The State CRCG Office is pleased to announce the publication of our "One Page Series." These are one page documents about resources frequently
accessed by local CRCGs. This month we
are excited to release one pagers on the YES Waiver and Non-educational funds
developed in partnership with State Workgroup members at the Department of
State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The State CRCG
Office is circulating these resources to all CRCG Leaders in the June leadership
email.
In the months ahead, the State CRCG Office will develop more one page
documents on resources such as permanency planning, the Waco Center for Youth,
and the North Texas State Hospital.
To suggest
other topics, please email the State CRCG Office at: CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us.
This quarter, the State CRCG Office visited Llano County to provide
training and technical assistance. Llano
County was formerly a part of a two-county CRCG that decided to establish their
own group. In light of this decision,
Llano contacted the State CRCG Office for support.
The State CRCG Office trains counties
who are launching, maintaining, and re-vamping local CRCGs. These trainings are conducted through site
visits, conference calls, and video conferencing. The State CRCG Office presented a 101 on CRCGs,
which provides a thorough review of the CRCG model, sample cases, and the
program.
Llano CRCG Chair, Kimberly Harris, shared that members who never
participated in a CRCG found the training to be very helpful. The State CRCG Office also observed and
participated in a staffing. After the
site visit, the State CRCG Office provided feedback on the CRCG's strengths and
suggestions to improve the process and experience for families. Ms. Harris, stated that, "It was nice to
know that we have a state representative to reach out to."
The State CRCG Office recently created tools for local CRCGs like Llano
County. The CRCG Checklist helps prepare new or
expanding CRCGs to serve clients. The CRCG
Checklist was shared with all CRCG Leaders in the June leadership email.
If your CRCG
is in need of support, please contact the State CRCG Office by email at: CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us.
Bridge
Call Announcement - NEW UPDATES
In
an effort to improve the quality of our monthly bridge call series, the State
CRCG Office is piloting GoToWebinar technology this summer. We hope to decrease the time spent on
introductions, increase discussion time, improve sound quality, and collect accurate
participation records. Participants will
continue to have the opportunity to share thoughts, ask questions, and provide
support to their peers.
To
participate, click here to register for the July and August bridge
calls.
Our next bridge call is scheduled on Tuesday
July 12, 2016, at 2:00 PM - 3:00PM CDT/1:00 PM - 2:00PM MDT. We hope you can join us to participate in the
discussion.
Upcoming Bridge Call
Schedule:
- Tuesday,
July 12, 2016 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT/1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MDT
- Tuesday,
August 9, 2016 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT/1:00 PM - 2:00 PM MDT
CRCG
Webinar Series
The State CRCG Office
offers a webinar series for local CRCG Leaders, 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.
This
July, the State CRCG Office will reveal a survey to collect local CRCG service
delivery information from the 2015 calendar year. On the webinar we will review the survey,
provide a "how-to" tutorial, and discuss how the information that is
collected will be used. This survey will
provide valuable information for the upcoming Legislative Report and is
critical in highlighting how local CRCGs across the state are working with
persons and families in their communities.
Upcoming Webinar Schedule:
Mark your calendars for
these upcoming webinars and join in on the learning and discussion. If
you have suggestions for future webinar topics, please email us your ideas.
Changing of the Interns
It
is that time of year again – when we say goodbye to our current interns and
welcome a new group. The State CRCG
Office sincerely thanks Marilee Ponangi and Moriah Holmes for their
contributions to our Program. Marilee
accepted a position as Evaluation Specialist III at DSHS and Moriah is moving
to Los Angeles to become an Education Pioneers Fellow. We wish them the best of luck.
We
welcome our new interns, Sarah Fiorenza and Robert Carroll. Sarah graduated in 2011 with a Master's degree
in Global Policy Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The
University of Texas at Austin. She also
holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Austin College. Robert is currently working on his Ph.D. in
Interpersonal Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. He received his Bachelor's and Master's
degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Communication and Higher
Education.
HHSC's
First Foster Care Ombudsman
If
a child in foster care has a question or complaint about how they are being
treated or how their case is being handled, they can now call Clarice Rogers,
an 11-year veteran of the Department
of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Clarice is HHSC's first Foster Care Ombudsman;
a position created by Senate Bill 830, 84th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2015. Working in the Office of the Ombudsman, she
will act as a neutral party to help children in foster care with their
questions and concerns.
"If there is a child who is calling for help, I come
in," Rogers said. "I'll look
to see if Child Protective Services has made appropriate findings and taken
appropriate actions. If they have questions about other HHS services, I
can help with that, too."
There are 20,000 young Texans in foster care at any given
time, and while DFPS's Office of Consumer Affairs handles complaints from
anyone involved in a child's case, this is the first time someone has been
dedicated solely to the children and youth themselves.
For more information about the
program, visit the HHSC Ombudsman's website.
Free Summer Meals
Available for Kids
The Summer Food Program, sponsored by the Texas
Department of Agriculture (TDA), provides nutritious lunches, and occasionally
breakfast, to children 18 and younger when school is not in session. The meals are provided at no cost at various
community locations across the state.
The HHSC 2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network is
working with TDA to provide information on how children can find free meal
sites during the summer months.
For more information about summer meals near you, call
2-1-1 or visit www.summerfood.org.
Texas Conference on Ending
Homelessness, September 21-23, 2016, in Austin, TX
The Texas Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness is scheduled for September 21-23, 2016, at the Austin
Omni Hotel at Southpark in Austin, Texas. This conference is designed for people who
represent a product or service that benefits homeless service agencies or the
people they serve. For more information
about conference registration or hotel rates, click here to
access the conference website.
Partners in Prevention Conference, September
28-30, 2016, in Austin, TX
The
annual Partners in Prevention (PIP) Conference will be held September 28-30,
2016, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Austin, Texas. PIP is the largest gathering of prevention and
early intervention specialists and aligned professionals in Texas. Now in its 16th year, PIP is an education and
networking event for community-based providers, advocates, civic leaders,
researchers, and professionals with an interest in child welfare, social,
emotional and cognitive development, parenting, juvenile justice, and pro-social
adolescent development.
Visit
the conference website for more information. Registration opens in August.
International Conference on
Innovations in Family Engagement, November 1-4, 2016, in Fort Worth, TX
For
two decades, the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse
and Neglect has been supporting the implementation of innovation in systems and
communities that work with vulnerable children, youth and families. Three of
these more well-known innovations are family group decision making (FGDM),
family engagement and differential response. The Kempe Center fuels leaders’
quests to adapt systems to center on achieving safety, permanency and
well-being through family engagement.
CRCG
will present at the International Conference on Innovations in Family
Engagement! Check for updates, the conference schedule, and information on
nearby hotels at the conference
website.
Strengthening Youth and Families, November 7- 10, 2016, in Arlington, TX
The Strengthening Youth and Families Conference is Texas’ only interagency-funded annual conference for youth-serving professionals, attracting over 300 attendees who come together for several days of networking and professional development.
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!
Registration and scholarship applications for attendance will be available on August 1st. To request a scholarship application after August 1st, please contact Rebecca Garza, Family Supports Administrator for TJJD at rebecca.garza@tjjd.texas.gov.
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 May, 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.
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 Transformation: Where Are We
Now?
Senate Bill 200, 84th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2015 is known as
the Sunset bill. The bill
lays the groundwork for the HHS transformation and takes a phased approach to restructuring. The following content provides updates on some of
the Health and Human Services Commission's (HHSCs) organizational
changes that will begin Sept. 1, 2016.
The organizational charts
produced by the transformation cross-agency workgroups are now being considered
and approved for implementation. The
majority of the transformation changes will serve to populate the new
Medical and Social Services division.
This division will be a blending of programs, services, and benefits
offered by:
- Health
and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
- Department
of Aging and Disability Services (DADS)
- Department
of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
- Department
of State Health Services (DSHS)
The new Medical and Social
Services division will be comprised of the following three departments:
- Access
and Eligibility Services
- Community
Services
- Medicaid
and CHIP Services
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
The Texas
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) continues to work
with HHSC and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on the transition of
programs.
DARS recently
announced a new Resource Page that will
provide the latest information on activities and news related to the transfer
of DARS programs and services to the TWC and HHSC.
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. Contract applications
were released to CILs with a due date of Thursday, April 28, 2016. DARS anticipates all contracts will be signed
by the end of June 2016.
Additionally,
the final capacity report from the Public Consulting Group is posted on the IL Outsourcing
webpage.
For
more information, contact your CRCG DARS representatives:
Texas Workforce Commission
TWC Welcomes Newly Appointed Commissioner Representing
Labor, Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez III is the newly appointed Commissioner
Representing Labor of the Texas Workforce Commission. Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the
three-member Commission on February 22, 2016. His Commission appointment expires February 1,
2017. The Commissioner Representing
Labor represents the interest of Texas workers with respect to TWC services and
ensures that their concerns are considered in all Commission actions.
Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Alvarez served as
president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, fostering relationships
and coordinating programs to advance regional economic development and
employment opportunities. He also served
as a Texas regional director for the U.S. Senate and advised on legislative and
policy issues related to South Texas. Prior to that, Commissioner Alvarez
served on the South Texas Drug Task Force as a state trooper for the Texas
Department of Public Safety (DPS).
After his service with DPS, Alvarez inspired stewardship
and leadership as the director of college information for Texas State Technical
College in Harlingen.
For
more information about the three-member Commission for the Labor of Texas
Workforce Commission, please visit the TWC website at: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/commissioners.
For
additional information, contact the following CRCG TWC representative:
Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
On
September 1, 2016, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) will
begin statewide use of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS)
Assessment. All children and youth ages 3-17 years-old entering DFPS
conservatorship on or after September 1, 2016, will have a CANS completed as
part of their assessment and service planning process within 30 days of
removal.
CANS
is a multi-purpose tool developed for children’s services to support decision-making,
drive service planning, facilitate quality improvement initiatives, and allow
for the monitoring of outcomes of services. Versions of the CANS are currently used in 50
states and multiple countries in child welfare, mental health, juvenile
justice, and early intervention applications.
In
Texas, CANS is currently used by:
- The 3B Foster Care Redesign Catchment area
- A DFPS IV-E waiver pilot program in Harris
County
- DSHS
- Juvenile Justice Entities
- Residential providers
In
coordination with the DSHS, DFPS, and Region 6a Harris County IV-E waiver
program, the Texas Comprehensive version 2.0 CANS tool was developed
specifically for children served by DFPS.
A
CANS assessment will be administered by a Medicaid clinician who is certified
to administer CANS. For IV-E waiver
children (administered by a caseworker) and some children placed in the 3B Foster
Care Redesign Catchment area, the assessment will be administered by a CANS
certified provider affiliated with the child placing agency.
To
learn more about CANS, please visit praedfoundation.org. For specific questions about DFPS CANS
implementation, please email your inquiries to cans@dfps.state.tx.us.
Department of Aging and Disability Services
(DADS)
Applications are available for people who are interested in serving on the
Aging and Disability Resource Center Advisory Committee (ADRCAC) or the Texas
Respite Advisory Committee (TRAC). Applications are due June 24, 2016. To help
potential members better understand the purpose of the committees, letters to
individuals interested in ADRC or respite issues have been added to the DADS
site.
E-mail questions to ADRC@dads.state.tx.us or TakeTime.Texas@dads.state.tx.us, as appropriate.
Texas System of Care
In
May 2016, the Texas System of Care hosted a two-day intensive interagency
leadership development and training seminar focused on complex systems change
and community preparation. Community and state leaders from a variety of
agencies came together at the Texas Leadership Academy to learn and practice
leadership skills in times of change and innovation.
In
early June, the Texas Building Bridges Initiative: Linking
Families, Communities, and Residential Treatment Centers through Best Practices
(TxBBI) was launched. This initiative is a partnership between Texas
System of Care, DFPS, DSHS, and the Building Bridges Initiative to promote
practices and policies that encourage families, communities, and RTCs to
collaborate effectively to improve the quality of life for children and
families.
In
conjunction with the Shifting Cultures
Through Trauma Informed Care conference, teams from three residential
treatment centers (Embracing Destiny, Krause Children’s Center, and Roy Maas
Youth Alternatives) and one local mental health authority (Emergence Health
Network, in El Paso) participated in an afternoon of strategic planning to
select and implement specific TxBBI best practices in their
organizations.
Finally,
the Texas System of Care partnered with the Austin Youth Film Festival to award
the first ever Standing Ovation award for the best video
addressing teen mental health. Check out the award winning video by Emma
Rose Gill here.
Subscribe to email updates and children’s mental health news and
resources from the Texas System of Care to stay up to date! http://www.txsystemofcare.org/subscribe/
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