerns, comments, ideas, or anything else you'd like to share, please contact the State CRCG Office by email at
CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us.

State CRCG Office Transitions

It is a bittersweet time at the State CRCG Office as we say goodbye and good luck to Fedora Galasso, our departing CRCG State Coordinator who has taken a new role with the Community Partner Program. Fedora was instrumental in the initiation and development of improved communications with CRCG partners, providing technical assistance, and increasing the visibility of the CRCG program in Texas.

Filling the CRCG State Coordinator position is Emily Sasser-Bray, a previous CRCG intern. Emily is excited to return to CRCG in her new role.  She possesses nine years of professional experience in social services, is a Licensed Master Social Worker, and is passionate about supporting children, youth, and families.  Emily previously worked as a Community Development Specialist with the Texas Home Visiting Program at the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), which will merge with Prevention and Early Intervention at the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).  Emily also has experience as a school-based social worker at Communities in Schools of Central Texas and as a project manager at United Way of Greater Austin.  Emily is enjoying her first year of marriage and loves her dog Addy, yoga, and playing tennis.  We expect a smooth transition in leadership given Emily's experience and knowledge of the CRCG program, and Fedora's ability to provide guidance through this change.

In December 2015, the state welcomed graduate-level interns, Moriah Holmes and Marilee Ponangi.  Moriah has a Master's in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis and Marilee Ponangi has a Master's in Medical Anthropology from Texas State University.  Both interns are working hard to improve technical assistance and communication for local CRCGs.

Announcements

Strengthening Youth and Families Conference

The 12th annual Strengthening Youth and Families (SYF) Conference will be November 7-10, 2016, at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel in Arlington, Texas.  Strengthening Youth and Families is the only interagency-funded, annual conference for youth-serving professionals; attracting over 300 attendees who unite for networking and professional development.  Submit a workshop proposal by April 29, 2016, to present at this event.  (Conference registration will open in August.)  Additional information, including room rate and reservation options, can be found on the conference Facebook page.  CRCG Leadership Trainings are planned at this event, so mark your calendars and stay tuned for more updates!

For more information about the conference, please email Tammy Holland.

SYF Conference


CRCG Website

CRCG Leader Contact Information:  The CRCG website now has an online form to update your local CRCG leadership contact information.  Please help us keep our contacts up-to-date by filling out this form when you have leadership changes in your CRCG.  Accurate contact information is very important so that local CRCGs and other agencies can make appropriate referrals.  Through these efforts, we can make sure every CRCG receives the news and information they need.

In March, we also updated the county contacts under "Find a Local CRCG."  Please make sure your county's contact information is accurate.  If you see an inaccuracy, please fill out the "Update CRCG Leader" form or send us an email.

CRCG Data Entry: The forms to enter data about your local CRCG meetings and staffings were recently updated.  Please remember to enter your data after every meeting.  If you haven't entered data, now is a great time to start!  It's important that local CRCGs provide data so the State CRCG Office can identify the:

  • Number of individuals served by a CRCG.
  • Most pressing service needs.
  • Services and resources available in each area.
  • Agencies and organizations involved with CRCGs.
  • Any gaps or barriers that prevent service needs from being fully addressed.

If you have any questions about data submission, please email the State CRCG Office.

Spotlight

Have you heard?  There is an open invitation for CRCG members to visit Waco Center for Youth (WCY) and receive a guided tour.  If your CRCG ever considers referring clients to WCY, or would just like to learn more about the services they offer, this is an exciting opportunity to learn first-hand.

Janette Maldonado-Johnson, along with nine other members from the Anderson and Cherokee County CRCG, visited WCY in January 2016.  Janette stated that "the tour was fantastic" and they strongly recommend a visit to WCY for any agency that refers children to their facility.  "The staff was fabulous and they answered all our questions and concerns… [We] were grateful that [we] were able to go and see the facility.  [The visit put] us more at ease about when our CRCG refers a youth to [WCY]," said Janette.

The State CRCG Office team, along with Rick Moss from the McLennan County CRCG, visited WCY in February 2016.  WCY staff gave a guided tour of the grounds, answered questions, and provided the chance to meet with some of the counseling staff.  The facility is beautiful and well equipped with an auditorium, a horse stable, a chaplain department with a youth band, a family room for socializing with parents and siblings, and a school where residents continue their education during treatment and can graduate from high school.

The staff at WCY want to strengthen their relationship with local CRCGs by increasing their participation in the aftercare service planning for youth.  WCY strives for a smooth transition to community-based support with the help of the local CRCG, following residential treatment.  Since parental permission must be granted for WCY to share information with a CRCG, local CRCG members are encouraged to work with families interested in continued support following WCY discharge.  Staff from WCY state that they regularly use the CRCG website to find local contacts when planning aftercare.

Continuity of care can be a complicated process.  We plan to host a webinar in the future about this topic, so stay tuned for updates!

Grounds
The grounds at Waco Center for Youth
Fedora with Horse
Fedora with Annie the horse
Group
The visiting group and guides from Waco Center for Youth- Marilee Ponangi, Moriah Holmes, Rick Moss, Fedora Galasso, Monica Lucas, and Janice Kelly


If you are interested in a visit to WCY, please contact Janice Kelly, Aftercare Coordinator, at (254) 754-5161 or by email at Janice.Kelly@dshs.state.tx.us.  More information about Waco Center for Youth can be found on their website.

Send your collaborative success stories to be highlighted in the coming newsletters to the
CRCG Email Box

Upcoming Events

CRCG Bridge Call Series

The State CRCG Office offers a monthly bridge call for Local CRCG chairs and members to receive peer-to-peer support, share ideas, discuss challenges, and network.  Each call focuses on a particular topic relevant to local CRCGs.

Our next bridge call is scheduled on April 12, 2016, at 2:00 pm CST/1:00 pm MDT. We hope you can join us to participate in the discussion.

To participate, please see the conference call information below:

Dial in number: (877) 226-9790
Access code: 7541054 

Upcoming Bridge Call Schedule

  • Tuesday, April 12, 2016, from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CST / 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MDT
  • Tuesday, May 10, 2016, from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CST / 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MDT

Mark your calendars for the upcoming bridge calls and join us for collaborative discussion!

CRCG Webinar Series

The State CRCG Office offers a webinar series for Local CRCG chairs, members, and other interested persons to highlight state agency partners and provide training on key statewide initiatives and programs that help serve individuals involved with CRCGs.  Each webinar focuses on a topic relevant to local CRCGs.

New webinars are in development and schedules will be sent out in the near future. If you have suggestions for future webinar topics, please email us at CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us.

CRCG State Agency Partner Updates

In this section we highlight updates from the eleven CRCG State Agency partners to hear about opportunities, new resources, and policy changes.

Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

HHS Transition Plan Delivered, Ready for Review

A high-level plan laying the foundation for a restructuring of the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) System was submitted to a legislative oversight committee and was the subject of a public hearing at the State Capitol on March 31, 2016.

The HHS System Transition Plan is being reviewed by the HHS Transition Legislative Oversight Committee (TLOC), the Legislative Budget Board, and the Offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House. The plan is also posted on the HHSC website for public review.

The transition plan outlines the process toward a transformed and restructured HHS system.  The concepts and functional charts featured in the plan were largely developed by 13 staff workgroups with input from a variety of sources.  These sources include HHS agency stakeholders who provided comment through eight regional stakeholder meetings and an online survey.  More than 4,400 HHS employees provided feedback via the online survey.

The workgroups also used data from a system-wide functional review, in addition to input from leadership from each of the five HHS agencies to guide development of the proposed restructuring.

View the recording of the March 31, 2016 TLOC public hearing here.

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)

The newly formed Purchasing from People with Disabilities Advisory Committee held its first meeting in Austin on Friday, January 22, 2016.  The 13-member Committee will provide recommendations to TWC on matters related to the Texas Purchasing from People with Disabilities program.  The Texas Purchasing from People with Disabilities program is dedicated to furthering the state’s policy of encouraging and assisting people with disabilities to achieve independence by engaging in useful, productive employment activities. Under the program, individuals with severe disabilities create products and/or perform services through Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs).

The Advisory Committee members assist in establishing performance goals for the Purchasing from People with Disabilities program and establish criteria for certifying CRPs. S.B. 208, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, transferred oversight of the program from the Texas Council on Purchasing from People with Disabilities (TCPPD) to TWC.

More information about the Committee can be found on the TWC website:
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/purchasing-people-disabilities.

For additional information, contact the following CRCG TWC representative:

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

TDHCA, along with its partners, HHSC, local service providers, and local housing developers, are implementing the Texas Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Program.  Section 811 PRA provides project-based rental assistance to extremely low-income persons with disabilities as they receive community-based, long-term services and supports.  Texas was awarded $24 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Section 811 PRA Program to provide rental assistance to over 600 households.

Currently, TDHCA is working with 18 properties that include 192 units for Section 811 PRA Program households.  Please see below for links to the Uniform Multifamily Application and Section 811 PRA Program's Request for Applications.

The Section 811 PRA Program also supports households that meet the income guidelines for the area in which they want to live (the greater of the Federal Poverty Line or 30 percent of the Area Median Income), must meet the disability definition of the program and be a member of the target population, which includes:

  • Individuals transitioning from nursing facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities;
  • Individuals who receive behavioral health services through Department of State Health Services (DSHS); and
  • Youth and young adults with disabilities exiting foster care who receive services through Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

Qualified households who are interested in participating in the program must go through a trained Section 811 Referral Agent.  More information can be found on the TDHCA Section 811 PRA webpage: http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/section-811-pra/index.htm

For more information, please contact your CRCG TDHCA representative:

Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

Children with Special Health Care Needs Services Program:

The Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Services Program at DSHS partners with community-based contractors across Texas to provide support for families with children and youth with complex medical needs.  Services may include in-home or center-based respite, parent to parent connections, educational training and workshops, support groups, and more. (Not all services are available in all parts of the state.)  Case management for families is also available through DSHS regional offices. Please visit the program’s website for more information about these services.

The program’s website has been updated to include a News & Announcements page, information on Emergency Preparedness specific to children and youth with special health care needs, and a Toolkit with resources on transitioning to adulthood.  Additionally, the program continues to lead two statewide workgroups that meet quarterly by teleconference.

The next Medical Home Workgroup call is on:

  • Wednesday April 27, 2016, 12:00 – 1:30 pm.

For more information, please contact your CRCG DSHS representative at the CSHCN Services Program:

Residential Treatment Center Project:

DSHS and DFPS continue their successful collaboration in the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) Project, to prevent parental relinquishment of children due solely to a lack of mental health resources.  As children are successfully discharged from RTCs and reunified with their families, they can be enrolled in the Youth Empowerment Services (YES) program through which they receive ongoing community-based supports and services.

For some children, CRCG meetings may also be scheduled to maximize the quality and quantity of supportive services that will assist specific families.  CRCGs provide valuable contributions to the reunification process for children and families in the RTC Project.

For more information, please contact your CRCG DSHS representative:

Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

DARS continues to work with HHSC and TWC on transitioning its programs as required in S.B. 200, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, and S.B. 208, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.  Transition teams comprised of individuals from DARS, HHSC, and TWC continue to implement steps to ensure a smooth transition of the following programs from DARS to TWC on September 1, 2016:

  • Vocational Rehabilitation
  • Business Enterprises of Texas
  • Independent Living for Individuals who are Blind programs
  • Crisis Cole Rehabilitation Center

The following programs will be transferred from DARS to HHSC on September 1, 2016:

  • The Early Childhood Intervention
  • Blind Children’s Discovery and Development Program
  • Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services
  • Blindness, Education, Screening and Treatment
  • Independent Living Services
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing programs
  • Disability Determination Services

H.B. 2463 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, directs DARS to consolidate the Independent Living (IL) programs of the Division for Blind Services and of the Division for Rehabilitation Services and to outsource the consolidated IL program to Centers for Independent Living (CILs) or other organizations by August 31, 2016.  DARS held public meetings in Fort Worth, Midland, and San Antonio in February 2016, to take comments on the outsourcing of the integrated IL program.  More information is available on the IL Outsourcing webpage, which is the central source of information on this project for stakeholders.

For more information, contact your CRCG DARS representatives: