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The
State CRCG Office hosted the two-day preconference "Leading a CRCG Using
Best Practices" on Nov. 7 - 8 at the Strengthening Youth and Families
(SYF) Conference in Arlington, TX. State
CRCG Coordinator, Emily Sasser-Bray and experienced CRCG Leader and Member
Stephanie Blanck, led sessions on:
-
The CRCG model.
- Interactive breakouts designed to tackle
CRCG challenges.
- Identify solutions and tools to address
those challenges.
- An innovative facilitation model for CRCG
staffings.
- Values based discussions to strengthen the
CRCG approach to serving clients and the community.
Forty-five
CRCG leaders and members from across the state attended.
 CRCG
leaders and members from across Texas learn from one another as they share best
practices and identify solutions for the challenges they face in their
communities.
Bridge
Call Announcement - NEW UPDATES
The
State CRCG Office offers the monthly bridge call for CRCG members to receive
peer-to-peer support, share ideas, discuss challenges, and network.
Our
next bridge call is scheduled on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Central Time.
We hope you can join us for a collaborative discussion.
Upcoming
Bridge Call Schedule
- Tuesday,
January 10, 2017, 2 to 3 p.m. Central Time
- Tuesday,
February 14, 2017, 2 to 3 p.m. Central Time
- Tuesday,
March 14, 2017, 2 to 3 p.m. Central Time
To
participate in any of the upcoming calls, use the conference call information
below:
- Dial in
information: (877) 820-7831
- Access
code 952056
CRCG Webinar Series
The State CRCG Office offers a webinar series for local CRCG leaders, members and other interested people 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.
Please stay tuned for newsletters, leader emails, and webinar notifications for information on how to register.
Upcoming Webinar Schedule
New
CRCG Family Survey
The
State CRCG Office is excited to announce a new survey for people CRCGs serve. The survey takes between five and seven
minutes to finish. The survey is available here. The link will also be available on the new CRCG website which will be launched
early next year. All information
collected is anonymous. If you have any
questions about the survey, please contact the State CRCG Office at CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us. A Spanish version of the survey will be
available shortly.
The
State CRCG Office Presented at the Partners in Prevention Conference!
The
State CRCG Office hosted a fully attended workshop at the Partners in
Prevention Conference in September. Twenty-six
agencies and representatives covering 19 counties attended! CRCG leaders, members, and community partners
were present and engaged in a fruitful discussion about the CRCG process and
ways to engage with CRCGs across communities. Many new faces attended and expressed interest
in joining local CRCGs. If you're interested
in connecting with potential new members or receiving resources you learned
about at the conference, please email
the State CRCG Office at CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us.
The
State CRCG Office Presented at the International Conference on Innovations and
Family Engagement!
On
Nov. 4, the State CRCG Office presented at the International Conference on Innovations
and Family Engagement in November in Fort Worth. The event was hosted by the Kempe Center. State CRCG Coordinator Emily Sasser-Bray
provided attendees with a thorough overview and introduction to the CRCG
Program.
For
two decades, the Kempe Center for
the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect
has supported 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.
State
CRCG Office Visited the Heart of Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center
On
October 11th, the State CRCG Office and CRCG State Workgroup member, Janene
Roch, (HHSC/DADS) visited the Heart of Texas Aging and Disability Resource
Center (ADRC), located in Waco. The
State CRCG Office learned about services ADRCs provide. The Heart of Texas ADRC is closely involved
with the McLennan County Adult CRCG, illustrating how CRCGs and ADRCs can work
together to connect Texans with the services they need.
ADRCs
are part of the No Wrong Door system, designed to streamline public access to
long-term services care programs. ADRCs
serve as a key point of access to person centered long-term services and
supports specialized information, referral, and assistance. They provide one-stop access to information
for people who need help finding long-term care services. ADRCs help cut through the confusing maze of
funding sources, multiple intake systems, and eligibility processes. They also provide help to people in all 254
counties in the state. You can locate
the ADRC for your region here.
CRCG
Leader Contact Information
Please
help us keep our CRCG leader contacts up-to-date when you have leadership
changes in your CRCG. You can send an
email to the State CRCG Office: CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us
with any contact information updates. Accurate
contact information is critical to local CRCGs and agencies to make appropriate
referrals. The "Find a Local
CRCG" search function on our website is updated monthly. Check here
to make sure your county's information is accurate.
RESOURCES:
Sample
Forms for Referrals and Individual Service Plans Now Available!
In
response to popular demand, the State CRCG Office created sample forms for the
Referral and Individual Service Plan. Copies
were distributed at the SYF Conference and in the November Leader email. Please email the State CRCG Office at CRCG@hhsc.state.tx.us for your copy. The referral form is to be completed by the
person referring an individual to a local CRCG.
Copies of
the Individual Service Plan form should be provided to the client or family
after the staffing by the local CRCG, and each agency involved in the
Individual Service Plan. CRCGs aren't required to use either form. The State CRCG Office developed the forms in
response to feedback from local CRCG leaders and members. Please feel free to use and adapt them as you
see fit! Spanish versions of the forms
will be available soon.
Please
remember all
information shared in a CRCG staffing is confidential. Each member is
bound by the confidentiality rules of his or her own agency or
organization. Information obtained at the meeting is not to be shared
outside the CRCG except as needed to secure resources for the family or individual. All participants should sign
confidentiality statements prior to the staffing for CRCG records. The State
CRCG Office is developing sample confidentiality forms for local CRCGs to
reference.
STAR
Kids: New Video
Check
out STAR Kids new informative video,
which reviews the goals of STAR Kids, who is affected and eligible, plan
choices, enrollment options, picking a plan, value added services, important
dates, your rights, and how to find resources!
Currently,
children and young adults with disabilities receive Medicaid services through
the STAR+PLUS managed care program or traditional fee-for-service Medicaid.
S.B. 7, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, directs the Health
and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish a mandatory, capitated STAR
Kids managed care program tailored to provide Medicaid benefits to individuals
with disabilities younger than 21.
HHSC
intends for the statewide STAR Kids program to improve coordination of care,
access to care, health outcomes and quality of care. STAR Kids began Nov. 1, 2016. Individuals required to enroll in STAR Kids
will include those younger than 21 who receive Social
Security Income (SSI)/SSI-related Medicaid, and/or Home and Community-Based
Services (HCBS) 1915 (c) waiver program services.
STAR
Kids health plans will work with members and their families to provide
coordinated acute, behavioral, and long-term services and supports long-term
services and supports. In addition to
existing Medicaid benefits, all STAR Kids members will receive:
- A
comprehensive, holistic, person-centered assessment of member and family needs
and preferences.
- An
Individual Service Plan (ISP) identifying short and long-term goals, service
and support needs, and member preferences.
- Comprehensive
transition planning from age 15 to 21.
For more information
about STAR Kids, email the STAR Kids implementation team at: Managed_Care_Initiatives@hhsc.state.tx.us.
You can visit their
webpage at: https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-and-chip/programs/star-kids.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES:
Texas
Transitions Conference, February 22 - 24, Houston, TX
The Texas Transition Conference will be Feb.
22-24 at the Westin Galleria in Houston.
The Texas Transition Conference is a two-day event, with a
pre-conference session providing evidence-based practices that result in a
smooth transition from school to adult life for youth with disabilities. Conference attendees come from all over the
state of Texas. Attendees include:
- Educators
- Transition
specialists
- Vocational
coordinators
- Service
agency representatives
- Youth
with disabilities and their families
Stipends are available for youth and families. Learn more
and register online here: http://ttc.tamu.edu/
In this section, we highlight updates from the non-profit partners of the CRCG State Workgroup.
Texas Network of Youth
Services (TNOYS)
In
2015, the Texas Legislature passed a bill mandating the first-ever statewide
count and survey of homeless youth in Texas. Texas Network of Youth
Services (TNOYS) was contracted
to develop and implement the survey in collaboration with local communities
across the state.
In
September 2016, TNOYS produced a process evaluation report to share lessons
learned in the process of carrying out this groundbreaking effort. The findings and recommendations can inform
future counts of youth experiencing homelessness and provide insight into
efforts to support this vulnerable population. Access the Youth Count Texas! Project: Process
Evaluation Report here.
In this section, we
highlight updates from CRCG State Agency partners to hear about opportunities,
new resources, and policy changes.
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Early Childhood Intervention
The
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program moved to the Health and Human
Services Commission’s Health and Development Services Section on Sept. 1,
2016. ECI services is a statewide program for families with children, 3
and younger, with developmental delays or disabilities.
Specialists
in early intervention help families and caregivers strengthen their ability to
improve their child's development through everyday activities in places
convenient for the family such as their home or child care center. ECI offers early intervention services in
every county in Texas. For more information about ECI or to refer a child, call
the HHSC Office of the Ombudsman at 1-877-787-8999, select a language, then
select Option 3.
Office of Mental Health
Coordination
On
Oct. 4, 2016, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
released the fiscal year 2017 Funding Opportunity Announcement for System of
Care Expansion and Sustainability Cooperative Agreements. HHSC is in the
final year of the current system of care grant and is eligible to apply for the
new funding opportunity. Lillian Stengart, Project Director for the Texas
System of Care, is completing the application in coordination with individuals
from the Office of Mental Health Coordination, Behavioral Health Services and
partnering agencies. The application is due to SAMHSA on Jan. 3, 2017.
For more
information about the Texas System of Care, please contact:
Aging and Disability Resource Center
The
Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Advisory Committee and the Texas
Respite Advisory Committee (TRAC) will meet Jan. 23, 2017, in the Public
Hearing Room of the Winters Building located at 701 W. 51st St,
Austin, TX 78751. The TRAC meeting will start at 10 a.m. and the ADRC
Advisory Committee meeting will start at 1:30 p.m.
Anyone
interested in ADRCs or respite services in Texas are encouraged to attend. If a member of the public wishes to address either
committee, they must email adrc@dads.state.tx.us by Jan. 1, 2017, to be
included on the agenda.
For
more information, please contact:
Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
The Children with Special
Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Systems Development Group, which supports
population-based services for children with special health care needs relating
to the Title V Block Grant, is now a part of the Title V Maternal and Child
Health section at the Texas Department of State Health Services.
For more information, contact:
Department of
Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
New
Child Abuse and Neglect Special Investigations Division Created
On
Oct. 18, 2016, Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner, Henry Whitman, Jr. placed special
investigators and special investigator program directors into a newly created
division of Child Abuse and Neglect Special Investigations. The director for the division will be Jim
Sylvester.
The immediate goal of this division is to improve
face-to-face contacts and help CPS investigators locate children and families
involved in an investigation. The special investigators and special investigator
program directors will use their forensic investigative skills to help workers
in the field when investigating abuse and neglect cases.
For
more information, please contact:
Texas Department of
Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
The
Texas Department of Criminal Justice has much to look forward to this year, as
there have been many changes to help shape and strengthen the agency. The most notable changes include TDCJ's
executive leadership team.
Bryan
Collier was selected by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice to replace Brad
Livingston as Executive Director in August 2016. "I am honored and humbled by this
appointment and the confidence shown in my by the Board of Criminal
Justice," Collier said in a press release. "I look forward to the
opportunity to serve the dedicated professionals employed by the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice who do the important work of keeping our communities
safe."
Collier
worked as TDCJ's deputy executive director since July 2007 after serving various
other positions such as correctional officer, parole officer, unit supervisor,
program administrator and parole division director since joining the agency in
1985. The Sam Houston State graduate
also served on the American Correctional Association (ACA) Delegate Assembly,
was previously recognized as one of ACA's "Best in the Business" and
is currently the Chair of the ACA Adult Corrections Committee.
Oscar
Mendoza has been promoted to the Deputy Executive Director and has over 37
years of experience with Texas Department of Criminal Justice, beginning as a
correctional officer and promoting through each level of security supervisory
post to include serving as warden at five facilities and deputy director for
Management Operations within the Correctional Institutions Division. Mr.
Mendoza has also served as the director for the Administrative Review and Risk
Management Division and currently serves as the director for the Private
Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division. Oscar brings strong and proven
leadership and a wealth of experience to his new role and will serve the agency
well.
For
more information, please contact:
- Amy Saflekos
Amy.Saflekos@tdcj.texas.gov
(512) 671-2380
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