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[I. ORGANIZATIONAL ITEMS]
JUDGE BONNIE HELMS, DR.CONNIE ALMEDA HERE, MATT COREY, DEDE CANTU ARE TREMENDOUS HERE.
GREG HAMILTON, LISA HACKETT HERE.
AND JULIE KRAWCHECK IS OUT TODAY.
OKAY. I'M DECLARING THAT WE DO INDEED HAVE A QUORUM.
I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO GUESTS.
THAT'S SILLY BECAUSE THEY RUN THE PLACE AND WE'RE WE'RE THE GUESTS, BUT NONETHELESS JUST A FEW OF THE THE EXECUTIVE TEAM HERE.
TREVOR, I KNOW I SAW HIM HERE.
WHERE IS HE? NOW HE'S RUNNING AROUND.
HE'S THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DAVID KINSEY, CFO.
SHE'S THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, DENISE DRYDEN.
SHE'S THE HEAD OF CPS, ROBERT RICHMOND.
ROBERT, WILL YOU WANT TO WAIT? THERE YOU GO. OK.
HE'S CPI CHILDREN'S PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS.
HIS ROLE. THERE'S THAT HANDSOME DEVIL.
HE'S WITH A DUCK. HE'S WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
TINY, BUT MIGHTY SHE IS, SHE'S PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING.
COURSE, CORDLESS, I'M SORRY, SWEETIE.
AND MY NO, I WON'T BECAUSE I'M GETTING OLDER.
THAT MAY BE THE BEST I COULD DO.
STEPHEN BLACK STATEWIDE INTAKE.
AND VICKI. OH, LORD, I KNOW I WON'T.
A EJECTION, HUH? YEAH, EXACTLY.
GENERAL COUNSEL, SHE'S NOT HERE, WHICH IS GOOD.
I WAS GOING TO SAY I'M GLAD I DID WHAT? SHE WASN'T HERE FOR ME TO OFFEND A LAWYER.
OK, HAVE YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES FROM THE 14TH OF MAY? MY OPENING COMMENT WOULD BE THAT I AM BASICALLY, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T TELL IT, BUT I'M A PEOPLE PERSON AND I.
IT HAS BEEN SO DIFFICULT WITH COVID, THE THINGS I'M THINKING OF, THE POSITIVE STUFF THAT WE'VE LEARNED. TECHNOLOGY, HOW TO ZOOM, HOW WE CAN STILL GET WORK DONE AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. BUT IT ALSO HAS TAUGHT ME HOW IMPORTANT HUMAN CONTACT IS AND HOW BADLY I HAVE MISSED SEEING A BUNCH OF YOU ALL AT VARIOUS MEETINGS AND BEING ABLE TO HUG YOU AND TALK TO YOU AND SHARE IDEAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO SEE THE COUNCIL BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME OF US THAT ARE NEW, SOME OF THEM THAT ARE NEW THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN BEFORE.
AND SO IT'S WONDERFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THEIRS, TREVOR.
HE HAS ARRIVED IN THE ROOM, SO I'VE ALREADY INTRODUCED YOU TO YOUR HANDSOME SELF.
ANYWAY, WE'RE WE'RE JUST SO GLAD THAT WE'RE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN IN PERSON AND CAN SEE YOU ALL AND CAN SHARE IDEAS AND INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON WITH THE WORLD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'VE REVIEWED THE MAY 14 MINUTES.
SO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
ANYBODY DISAGREE? OK. THEY ARE ADMITTED AS HAVING BEEN CORRECT.
OK, NOW OUR NEXT IS OUR PLANNING CALENDAR.
[II. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]
JANUARY IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT MONTH TO ME BECAUSE THEN I'LL SHARE WITH THIS MORE ABOUT THIS IN A LITTLE WHILE.IT'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING MONTH AND SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR ATTENTION. I'LL TALK ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT AND FEELINGS ABOUT THAT A LITTLE LATER.
AND OUR CALENDAR FOR TWENTY TWENTY TWO FOR THE COUNCIL QUARTERLY MEETINGS.
SEPTEMBER 9TH AND DECEMBER 9TH, NOW WE ALL KNOW AFTER HAVING SEEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT THIS HAS TO BE FLEXIBLE SOMETIMES IN THESE MAY MOVE.
[00:05:04]
SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T PLAN YOUR WEDDING AROUND THOSE DATES.WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THAT SCHEDULE.
OK, NOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WE HAVE WE'VE DIVIDED SEVERAL COUPLE OF YEARS AGO INTO
[III. COUNCIL ACTIONS/INITIATIVES]
VARIOUS COMMITTEES THAT NO MORE THAN THREE OF US BECAUSE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THREE OF US ARE WORKING ON AND AT THE SAME TIME AND HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN.AND SO THE FIRST OF THESE GROUPS IS THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES THAT MATT CURRY AND CONNIE ARE BOTH ON.
ALMEIDA, SHE'S A FRIEND OF MINE.
ALMEDA STUFF, IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE DINNER TOGETHER FREQUENTLY ANYWAY.
WOULD EITHER ONE OR BOTH OF YOU ALL LIKE TO REPORT YOU WANT TO START FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE ON THE CHILDREN'S PROTECTIVE SERVICES? AND WORK GROUP.
AND I KNOW THAT MATT PROBABLY HAS MORE UPDATES, AND I KNOW HE HAD SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT HE WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS THE EXPANSION OF SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD TB3.
SO THE TRUST BASED RELATIONSHIP INTERVENTION AND ACTUALLY VERY PRODUCTIVE, LOOKING AT FORMING A COLLABORATIVE AND AGAIN WORKING WITH CHILD ADVOCATES AND SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS AND OF COURSE, CPS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
BUT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT VARIOUS AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO EXPAND THIS WORK.
SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY INTERESTING EFFORT THAT MAYBE CAN BE REPLICATED IN OTHER PLACES, REALLY HAS NOT INVOLVED ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY.
AND ACTUALLY, WE HAVE THE LOCAL FOUNDATION THAT NOW IS COMING TO US TO SUPPORT THE WORK.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF, AGAIN, THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS.
UM, DEFINITELY THE TRAUMA THAT SEVERAL OF OUR CHILDREN ARE EXPERIENCING AND MULTIPLE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO REPORT ON IN THE FUTURE ALSO, BUT VERY POSITIVE.
AND AGAIN, NO ADDITIONAL MONEY, JUST PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER WITH EXPERTIZE THAT ARE TRAINED IN THE COMMITMENT TO DO THIS WORK.
THANK YOU. MATT, THANKS, DOCTOR, I MADE A THANK YOU CHAIR.
THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT OUR COMMITTEE HAS BEEN ALSO FOCUSED ON TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE ABUNDANCE OF CHANGES THAT THE AGENCY HAS BEEN MAKING AND HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
CERTAINLY, COVID HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR OUR STAFF, AND SO WE'VE LEANED IN TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND STAFF MORALE AND STAFF TURNOVER AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DONE TO TO TO CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO THAT TO THAT SITUATION.
BUT WHETHER IT'S THAT OR FEDERAL POLICY, IMPLEMENTATION LAWSUITS AND OTHER THINGS, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING TIME. I'M SURE, AS WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY, THE SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACTOR WORK AND THE CHANGES IN THAT AND CONTINUE TO WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF EXECUTING THE LEGISLATURE'S GUIDANCE THERE WELL TO SERVE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MACRO ISSUES, BUT I TOO, LIKE DR.
ARMIDA, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE LOCALLY.
I WORK WITH A LOT OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE SINCE EXTENSIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OF THE SYSTEM, WHETHER THEY'RE WORKING ON TRAUMA INFORMED CARE OR WORKING WITH FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
CASA ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE IMPACTS AT THE STATE LEVEL ARE FILTERING DOWN. AND THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT, AND I HOPE WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT MORE OF THAT TODAY.
IT'S INCREASINGLY A CHALLENGE FOR SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO EVEN FIND THE KIDS AND FAMILIES THAT NEED SUPPORT.
WITH WITH WITH SOME OF THE POLICY IMPLEMENTATIONS AND AND SO THERE'S AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS AND AND AND FAITH INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT REALLY WANT TO HELP.
AND I THINK THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND WAYS TO DO THAT AS WELL AS THEY COULD.
AND SO I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEAN INTO THAT AS A COUNCIL AND AS A LEADERSHIP GROUP.
THANKS, JUDGE. UH-HUH, THANK YOU.
OK. MR. HAMILTON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ON THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING OR THE SEE THE CHILDREN'S PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS? WELL, ACTUALLY I HAVE I ATTENDED WELL, I ATTENDED.
I WAS ON THE WEBINAR ON THE CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATION, ONE ON ONE.
I ATTENDED THAT AND ALSO I ALSO ATTENDED A FEW HOURS OVER AT THE PPIP CONFERENCE, AND I REALLY ENJOYED AND LEARNED A LOT.
AND HAVING A LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND, BUT BEING OUT OF IT FOR FIVE YEARS, IT OPENED UP
[00:10:07]
MY EYES TO THE ISSUES OF NOT ONLY HUMAN TRAFFICKING, BUT CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.AND I'VE SEEN FROM A BIRD'S EYE VIEW BECAUSE MY MOM WAS A FOSTER PARENT AT 80 SOMETHING YEARS OLD. SHE HAD FOUR OR FIVE KIDS OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
I'VE WRITTEN OUT WITH PFLUGERVILLE PD ON SOME OF THE CALLS, AND I'VE SEEN THAT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TELL THE MEMBERS THAT ARE IN HERE THAT WORKED THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS A A JOB THAT YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF PRAISE FOR, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SERVANT'S HEART TO STAY IN THIS FIELD. AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN HERE 30 YEARS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, BUT GOD BLESS YOU.
WELL, WE IN HOUSTON HAVE HAD A FAIRLY EXCITING TIME.
MY VERY HANDSOME HUSBAND SITTING ON THE FRONT ROW HERE PLAYED FOR THE HOUSTON OILERS A BUNCH OF YEARS AGO AND IS NOW ON THE HARRIS COUNTY SPORTS AND CONVENTION CORP THAT RUNS NRG STADIUM AND THE ASTRODOME.
THAT WHOLE AREA, HE'S THE SECRETARY TREASURER THAT THE AND I MET THIS YOUNG WOMAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WE SAT AND GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND I FOUND OUT WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ADVOCATE THAT SHE IS FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
SHE IS AN ADVOCATE THAT SITS IN THE JAIL WITH THE GIRLS AND GETS TO KNOW THEM AND SUPPORTS THEM AND DOES WELL.
IT'S EXPANDED NOW AND TO ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, MY HUSBAND AND THE REST OF THE BOARD CAME UP WITH THE IDEA AND HAVE NAMED NRG STADIUM AS A NTC NO TRAFFICKING ZONE, AND WE HAVE NOW FORMED A 501C3.
AND THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHO CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT TIME IT IS WITH THE CLOCK IN FRONT OF THEM HAVE COME TOGETHER AND ALL CONTRIBUTED MONEY TO START THIS.
NOT ENOUGH NEARLY, BUT HAVE GIVEN US MONEY TO SEED THIS PROJECT AND THEY ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE STADIUM WHO SERVE FOOD, THE OFFICERS, EVERYBODY. WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING TRAINED EVERY BALL GAME AS TO WHAT TO DO.
WE'VE GOT SIGNS THAT HELP PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND WE'VE USED THE WORDING OF THE GIRLS THAT HAVE BEEN SEX TRAFFICKED.
SO BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT LINGO AND INSTEAD OF SAYING SEX TRAFFICKING OR WHATEVER WE HAVE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET OUT OF THE LIFE.
AND SO IT'S BEEN THE GROUP IS GROWING.
IN JANUARY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR NEXT NTC HEARING AND GROUP MEETING AND HONORING AND STUFF. BUT WE HAD A HUGE PRESS CONFERENCE OUT IN FRONT OF NRG STADIUM THAT LASTED WELL OVER AN HOUR IN 30 MINUTES.
BUT EVERYBODY IN THEIR PET DOG WAS THERE.
THE SHERIFFS, THE CONSTABLES, THE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE MAYOR.
EVERYBODY IS BEHIND THIS PROJECT.
I MEAN, WHO'S GOING TO SAY, NO, I REALLY LIKE SEX TRAFFICKING, YOU KNOW, SO EVERYBODY'S HELPING TO GET IN LINE BEHIND IT.
AND SO SOME OF SOME OF YOUR PEOPLE, PEOPLE HAVE COME.
BLANCA HAS COME DOWN TO HOUSTON AND WORKED WITH US ON THAT, AND WE'RE HOPING WE WERE ALREADY HAVE GOTTEN SOME INFORMATION FROM DALLAS AND OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE STADIUMS. THERE WERE CHANGES IN THE LEGISLATURE WHERE THEY DECLARED THAT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAD STADIUMS, THEY WERE ALL NO TRAFFICKING ZONES ACROSS THE STATE.
THEY'VE BEEN NAMED THAT BY FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY CHANGED THE FACT THAT GIRLS THAT WERE PICKED UP FOR SEX TRAFFICKING WILL NO LONGER BE PROSECUTED AS PROSTITUTES, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED VICTIMS. AND SO WE'VE GOT TO WE'RE MAKING CHANGES ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE, FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO THE LOCAL.
AND SO IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTIONS WITH VARIOUS STADIUMS AROUND, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH EITHER ME OR MY HUSBAND, WHOSE NAME IS CAROL STITH.
STILL, I DID NOT MAKE HIM CHANGE HIS NAME WHEN WE GOT MARRIED.
[00:15:03]
SO BLESS HIS HEART ANYWAY.YOU CAN. IF YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY OF US, WE CAN HELP YOU GET CONNECTED.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO DO GOOD WORK, AND IF WE JUST COULD GET IT ALL TOGETHER TO WHERE WE'RE NOT REPLICATING STUFF WE CAN, WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER.
IT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE WORKING WITH DFES ON THIS AND SORT OF WORKING WITH THE STATE, BUT IT'S GETTING BETTER.
AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE REALLY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE SEX TRAFFICKING. SO WHEN YOU HEAR NTC, THAT MEANS NO TRAFFICKING ZONE.
THEY ALSO HAVE A LITTLE QUOTE AFTER THAT, WHICH IS GAME OVER.
OK, AND THE FIFA HAS COME AND IS LOOKING AT HOUSTON AS A POSSIBLE FOR THE WORLD CUP.
AND THEY WERE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS.
NRG STADIUM IS THE FIRST STADIUM OR SPORTS ARENA AREA THAT HAS RECOGNIZED SEX TRAFFICKING, AND THEY HAVE BEEN HONORED NOW BY THE UN FOR BEING THE FIRST IN THE WORLD.
OK, WE NOW HAVE LET'S GO TO ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES WE DON'T THINK OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICE. YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS THINK OF CPS, BUT CANON AND HIS TEAM HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE TOOLS.
IT'S GIVEN TO HIM, SO WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU A LITTLE BIT, HE'S GOING TO DO A REPORT AND SO WE GET TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND IT SEEMS IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITY, WE TEND TO FORGET ABOUT THE ELDERLIES.
OF COURSE, ALSO IN THE BIGGER CITIES, AND THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.
WHAT THEY HAVE, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT COMES WITH IT.
AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT THEY DO BECAUSE I'M ALREADY THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY THERE.
YOU KNOW, ADULT, WE'RE AN ADULT.
NO. WE ARE CLASSIFIED BY AN AGE YOUR 30, 40, 50, 60.
MY MOTHER IS 83 YEARS OLD, AND SHE CAME JUST TO STAY WITH ME JUST A FEW WEEKS, SHE'S ALREADY BEEN THERE THREE YEARS.
SHE'S 84 YEARS OLD. SHE'S A LITTLE SPUNKY LADY IN THAT I LOVE SO MUCH AND I THINK OF HER AND OTHERS IF SHE WAS AT HOME.
AND A FEW WEEKS AGO, ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE I LEFT TO GO SEE YOU, OUR SON PLAY IN HOUSTON, HE'S A RUGBY PLAYER.
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND GOES, WHAT IF I WASN'T THERE, IF MY HUSBAND AND I HAD DECIDED TO LEAVE THE NIGHT BEFORE OR 30 MINUTES PRIOR? AND IT WAS A QUICK FALL.
HER MOURNING CLOTHES, SHE HAD HER MOURNING CLOTHES TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT YOU DO IN THE RESTROOM AND HER CLOTHES FELL.
SHE JUST BENT DOWN TO PICK UP HER CLOTHES AND SHE FELL.
HAPPENED TO HER. NO BROKEN BONES, YOU KNOW, SEIZURE OR ANYTHING, SO IT'S ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.
THESE. ELDERLIES THAT ARE HOME AND WE MAKE THAT PHONE CALL, THEY'RE HEALTHY, BUT THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM.
AND I HAVE A VERY PASSION FOR ADULTS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
EVERYONE KIND OF TOOK CARE OF OURSELVES, OUR FAMILY.
SO WE REACHED OUT, REACH OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR ELDERLY.
DON'T JUST CALL HIM IN THE MORNING AT 8:00 TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE FINE.
WHAT HAPPENS AT 8:30 OR 9:00? CONSTANTLY? THEY WERE WITHOUT FOOD NECESSITIES.
WE'RE NOW. LEFT THEIR FAMILY BEHIND TO TAKE CARE OF THESE ELDERLY.
AND WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT WE DO.
LISA, LISA AND I AND JULIE, WE WORK WITH KEN, VERY DEPARTMENT.
ANYTHING WE ASK THEY OR ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE, THEY COME TO US.
SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
WE DO, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO GOING FORWARD FOR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY SAY, 'CAUSE WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU.
THIS IS THIS IS LISA HACKING MY NAME.
[00:20:02]
THAT'S ALL RIGHT. LISA HAS APPS.I THINK EVEN SINCE I WAS A I WAS A KID.
BUT LOCALLY IN WALKER COUNTY, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON IS WELLNESS, AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL ABUSE, THE FRAUD CALLS TRYING TO SEE WHAT CAN OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DO TO HELP WITH THAT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, HELPING SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT WE CAN DO TO CHECK ON THEM.
I MENTIONED WELLNESS FIRST BECAUSE IN MY OPINION, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF THEY ARE, IF THEIR MIND IS WORKING AS BEST AS IT CAN, THEN THEY WILL BE AWARE AND NOT.
BUT SOMETIMES THEY'RE SO LONELY WHEN THEY GET THESE PHONE CALLS, THEY JUST WANT TO TALK AND THEY WILL SAY YES, YES, YES, NOT, MAYBE YES.
IN AGREEING TO, OK, I'M LISTENING, BUT IT'S RECORDED AS YES, I CAN TAKE MONEY OUT OF YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON.
WE ACTUALLY STARTED A YOGA FOR SENIORS AND VETERANS GROUP, WHICH WE DIDN'T THINK WOULD BE THAT GREAT. WE WERE ACTUALLY JUST DOING IT BECAUSE A FRIEND OF MINE WAS TEACHING YOGA.
WE HAVE ENDED UP WITH A CLASS OF.
ROUGHLY 60 PARTICIPANTS, EACH CLASS AVERAGE AGE 80.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE ACTUALLY FOCUSES ON IS BREATHING AND HELPING THEM KNOW HOW TO SAY, KEEPING THEIR CORE AND KEEPING THEIR BALANCE WORKING.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE EXPAND BECAUSE I'VE SEEN HOW IT'S HELPED. WE HAVE DOCTORS AND THERAPISTS WHO ARE RECOMMENDING THEIR PATIENTS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY HELPING THEM PHYSICALLY, IT IS ACTUALLY HELPING THEM MENTALLY AS WELL AS EMOTIONALLY AND ESPECIALLY WITH KOVIC GOING ON.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH LOCALLY AND WALKER COUNTY AND HUNTSVILLE. AND WE APPRECIATE OUR THE PASSION THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
RIGHT. LET'S GO PARDON PREVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTION, COURTNEY.
WALKING IS ONE OF OUR NEW CRITTERS THAT WE HAD NOT MET BEFORE.
HELLO, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
YES, MY NAME IS COURTNEY JONES AND I'M WITH PREVENTION.
I'VE BEEN REALLY FOCUSING ON SWOP AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING LOCAL RESOURCES, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING INTO FAMILY FIRST AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO BEING A PART OF THE SOLUTION WITH THE KIDS THAT ARE IN SWAP.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH JUDGE MARTINA'S JONES ON THE PILOT PROJECT OF REIMAGINING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
AND SO HOPEFULLY NEXT QUARTER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON HOW IT HAS ROLLED OUT AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE HOPE IS THAT WE WILL USE THIS PILOT AND THAT IT COULD BE USED IN OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE STATE AND THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING ALONGSIDE DWP'S AS WELL.
AND SO IT'S A REALLY INNOVATIVE TIME TO BE THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
AND SO WITH PREVENTION EFFORTS, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND THIS IS A NEW A NEW LENS, A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS WITH PREVENTION IS INCORPORATING THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT HAVE MADE IT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND SO WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF CHILD WELFARE IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY NEW AND INNOVATIVE, AND I'M HAPPY THAT ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT IN THAT WAY.
ALSO, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT A CONFERENCE, AND SO I'M GOING TO LET MY COLLEAGUE TALK ABOUT THE CONFERENCE THAT WAS ATTENDED FOR PREVENTION.
THIS IS ENRIQUE. HE'S ANOTHER ONE OF OUR NEW FRIENDS, SO WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE EYES ON HIM INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT HIM ON THE COMPUTER.
MAY I SAY THAT IT IS GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY IN 14 NOW, AND ESPECIALLY EVEN COURTNEY, MY COUNTERPART ON THIS ON THIS COMMITTEE IS THAT WE WERE WE'VE COMMUNICATED PERIODICALLY, BUT IT'S ALL BEEN VIRTUAL, SO WE'VE NOT GOTTEN TO CONNECT IN PERSON.
AND MUCH LIKE WHAT COURTNEY IS SAYING, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK IN EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN EL PASO COUNTY AREA.
I'VE BEEN WORKING HEAVILY WITH THE HELP ME GROW GROUP THAT THAT WAS FORMED OUT OF A RECENT GRANT THAT CAME THROUGH FROM FROM THE STATE.
IT'S A TECHNICAL SUPPORT GRANT, BUT IT HELPS US QUITE A BIT.
WE HAD A STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH AND REALLY ENGAGED IN WORK AND LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, WITH REGION 19 AND HOW THE ROLLOUTS OF IMPROVED
[00:25:02]
WORKING SCHOOL COORDINATION WITH MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.HOW WE CAN REALLY STAY UPSTREAM AND LOOKING AT EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS.
AND THEN WE WE DID I PARTICIPATED IN IN VIRTUAL MEETINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THIS PARTNERSHIP AND PREVENTION CONFERENCE THAT CAME UP RECENTLY, AS WELL AS WORKING AND SHARING THE TOOLS AND REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF THE THE VP'S OFFICE.
THOSE ARE REALLY HELPFUL TO FOLKS AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF PANDEMIC STAY AT HOME CONDITIONS. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LAY HEALTH WORKERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CALL THEM PROMOTED US GOING OUT TO COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THOSE TOOLS ARE NICE TO HAVE THEM DOWNLOADABLE THAT FOLKS CAN PRINT THEM AND WE CAN SEND THEM OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO CONNECT TO SERVICES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT SELF-HELP TECHNIQUES.
AND SO THAT'S A OH, AND THEN I DID DO SOME WORK WITH THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION COALITION.
WE STILL HAVE ONE IN EL PASO AND WE'RE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN IT.
I ALSO WANTED TO ADD ONE THING, SO HHC DID REVAMP THEIR WEBSITE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT SEEN THE RESOURCES FOR PREVENTION.
IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO PROVIDE TO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TO POINT THEM TO THAT WEBSITE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT PASSIONS INVOLVING THE KINDS OF WORK THAT ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE DOING ALL THE TIME AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING HOW WE CAN HELP OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OURSELVES.
AND SO THAT MAKES US APPRECIATE EVEN MORE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
OK, WE'RE GOING TO GET AN AGENCY UPDATE.
[IV. Agency Update]
AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, COMMISSIONER MASTERS, AS IF YOU DON'T KNOW HER.THIS LADY HAS HAD A LOT ON HER PLATE AND I WOULD LIKE HER TO KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE.
WELL, I WILL ECHO EVERYONE ELSE TO SAY I AM SUPER EXCITED TO SEE PEOPLE IN PERSON.
WE'VE WE'VE BEEN GRADUALLY BRINGING ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS BACK IN PERSON, MEETINGS IN PERSON, REDUCING VIRTUAL AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND I KNOW THAT TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO.
FOR SOME, I DON'T THINK EVERYONE'S AS EXCITED ABOUT IT AS I AM, BUT IT IS GOOD TO START SEEING PEOPLE IN PERSON.
SO WE DID CHANGE UP THE FORMAT A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW NORMALLY I GIVE SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING, BUT THE THE EXACT TEAM IS GOING TO GIVE THEIR OWN OVERVIEW.
AND SO I'LL GIVE A FEW COMMENTS AND THEN THEY WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE.
SO THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW CHANGES AND MORE CHANGES COMING, SO JIM SYLVESTER, WHO WAS OUR ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER OF CHILD CARE CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, RESIGNED.
HE IS RETIRED FROM APD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIMSELF.
BUT WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE HIM AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT HE BRINGS.
OUR CHIEF OF STAFF TO ME, TRE MITCHELL, RESIGNED.
AND WE HAVE CHOSEN HIS REPLACEMENT.
SHE STARTS ON THE TWENTY SEVENTH, I THINK.
I THINK I CAN SAY IT'S OFFICIAL THAT JULIE FRANK WILL BE OUR NEW CHIEF OF STAFF.
I HAVEN'T EVEN SAID THIS TO STAFF YET, SO WE'RE ALL GETTING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON BOARD AND SHE'S ACTUALLY HERE TODAY TO TO LISTEN.
AND WE RIGHT NOW HAVE BROKEN UP SORT OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF DUTY.
SO IF YOU NEED ANYTHING REGARDING HR, MARQUEZ IS OVERSEEING THAT RIGHT NOW.
TREVOR IS OVERSEEING COMMUNICATIONS AND I AM OVERSEEING GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SOON.
SASHA OROZCO, WHO IS PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION.
I HAVE MOVED THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNDER HER, AS WELL AS DISPROPORTIONALITY. I THINK BOTH OF THOSE WORK TOGETHER IN THE PREVENTION OF KIDS COMING INTO CARE, AND IT JUST MADE SENSE THAT SHE SHOULD OVERSEE THAT.
AND WE HOPE BY NEXT MEETING TO REALLY HAVE SOME EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT DISPROPORTIONALITY AND HOW WE ARE REVAMPING THAT PROGRAM.
SO I THINK YOU'LL BE AT LEAST I HOPE YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS.
DAVID KINSEY, OUR CFO, IS LEAVING US IN JANUARY.
AND TREVOR WOODROOF, DOUBLE SHAME ON HIM, IS LEAVING US ON DECEMBER TWENTY THIRD.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START TO WONDER IF IT'S YEAH.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, COVID AND SEE WHAT I MEAN.
THEY COVID'S HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY, NOT NOT JUST JUST US, BUT A SIGNIFICANT
[00:30:07]
ONE FOR US.BUT NOW WITH SWOP, AS AS YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT, I MEAN THAT THAT TAKES THAT TAKES ALL OF US A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR ENERGY IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND SO WE ALSO REALIZE WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING AND GET AROUND THE STATE.
AND SO WE WILL BE WORKING ON A CALENDAR AND WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU AS SOON AS WE KNOW FOR THE EXECUTIVE TEAM TO GET TO ALL OF OUR AREAS ACROSS THE STATE, ONE TO HOLD TOWN HALLS WITH FOSTER FAMILIES AND ALSO WITH PROVIDERS SO THAT THEY CAN BE HEARD.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH OUR STAFF THAT ARE ON THE GROUND DOING THE JOB. AND SO WE WILL ONCE THAT CALENDAR IS KNOWN, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW SO THAT WHEN WE'RE IN YOUR AREA, YOU CAN ATTEND AS WELL AS THE LOCAL LEGISLATORS WILL ALSO KNOW.
AND I THINK I'M IN ROCKWALL IN JANUARY STILL WORKING ON THAT ANYWAY.
YOU'RE YOU'RE THE BOSS. YES, I'M THE BOSS.
GUYS, WHEN YOU GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, I'VE GONE TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS AND HEARD.
IT'S SO INTERESTING TO WATCH THE FACES OF THE LEGISLATORS.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, THEY JUST GO BLANK.
I MEAN, WE KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS MEAN, OR EVENTUALLY WE LEARN WHAT THEY MEAN WHEN WE'RE BRAND NEW.
WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO PLEASE DON'T USE THEM BECAUSE THEY NEED TO KNOW US AND KNOW WHAT WE DO AND JUST SAY IT.
SO WE'VE GOT TO USE THE REAL LIVE WORDS WHEN WE'RE SENDING OUR MESSAGE.
THE OTHER PEOPLE GET AFTER HONEY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP KEZ WALD.
HE IS OUR ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, WHO WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE. IS THAT RIGHT? OK. GOOD MORNING.
YEAH, I WAS WAITING BOSS, I WAS LIKE, OK, I'M NOT GOING UP THERE UNTIL SHE GIVES ME THE GREEN LIGHT. IT IS NICE TO SEE EVERYONE IN PERSON.
I DID NOTICE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING ALPHABETICAL ORDER, BUT SOMEHOW APPS STILL MANAGE TO BE FIRST. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I DID WANT TO START WITH SOME POSITIVES.
WE HELD OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS OUR 38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT WAS BACK IN PERSON, BUT WE DID HAVE A LIVE STREAM FOR SOME OF THE SESSIONS.
I THINK WE HAD 700 PLUS PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONLINE AND THE REST IN PERSON.
WE WILL SEND YOU A SAVE THE DATE TO THE THIRTY NINTH ANNUAL APPS CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT MOODY GARDENS IN HOUSTON OR IN GALVESTON, I GUESS IN DECEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
AND SO WE WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THE FACILITIES, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S VERY NICE AND I'M GOING TO GO TOUR MYSELF IN JANUARY, SO I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE MAKING CHANGES, THOUGH.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL APPS CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO THIS YEAR, AND IT WAS VERY VALIDATING.
IT CONFIRMED THINGS THAT I ALREADY KNEW, BUT SOMETIMES WE GET SO CAUGHT UP IN OUR DAY TO DAY THAT WE FORGET, AND THAT IS THE TEXAS APPS IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE LEADING APPS PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE LOOK AT US WITH, YEAH, IT'S THEY LOOK AT US WITH, THEY LOOK AT US, LOOK TO US FOR ADVICE, FOR NEW, NEW APPROACHES.
AND ALSO THEY HAVE A LITTLE JEALOUSY.
SOMETIMES WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT OUR LEGISLATURE HAS FUNDED FOR US TO TO BE ABLE TO DO.
I DO WANT TO HIT ON SOME ISSUES THAT WE ARE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH. THOSE TURN OVER TURN OVER AT APPS IS CURRENTLY AT ABOUT TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.
WE HAD GONE DOWN FOLLOWING SOME PAY RAISES THAT WERE FUNDED BY THE LEGISLATURE.
WE HAD GOTTEN DOWN TO WELL BELOW 20 PERCENT.
AT ONE POINT WE WERE HITTING ABOUT SEVENTEEN.
BUT IT HAS STARTED TO CREEP UP AGAIN AS A RESULT.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING OUR CASELOADS CREEP UP DURING THE PANDEMIC AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WE WERE RUNNING IN THE LOW TO MID TWENTIES, AND NOW WE ARE HITTING ABOUT 30 AVERAGE DAILY CASELOAD AT ANY GIVEN TIME ACROSS THE STATE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONAL AT THIRTY FIVE AND THIRTY SIX.
WE KNOW THAT WE WE CAN HANDLE THE WORKLOAD, BUT IT IS A STRESS ON THE SYSTEM AND IT IS A STRESS ON OUR STAFF AND YOU GET INTO A CYCLE.
[00:35:03]
IF THE STAFF ARE STRESSED, THE STAFF WILL LEAVE.IF THE STAFF LEAVE, THE CASELOAD WILL GO UP.
AND SO WE'RE WATCHING THAT VERY CLOSELY AND WE'RE DOING SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY OBVIOUS, OBVIOUS DRIVERS OF THAT TURNOVER, OUR COVID ITSELF.
COVID MADE PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR OUTLOOK ON LIFE, AND WE HAD PEOPLE DECIDE TO RETIRE EARLY.
WE HAD PEOPLE DECIDE THIS IS NOT THE JOB FOR THEM.
WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY WHAT THEY'RE CALLING IT, WHAT THE GREAT RESIGNATION.
OR NOW THAT I'VE HEARD THE TERM, THE GREAT RESHUFFLING WHERE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING ONE JOB TO GO TO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT WE ARE EXPERIENCING THAT CLEARLY.
WE ALSO MADE A CHANGE IN POLICY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE WANTED TO PROTECT OUR CLIENTS AND TO PROTECT OUR STAFF, OUR CLIENTS BEING THE MOST VULNERABLE TO THE COVID.
AND SO WE DID CUT BACK ON SOME OF OUR FACE TO FACE CONTACTS AS WE HAVE COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. WE'RE NOT OUT OF IT YET, BUT WE HAVE VACCINES, WE HAVE PPE.
WE HAVE RETURNED TO MORE FACE TO FACE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR SOME OF OUR STAFF, EVEN SOME OF OUR TENURED STAFF WHO BEFORE WE'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF FACE TO FACE NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY'RE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT WORRIED ABOUT IT.
SO THAT IS DRIVING SOME OF THE TURNOVER.
DFW AND HOUSTON ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT TURNOVER.
I THINK HOUSTON ITSELF IS AT ABOUT THIRTY SIX PERCENT.
THE LAST REPORT I SAW AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAS TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAVE ALSO BEEN HOT SPOTS FOR TURNOVER.
BUT I WAS JUST YESTERDAY WAS VISITING WITH SOME OF OUR DISTRICT DIRECTORS AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS AND EVEN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE HISTORICALLY VERY STABLE WORKFORCES LIKE EAST TEXAS. TYLER BEAUMONT, THERE THEY ARE SEEING TURNOVER THAT THEY HADN'T HAD IN THE PAST.
SO WE ARE WATCHING IT VERY CLOSELY.
WE ALSO HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN RESPOND AND TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
WE HAVE THANK YOU, DAVID KENZI.
WE HAVE ADDED 30 HIGHER AHEAD FTES, SO 30 POSITIONS THAT WE CAN NOW PUT INTO THE FIELD TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH.
WITH THE TURNOVER, WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE OUT ONE TIME MERITS TO MANY OF OUR STAFF, AND WE HAVE BUILT IN A MECHANISM USING GRANT DOLLARS SO THAT AT LEAST.
THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL BE ABLE TO, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, AWARD ONE TIME MERITS TO STAFF. HOPEFULLY, THAT INCENTIVIZES THEM TO STAY KNOWING THAT THOSE MERITS ARE THERE AND THERE'S POSSIBILITY FOR THEM TO TO GET ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO REWARD THEM FOR EXCELLENT WORK. LET'S SEE.
WE HAVE ALSO REFRESHED OUR BSD, OUR BASIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING.
WE CALL IT I-LISTED AND DON'T ASK ME WHAT THAT STANDS FOR JUDGE I.
BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE REFRESHED THAT TRAINING BECAUSE I THINK IF STAFF ARE BETTER PREPARED, MORE MORE ABLE TO DO THE JOB, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY.
AND WE DO SEE A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THOSE FIRST YEAR OR TWO.
SO WE HAVE REFRESHED THAT TRAINING AND WE HAVE INITIATED A PROJECT WHERE WE WILL BE COMPLETELY REEVALUATING OUR TRAINING MODEL FOR APS, TRYING TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN GET NEW TRAINEES WHEN THEY COME IN THE DOOR, MORE ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND MORE HANDS ON WITH THE WORK SO THAT THEY CAN, FIRST OF ALL, FIGURE OUT IS THIS THE RIGHT FIT FOR ME, BUT ALSO SO THAT THEIR COWORKERS CAN SEE THAT CONTRIBUTION RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, AND THEY CAN START TO HELP WITH SOME OF THE SOME OF THE CASE RELATED TASKS.
IT'LL TAKE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT AND WE WANT TO DO IT WELL. WE HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT AND I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH ADDING RETENTION, SPECIFICALLY RETENTION EFFORT SPECIFICALLY TO OUR PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS FOR ALL LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE EXPECT.
WE KNOW THAT WE HOLD ALL OF OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR RETENTION, BUT WE NEED TO FORMALIZE THAT AND MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO ALL MANAGERS AT APS THAT YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR STAFF ARE SUPPORTED AND THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MECHANISM THAT SHOULD BE GOING IN PLACE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A HUGE I.T.
PROJECT FOR APPS THAT WILL BE ROLLING OUT JANUARY 6TH.
DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT. IT MIGHT BE JANUARY 3RD, BUT IT'S A SINGLE STAGE.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT STAGES OF INVESTIGATION THAN WE HAVE SERVICE STAGES.
YOU GUYS MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE CPS MODEL.
APS HAS NEVER WORKED THAT WAY.
WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR ON DAY ONE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, YOU'RE ALREADY BRINGING IN SERVICES AND LOOKING AT HOW CAN I WORK WITH THIS FAMILY OR THIS CLIENT? AND SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO NOW MODIFY THE IMPACT SYSTEM SO THAT IT MATCHES OUR ACTUAL PRACTICE AND WE WILL HAVE ONE STAGE OF SERVICE WHERE WE WILL GO IN.
[00:40:01]
WE WILL CONDUCT OUR INVESTIGATION.WE WILL PROVIDE OUR SERVICES AND MAKE THE CLIENT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE THING.
IT'S LIKE ALMOST LIKE SEMANTICS, BUT FROM A CASEWORKER PERSPECTIVE, IT WILL STREAMLINE THEIR WORK. IT WILL MAKE SENSE.
AND FOR THOSE NEW STAFF WHO SOMETIMES STRUGGLE WITH WHEN IS MY INVESTIGATION OVER AND WHEN DOES MY SERVICE STAGE BEGIN? WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS MY REPORT FOR APS.
I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT APPS DOES AS I GET OLDER.
SO I THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR WHAT I MAY NEED.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALSO ON BEING THE LEAD IN THE COUNTRY.
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
AND JUST A VERY COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, THOROUGH APPROACH.
LOOKING AT ALL OF THE FACTORS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN STAFF RETENTION AND STAFF RECRUITMENT. VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I ALSO FACT THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY REWARD STAFF BASED FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE FOR A STATE AGENCY.
SO REALLY, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT ALSO.
MY ONLY COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT THIS COMPASSION, FATIGUE, BURNOUT, VICARIOUS STRESS, VARIOUS TRAUMA.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED IS THE MEANING OF OUR WORK IS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR. IT'S SORT OF LIKE WE CAN BALANCE ADVERSITY AND THE STRESS IF WE STILL FEEL LIKE WE'RE. OUR JOBS ARE MEANINGFUL.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
I STRUGGLE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE NOT PERSONALLY, BUT WITH MY STAFF.
BUT BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER.
HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THIS WORK TO HELP PEOPLE? AND HOW DO WE BRING THAT BACK TO WHAT WE DO, THE MEANINGFULNESS OF OUR WORK ABOUT CHANGING LIVES? AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU. AND IF I COULD JUST COMMENT BACK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS WE WORK CORE VALUE AWARDS, RECOGNIZING WORK THAT EXEMPLIFIES THE CORE VALUES OF OUR PROGRAM.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE DO MAKE AN EFFORT TO REMIND PEOPLE NOT EVERY CASE IS GOING TO HAVE A GREAT OUTCOME.
ADULTS MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES, AND SOMETIMES THOSE ARE BAD DECISIONS.
BUT EVERY CASEWORKER HAS HAD A CASE OR FIVE OR 20, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN HERE, WHERE THEY KNOW THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE.
THEY KNOW THAT THAT PERSON IS SAFER, PROTECTED, REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILY.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON THOSE ARE THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO HOLD ON TO BECAUSE THE NEXT CASE MAY NOT BE QUITE AS FUN, BUT WE DO WANT OUR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THAT.
THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE, BEING FROM TEXAS AND BEING RECOGNIZED OF THE LEAD, I MEAN, WHAT ELSE CAN WE ASK FOR THAT COMES FOR SO MUCH? THIS COMES FROM THE SUPPORT AND THE DEDICATION THAT YOU, YOUR TEAM ALSO COMMISSIONER.
EVERYONE INVOLVED IN WHAT I LIKE HEARING FROM YOU WAS THE RETENTION.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO RETAIN OUR STAFF HERE? AND YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING UP AS THEY JOIN.
THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE A FIT AND THEY DON'T REALIZE AT THE BEGINNING IT MIGHT BE OVERWHELMING UNTIL THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND TO ME, LIKE I SAID, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICE IS VERY DEAR TO ME.
I WAS THINKING MY MOM, I WAS THINKING MY GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDPARENTS AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.
AND YES, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING MY TEAM.
THEY DO SPECTACULAR WORK AND MY BOSS, FOR THE MOST PART, IS TO SAY THANK YOU, BOSS.
OF COURSE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, GUYS SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT UP IS SASHA, WHO IS NOW CHIEF OF.
OF SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO.
I'M STILL GETTING USED TO THE CHANGES, I'M SORRY, BUT I KNOW SHE'S A CHIEF, SO I'M STILL WAITING FOR MY BADGE.
HAPPY TO COME HERE AND TALK WITH YOU ABOUT PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION AND FAITH, COMMUNITY BASED ENGAGEMENT.
SO JUST BY WAY OF CONTEXT ABOUT PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION, YOU KNOW THIS IS THESE ARE GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE STATE HAS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED AND FEDERAL FUNDING AS WELL.
THAT GOES TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH FAMILIES AND YOUTH UPSTREAM. THIS KIND OF THE WORD WE USE FROM CHILD MALTREATMENT, HOPING TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES OR CHILDREN THRIVE OR GIVE YOUTH THE RESILIENCY THEY NEED.
[00:45:04]
LAST YEAR, THE GRANTEES THAT WE FUND, ALL THIS WORK IS DONE AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.THEY SERVED FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND FAMILIES AND NINETY NINE PERCENT OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE NOT ABUSED OR NEGLECTED WHILE IN SERVICES.
WE ALSO TRACK THAT ONE YEAR OUT, TWO YEARS OUT AND THREE YEARS OUT AS A MEASURE OF EFFECTIVENESS. NINETY EIGHT PERCENT OF OUR YOUTH WERE NOT REFERRED TO JUVENILE THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM OR NOT ADJUDICATED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND WE, THOSE GRANTS ARE PROVIDING A VARIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED SERVICES.
HOME VISITING IS PROBABLY THE ONE MOST WELL KNOWN WHERE WE HAVE PRACTITIONERS, SOMETIMES NURSES, AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS GO VISIT.
PARENTS OF VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, TEACH THEM PARENTING SKILLS, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BUILD THOSE PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT DR.
THAT WORKFORCE IS HAVING THE SAME STRUGGLES.
SO IN THE PREVENTION EARLY INTERVENTION DIVISION, WHERE A SMALL AND MIGHTY TEAM ON PAPER THERE'S ONLY ABOUT SIXTY SEVEN STAFF MANAGING GRANTS.
BUT THE WORKFORCE THAT THE THAT THE P.E.I.
CONTRACTS FUND IS 600 TO 700 STRONG IN THE COMMUNITY, BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH FAMILIES AND YOUTH.
AND AND OUR GRANTEES TELL US THE SAME THINGS THAT CAZ IS EXPERIENCING ARE THAT ANY OF YOU ALL THAT ARE EMPLOYERS IN YOUR JOBS OR IS EXPERIENCING THAT AMAZON RIGHT NOW IS A GREAT EMPLOYER IF YOU WANT TO.
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE TIRED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, MAYBE JUST FROM THE PANDEMIC AND TAKING A BREAK AND GOING AND DELIVERING PACKAGES FOR A YEAR IS SOMETHING THAT IS ATTRACTIVE. SO WE HAVE THOSE THOSE VACANCIES, WHICH INHIBITS OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER THE SERVICES AND.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE BOARD, THE PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES.
I WANT TO MENTION A COUPLE INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY THAT I THINK ARE EXCITING BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO JUST FUNDING EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMING, WHICH IS KIND OF THE CORE OF THE WORK THAT PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION DIVISION, I'M WORKING REALLY HARD AND I USE AN ACRONYMS, BY THE WAY, AND IT'S TAKEN ME.
I'M LIKE, HOW AM I? IT'S A LOT OF WORDS.
BUT BUT ANYWAY, THE IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WE THINK OF OURSELVES AS AS AS THE COMMISSIONERS PREVENTION ARM.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT DATA, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN FAMILIES OR IN COMMUNITIES EARLIER THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY INTERVENE AND OFFER HELP. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST FUND AN EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAM, ONE IF YOU WANT FAMILIES AND YOUTH TO ENGAGE VOLUNTARILY, WHICH IS WE'RE NOT USING A COURT INTERVENTION.
IT'S PROACTIVE, MUCH TO COUNCILMEMBER JONES'S POINT.
YOU NEED TO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE DESIGNING THOSE SERVICES.
THEY NEED TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO FAMILIES, THEY NEED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
AND THAT'S THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK.
THESE THESE GRANTEES WE FUND HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH SCHOOL COUNSELORS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHOEVER IS INTERACTING WITH FAMILIES THAT CAN REFER THEM.
AND SO ONE INNOVATION THAT'S NATIONALLY ALSO TAKING SHAPE IS THE USE OF FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS, WHICH ARE MORE PLACE BASED.
SO NOT JUST BUILDING A LOT OF REFERRAL NETWORKS, WHICH CAN ALSO SUFFER WHEN THERE'S TURNOVER AND STAFF AND FOLKS, YOU KNOW THE COUNSELOR YOU WORKED WITH OR THE PEDIATRICIAN'S OFFICE YOU WORKED WITH, ALL THOSE FOLKS CHANGE OUT.
YOU HAD TO REINTRODUCE YOUR SERVICES IN YOUR ORGANIZATION AGAIN.
SO FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS ARE A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CAN STOP BY, GET A CUP OF COFFEE, USE THE INTERNET.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A PLAYROOM, THEY MIGHT HAVE A DIAPER BANK, A TOY LENDING LIBRARY, BUT THEY USUALLY SHOULD ALSO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL THAT WILL HELP THAT FAMILY GET SIGNED UP FOR SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
MAYBE IT'S JUST FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET CHILDCARE OR GET HOUSING.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PARENTING PROGRAM LIKE THE ONES WE FIND, BUT WE'RE FUNDING.
SEVEN OF OUR PREVENTION PROVIDERS ARE STARTING THESE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS AROUND THE STATE. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE ALL THIS INFORMATION TO CHERYL.
SHE CAN GIVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP YOUR TIME GOING THROUGH ALL OF THEM. BUT BUT IT'S AN EXCITING INNOVATION.
AND PROVIDERS ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO DELIVERING SERVICES IN THAT IN THAT WAY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT, PARTICULARLY YOU, JUDGE HELMS, YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN IS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION TO FIND THREE POSITIONS AND THREE CHILD PROTECTION COURTS AROUND THE STATE IN GALVESTON COUNTY AND IN LUBBOCK SO THAT THE COURTS CAN HAVE A RESOURCE A PERSON.
WE'RE CALLING THAT AN EARLY INTERVENTION COURT LIAISON TO BE TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELP BUILD THOSE SERVICES AND ATTEND TO THOSE GAPS THAT THE COURT IS SEEING REPRESENTED IN THE CASES COMING TO THEM.
SO SORT OF FUNCTION A LITTLE BIT LIKE THEIR PREVENTION ARM TO THE COURT AND GO WORK WITH
[00:50:01]
SERVICE PROVIDERS AND SAY, HEY, FAMILIES SEEM TO BE NEEDING MORE SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT SERVICES. WE NEED MORE.SO WE'RE FUNDING THOSE THREE POSITIONS AS A AS A CONNECTING POINT BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY AND PREVENTION WORK.
I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER JONES, YOU MENTIONED WORKING WITH JUDGE MARTINEZ AND SHE'S GOT SIMILAR WORK GOING ON HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
KIND OF THE COURTS ARE VERY INTERESTED IN MOVING UPSTREAM AND STOPPING, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SEE THOSE FAMILIES COMING IN THE COURTS WITH THOSE PROBLEMS EITHER.
BUT THEY GENERALLY HAVE A REACTIVE JOB TO DO AND THEIR WANT, BUT THEY WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TO SORT OF JOIN FORCES AND PREVENTION.
THAT'S MY UPDATE ON PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION.
SASHA, BEFORE YOU GO ON, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONTACT MARK ATKINSON, WHO IS THE CHIEF OF THE TEXAS CENTER FOR THE JUDICIARY, AND HE TRAINS ALL THE NEW JUDGES THAT ARE COMING IN. LET LET HIM KNOW SO THAT YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO THE NEW JUDGES WHEN THEY COME IN TO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THESE BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN ELECTION, WE GET A BRAND, WE GET A BRAIN WIPE OF HAVING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE THEY NEED TO DO OFFER THESE SERVICES. I WROTE IT DOWN.
GOOD, JUDGE. THANK YOU, MA'AM.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY BACK TO THE EARLIER POINT.
THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING THESE POSITIONS.
SO I'LL ALSO PROVIDE THE LINKS TO THE JOB POSTINGS.
IF YOU HAVE ANYBODY YOU CAN SHARE IT WITH TO GET THOSE POSITIONS FILLED BECAUSE IT'S IT'S HARD, IT'S IT'S SLIM PICKINGS OUT THERE.
I THINK FOR ANYBODY TRYING TO FILL JOBS RIGHT NOW IN THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION, WHICH I'M NEWER TO.
SO THIS IS STILL I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE WORK AND I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER'S VISION OF OF REALLY MAKING SURE THIS AGENCY HAS A CONNECTING AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY DO SUPPORT OUR CLIENTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT WHEN WE'RE NOT THERE TO TO INITIATIVES THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REALLY BUSY WITH RIGHT NOW.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE HOLIDAYS, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, AND THAT IS A BIG TIME OF THE YEAR FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO AT LEAST PROVIDE GIFTS FOR OUR CHILDREN AT THIS POINT IN TIME. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
AND I KNOW JUST WAS IT TUESDAY, WHEN WAS IT THAT STATE OFFICE DELIVERED ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE GIFTS TO FOSTER CHILDREN THROUGH OUR PARTNERS WITH CHILDREN? PROVIDER, I MEAN, NOT PROVIDER, BUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO THAT'S HAPPENING ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND AND WHAT THE FAITH AND COMMUNITY BASED ENGAGEMENT DIVISION DOES IS CONNECT THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITH THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES DIVISION.
THAT OBVIOUSLY IS THE CONSERVATOR FOR THOSE CHILDREN AND MAKE SURE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS RUN SMOOTHLY. THAT WE'VE ALSO, I THINK, HAD A LOT OF OTHER FELLOW STATE AGENCIES SIGN UP TO FOSTER TO ADOPT CHILDREN.
ADOPT, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN TO GIVE THEM GIFTS, NOT NOT ADOPT THEM IN THEIR HOMES, BUT BUT SO THAT'S BEEN A THAT'S A BUSY TIME OF THE YEAR FOR FOR THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION IS IS GETTING MAKING SURE, AS THE COMMISSIONER HAS SAID MANY TIMES, I WANT EVERY I DO NOT WANT ONE FOSTER CHILD TO GO WITHOUT CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND THEN WITH THE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES SIDE, BECAUSE THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION ALSO WORKS WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
THERE IS, AND I KNOW, NOT AS MUCH ABOUT HOW WIDESPREAD THIS IS, AND MAYBE KIDS CAN HELP BUT BE A SANTA TO A SENIOR PROGRAM AS WELL TO MAKE SURE OUR OUR SENIORS AND OUR DISABLED ADULTS HAVE SOME HOLIDAY IN THEIR LIVES AND ARE CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO THOSE ARE TWO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO FILLING THE DISPROPORTIONALITY MANAGER POSITION.
SHE'S RESTRUCTURED THAT AND WE WE'VE TAKEN SOME TIME TO ADD TO NEW POSITIONS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING GOING AND REPORTING TO YOU ON THAT WORK.
JUDGE, I HAVE A QUESTION. OH, NO, GO AHEAD.
OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR NEW POSITION.
I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE 57000 FAMILIES I HEARD YOU SAY A PERCENTAGE OF NINETY NINE PERCENT WERE NOT ABUSED OR NEGLECTED.
SO RIGHT, WE TRACK THE WE WE DO DATA MATCHES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T END UP AS VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BY OUR CHILD PROTECTIVE PARTNERS.
AND THAT'S JUST AN EFFECTIVENESS MEASURE.
OK, OK. SO THAT WAS OF THE PARTNERS, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT BROUGHT THEM INTO CARE, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. NONE OF THESE PROVIDERS ARE ENGAGED IN CHILD.
I MEAN, NONE OF THESE PARENTS COME THROUGH CPS, BUT THEY THEY MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A BROCHURE ABOUT A SERVICE AND THEIR PEDIATRICIAN'S OFFICE OR ITS COMMUNITY FACING.
[00:55:04]
OK. AWESOME.AND THEN I HEARD YOU SAY THAT Y'ALL ARE USING HOME BASED SERVICES.
HOW MANY AGENCIES ARE Y'ALL WORKING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR THOSE HOME BASED SERVICES? I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THIRTY FIVE AND 40 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, HERE ARE YOU IN TRAVIS COUNTY, ANY BABY CAN.
AS A GRANTEE, THE SAFE ALLIANCE IS ALSO A GRANTEE THAT A LOT OF THE TIMES THESE WHAT THESE SERVICES LOOK LIKE, THEY DON'T SAY DPS PREVENTION PROGRAMS. THEY ARE THAT ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT FAMILIES KNOW, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY AMAZING THINGS THEY DO.
AND AND IT'S NOT AS OBVIOUS THAT IT'S A DFP FUNDED PROGRAM, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE WANT IT. WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT FAMILIES TO BE INTIMIDATED OR THINK AND WE'RE NOT TRACKING THEM.
IT'S A COMPLETELY IN FACT, THERE'S THEIR STATE STATUTE THAT THIS DIVISION HAS TO BE SEPARATE FROM CHILD PROTECTION THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE.
WE HAVE A COMPLETELY SEPARATE DATABASE.
WE DON'T TRACK THESE FAMILIES IN OUR IMPACT SYSTEM.
WE COLLECT DATA ONLY FOR EFFECTIVENESS PURPOSES DO WE EVEN TRACK THESE FAMILIES INFORMATION JUST SO WE AND IT'S NOT EVEN THEIR IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, IT'S JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE SERVICES WERE AFFECTED.
AND HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SELECTING THE GREEN TEAS? I KNOW THAT HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THE LARGER AGENCIES ARE THE KNOWN AGENCIES ARE THE ONES THAT RECEIVE THE CONTRACTS.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY LOCALLY THAT ARE DOING SOME GREAT THINGS THAT DON'T GET THE ACCESS TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT IN THAT WAY.
SO HOW DO YOU ALL GO ABOUT SELECTING THOSE GREEN TEAS? YEAH, NO. WE WE HAVE EVERY FIVE YEARS.
WE PUT OUT WHAT WE CALL A REQUEST FOR APPLICATION.
IT'S ON THE STATE, IT'S ON THE STATE.
I'M GOING TO FORGET IT'S AN ACRONYM, ELECTRONICS DAILY BUSINESS SERVICE, SOMETHING.
THOSE WORDS, IT'S VERY IT IS NOT TERRIBLY ACCESSIBLE.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE LARGER ORGANIZATIONS ARE RESOURCED TO UNDERSTAND THAT HAVE GRANT WRITERS THAT KNOW HOW TO WRITE THESE GRANTS.
IT'S SOMETHING WE STRUGGLE WITH A LOT BECAUSE WE DO KNOW FAMILIES WOULD RATHER GET SERVICES FROM SMALL, GRASSROOTS, SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS, AND THOSE ARE OFTEN NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE THE KIND OF GRANT APPLICATION THAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
SO WHAT WE DO TO TRY, AND WE ALSO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MANAGE HUNDREDS OF SMALL GRANTS BECAUSE FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE, IT TAKES AS MUCH STAFFING TO MANAGE A SMALL FIFTY THOUSAND GRANT AS IT DOES A $2 MILLION GRANT.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE SOME PRESSURES THAT MAKE LARGER GRANTS MORE FEASIBLE FOR US.
BUT WHAT WE DO DO IS WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE WHAT WE CALL KIND OF A LEAD AGENCY MODEL WHERE WE HAVE GRANTEES LIKE WE GRANT.
A LOT OF OUR GRANTS GO TO A UNITED WAY AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND SUBCONTRACT IT OUT TO SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE DO HAVE WE HAVE AROUND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE GRANTEES, BUT THEN THERE'S HUNDREDS MORE SUB GRANTEES THAT ARE RECEIVING DOLLARS FROM A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION. THEY'RE NOT ALL LIKE THAT, AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S PERFECT BECAUSE THEN I KNOW HOW TERRITORIAL FOLKS ARE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, THAT GROUP HAS THEIR PEOPLE THEY WORK WITH AND IT'S GOING TO.
IT'S ALMOST JUST AS HARD TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO WORK WITH SOME OF THOSE LEAD BIGGER AGENCIES AS IT IS TO GET A GRANT WITH THE STATE SO.
BUT SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
IT'S A IT'S A VALID CONCERN ABOUT TRYING TO GET THESE SERVICES TO THOSE SMALLER PLACES THAT PARENTS AND YOUTH ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH.
AND IN EARLIER, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT ABOUT EVIDENCE BASE OR ARE ALL OF THE GRANTEE PROGRAMS, EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS? WE HAVE STATE STATUTE THAT SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR SERVICES NEED TO BE EVIDENCE BASED IN FOR HOME VISITING AND PARENT EDUCATION.
SO THEY'RE NOT IT'S NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.
WE ALSO ENCOURAGE PROMISING PRACTICE.
EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE AND OFTEN NOT AS ADAPTABLE.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION PARTICULARLY ABOUT SERVING DIVERSE FAMILIES THAT A LOT OF YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS COMING ALONG THAT THAT KIND OF THAT ARE BETTER SUITED TO OUR FAMILIES OF COLOR OR FAMILIES WITH DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES. SO THERE'S ROOM TO TO TO GO BEYOND JUST SOME OF THESE KIND OF BIG NAME EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS, JUST LIKE GETTING TO THESE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOME OF THAT INNOVATION AND WORKING WITH THE PROMISING PRACTICES AND BUILDING THE EVIDENCE BASE.
AND I PROMISE THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION, A GREAT QUESTION.
[01:00:03]
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PREVENTION COURT.AND I WAS WONDERING, WHAT IS THE APPROACH THAT YOU ALL ARE TAKING WITH WORKING WITH FAMILIES FOR THOSE SERVICES? BECAUSE TYPICALLY TRADITIONAL OR TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST WITH COURTS, FAMILIES ARE MANDATED TO RECEIVE SERVICES.
SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? DO YOU ALL HAVE DIFFERENT MESSAGING OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR FAMILIES UTILIZING THOSE SERVICES? OR IS IT STILL KIND OF THAT? IT'S A MANDATED SITUATION.
I THINK THE WAY THAT WE'RE ENVISIONING THESE THREE LIAISON POSITIONS IS THAT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THE COURT WILL HAVE SOME DISCRETION ABOUT HOW THEY WANT TO USE THIS RESOURCE.
BUT I GUESS OUR THOUGHT IS THAT THEY MIGHT USE THAT PERSON PARTLY TO MAKE SURE THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE COURT ORDERING FAMILIES INTO ARE EFFECTIVE AND BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE COMMUNITY BASED PROVIDERS.
SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMED BEFORE THEY JUST ORDER A FAMILY INTO A PROGRAM.
SO SOME OF IT IS JUST TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS IN THAT KNOWLEDGE.
AND THEN BUT IT'S THEN TO MAYBE INFORM DIFFERENT IF MAYBE THOSE SERVICES AREN'T WORKING FOR FAMILIES THAT YOU ASK THE COMMUNITY TO BUILD SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
OR YOU ASK STATE FUNDERS TO FUND SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO I THINK THAT THE COURT WILL STILL ONLY BE ABLE TO ORDER.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THEIR ROLE, RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST GOING TO. BUT BUT IF THEY ARE DIVERTING A CASE AND THEN THEY MIGHT REFER FAMILIES THAT CAN VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE IN SERVICES WITHOUT COURT ORDERS OR COURT INTERVENTION. AND I THINK WHAT WE WANT THAT I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT THIS THEY WOULDN'T JUST BE FOCUSED ON FAMILIES, INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THE COURT, BUT ALSO THE HOW IS THE COMMUNITY FUNCTIONING AS A PROTECTIVE COMMUNITY FOR ALL KINDS OF FAMILIES AND WHAT IS NEEDED BASED ON THE LIKE THE TRENDS THEY'RE SEEING COMING IN THE COURT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OK. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SASHA, THANKS FOR A GREAT REPORT ON THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. DO WE HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP YET IN THAT DIVISION OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE? I THINK I REMEMBER HEARING THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER THERE.
YEAH. WELL, ANNA STILL WITH US, BUT HER LAST NAME.
ANNA BLAKE HAS BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF FAITH BASED ENGAGEMENT, BUT SHE IS.
SHE IS LEAVING TO DO SOME WORK BACK.
SHE WANTED TO GET BACK TO DALLAS.
I THINK SHE MOVED HERE, AND I THINK IT'S HARD TO MOVE TO A NEW TOWN IN A PANDEMIC AND HER FAMILY IS IN DALLAS, SO SHE'S GOING TO HEAD BACK HOME.
AND HER LAST DAY IS NEXT WEEK.
SO THAT JOB IS POSTED AND WE'LL KEEP YOU KEEP YOU GUYS UPDATED AND ABOUT HOW MANY FOLKS ARE IN THAT DIVISION, HOW MANY POSITIONS, I GUESS ARE IN THAT DIVISION NOW.
I THINK I MIGHT GIVE OR TAKE A LARGE GROUP AND MAYBE TOO EARLY FOR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU TOOK ON THIS NEW RESPONSIBILITY, SO FORGIVE ME AND MAYBE SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT LATER. BUT AS I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, I AM INCREASINGLY HEARING FROM FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GEARED UP AND HAVE THE THE FUNDING, THE EXPERTIZE, THE RESOURCES TO WORK WITH KIDS AND FAMILIES, PROBABLY MORE SO FOSTER FAMILIES THAN THAN FAMILIES OF ORIGIN.
BUT WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES IN POLICY, THEY'RE JUST HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THOSE KIDS AND THOSE FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT NOT IN COURT, MAYBE WHERE A JUDGE CAN STEP IN AND AND ASK FOR COUNSELING AND MENTORING AND OTHER PROGRAMS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THAT WOULD MAYBE BE TRAUMA INFORMED.
AND I GUESS IT WOULD BE CURIOUS WHAT YOUR VISION MIGHT BECOME WITH THAT.
MANY STAFF ACROSS THE STATE FOCUSED ON WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A HUGE NETWORK OF EXTENDED RESOURCES FOR, FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT IN THIS EMERGING NEW REALITY OF WHERE, WHERE OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES ARE AND WHERE INVESTIGATIONS ARE ARE STOPPING, WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE CONTINUED.
DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT TODAY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE WORKS TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ENSURE WE DON'T LOSE THAT? THINK THAT SAFETY NET OF RESOURCES? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK BOTH. I MEAN, IT'S CLEARLY THE COMMISSIONER'S VISION WHEN SHE CONSOLIDATED THIS THAT THAT THAT THE FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THIS AGENCY.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY ANY RESOURCE ON UNUSED.
AND HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S IT'S MORE OF AN ART THAN A SCIENCE OF CONTINUALLY, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PARTNERS AND PROGRAM WHO DO HAVE LIMITATIONS AND CONFIDENTIALITY AND WAYS IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS.
SO IT IN KEEPING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS SUSTAINING THEM, YOU KNOW, CREATING THEM AND SUSTAINING THEM IN A STATE.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
IT'S MORE JUST SOMETIMES HELPING TO PRIORITIZE AND FOCUS THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
[01:05:04]
SO WE'RE HERE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE POINT OF THIS DIVISION IS TO BROKER THESE WORLDS AND.AND SO, MATT, YOU AND I CAN MEET AND MAKE SURE I'D LOVE TO DO THAT AND SEE HOW WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY IN THE NEW YEAR.
OK. AND IT'S JUST IF I COULD, I THINK PART OF, AS SASHA MENTIONED, THE REASON WHY I CONSOLIDATE THE TEAM SO THEY THEY COULD BE MORE NIMBLE ACROSS THE STATE AND NOT JUST FOCUSED ON JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR AREA, BUT.
YOU KNOW, FOR OUR FAMILIES WHO ARE STRUGGLING, I MEAN, ANYBODY SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU COULD BE STRUGGLING AND NOT BE SEEN.
WE HOPE THAT WE USE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SEE THE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD AND TO SEE THEM BEFORE THEY COME INTO THE SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU COME INTO THE SYSTEM, IT'S TOO LATE TO REALLY HELP SOMEBODY LIKE YOU LIKE. YOU NEED TO HELP THEM.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT WE USE OUR FAITH BASED IN OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HELP HOLD OUR FAMILIES TOGETHER, TO SURROUND OUR FAMILIES, TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES.
AND THEN WHEN FAMILIES ARE REUNIFIED TO AGAIN SUPPORT THEM, TO STAY TOGETHER SO THAT THEY DON'T COME BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR SIXTY SEVEN, SOME PEOPLE IN A STATE THIS LARGE.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HOW DO WE SEE THOSE FAMILIES STRUGGLING BEFORE WE HAVE TO GET INVOLVED? AND HOW DO WE KEEP THEM TOGETHER ONCE THEY'RE REUNIFIED? AND THEN ALL OF THAT EXTRA STUFF IN BETWEEN WHEN THEY DO COME INTO THE SYSTEM? HOW DO WE THEN SURROUND THAT FAMILY TO HELP THEM MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE PUT ON THEM IN ORDER TO BE REUNIFIED? SO I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S ALL HUGE.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION, AND I THINK THAT'S A BOLD VISION FOR SURE TO SORT OF CHANGE THE APERTURE OF SERVICE.
MY CONCERN IS JUST THERE HAVE BEEN SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS AND MODELS BUILT FOR YEARS AROUND.
YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT ARE COMING INTO CARE, FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING INTO CARE, AND IF WE'RE IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK THEM TO PIVOT AND SHIFT QUICKLY, I'M JUST CONCERNED.
I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'LL LOSE A LOT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I SEE A LOT OF A LOT OF PHILANTHROPY THAT'S BEEN GEARED TOWARD SUPPLYING THE RESOURCES, BEING CONCERNED JUST TO SAY, HEY, WHERE ARE YOUR NUMBERS NONPROFIT? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND THE KIDS THAT ARE THAT ARE STILL IN THE THE HOME OF ORIGIN NEXT DOOR BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN A SYSTEM, THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IN A MODEL WHERE IT'S EASIER TO IDENTIFY AND ENGAGE WITH THEM.
AND SO I JUST I WONDER IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET REALLY CREATIVE TO THE STATE MIGHT HAVE TO GET REALLY CREATIVE IN SOME OF ITS PROGRAMING AND AND DEPLOYMENT OF NOT JUST THESE PEOPLE, BUT ALL OF OUR.
NETWORK OF PROGRAMS TO DO WHAT YOU DESCRIBED.
PLEASE, PLEASE JOIN SASHA IN ALL OF US IN THAT BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO BE CREATIVE AND WE HAVE A THAT'S A HEAVY GOAL AND WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET FOR PEOPLE TO STAND IN THAT GAP WITH US.
AND I'LL TRY NOT TO MAKE A COMMENT IN EVERY PRESENTATION, BUT NO GUARANTEES.
SASHA, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE FINALLY GOING TO BE CHIEF BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE ATTENTION TO PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, AND I KNOW YOU'VE DONE THIS WORK FOR MANY YEARS, SO THAT'S GREAT.
I LOVE THE DATA AND YOUR FOCUS.
A COUPLE OF THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS, AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW WE COULD LEVERAGE SOME OF THE INFLUX OF RPA AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITIES AT BOTH THE COUNTY LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL. BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BUILDING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE REALLY A PROTECTIVE FACTOR, I KNOW THAT THAT'S A COMMITMENT OF A LOT OF THE COUNTY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, SOMETHING INTERESTING TO EXPLORE.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
THE OTHER THING TOO, IS THIS CONTRACTING.
YOU KNOW, SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS CONTRACT, I KNOW THE DIFFICULTY OF THE CONTRACTS, THE BARRIERS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT CONTINUES TO BE A BARRIER TO EXPANDING OUR SERVICE PROVIDER NETWORK.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, COVID HAS FORCED US TO LOOK AT A VARIETY OF THINGS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH CONTROL WE HAVE OVER THAT.
BUT MAYBE LOOKING AT THAT WHOLE CONTRACTING AND HOW TO FACILITATE THAT SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE MORE PROVIDERS.
YEAH, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO INNOVATE ON THAT END BECAUSE I WILL SAY ABOUT OUR I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT THAT THE PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION DIVISION HAS RECEIVED A LITTLE OVER 30 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM IN BOTH OUR COMMUNITY BASED CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION GRANT AND IN OUR MATERNAL AND INFANT
[01:10:04]
EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING GRANT FROM THE FEDS FROM THE HEALTH RESOURCE SERVICE ADMINISTRATION. SEE WHY WE USE ACRONYMS. BECAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T, IT WOULD TAKE FOREVER.BUT TO WE COULD HAVE BEEN HERE ONLY 15 MINUTES, SO.
BUT BUT THOSE TWO GRANTS HAVE HAVE PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF DOLLARS FOR FOUR, ONLY FOUR, FIVE YEARS. IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE SPENDING QUITE A LOT TO GET TO FAMILIES FOR BASIC NEEDS AND TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE PANDEMIC SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT NEXT TIME. I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING, I THINK THIS IS JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY POWERFUL AND VERY VALUABLE. BUT AS SHE MENTIONED ABOUT THOSE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS, I THINK THAT'S AMAZING. AND I'VE JUST KIND OF WANT YOU TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON HOW THOSE ARE GETTING STARTED. ARE THEY WITHIN THE CHURCHES OR ARE THEY STARTED AT LIBRARIES? OR HOW HOW ARE THOSE WORKING? AND WHERE ARE YOU PULLING IN THOSE VOLUNTEER EXPERTS TO HELP THEM GET THOSE SERVICES THERE? YEAH, I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
SO I CAN TELL YOU, THE SAFE ALLIANCE HERE IN AUSTIN IS ONE OF OUR GRANTEES THAT IS GOING TO STAND UP FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS.
AND THEY'RE DOING THEM, I THINK, IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, IN THE ST.
JOHN'S AREA. SO IN THAT PLACE, THEY'RE DOING SCHOOL BASED FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS.
AND THEN ANOTHER. I MEAN, SO EACH COMMUNITY HAS SHOULD BE TAKING A VERY COMMUNITY DRIVEN APPROACH TO WHERE THEY PLACE THOSE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN RURAL AREAS, WE'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MOBILE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T YOU DON'T NEED A FULL TIME LINE IN SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES.
BUT MAYBE IF THEY COME TO THE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES, THEY COME TO THE LIBRARY ON THURSDAYS FROM FROM NOON TO FIVE.
BUT THEY ARE. SOME OF THEM ARE IN CHURCHES, SOME OF THEM ARE IN JUST A NONPROFIT AND, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE THEIR SPACE SO WE CAN GET YOU ALL OF THOSE DETAILS.
OK. ANYTHING ELSE FOR US? IT'S JUST LIKE JUDGE HELMS IS LIKE, SIT DOWN NOW.
I KNOW. AND NEXT YEAR, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO STEPHEN BLACK.
OK. HI, EVERYBODY, IT'S NICE TO FINALLY BE AT A COUNCIL MEETING IN PERSON.
IT'S MY FIRST ONE TO ACTUALLY BE HERE, LIVE WITH EVERYBODY.
THE DATE FOR STATEWIDE INTAKE, I THINK IT'S FAIRLY SHORT AND SIMPLE, AND THAT'S WE'RE WE'RE BUSY LOOKING AT.
LAST MONTH, WE BROKE SEVERAL NOVEMBER RECORDS.
IT WAS THE MOST CALLS WE HAVE EVER ANSWERED IN NOVEMBER.
IT WAS ALSO THE MOST CALLS WE'VE EVER RECEIVED IN NOVEMBER, WHICH MEANS THERE ARE SOME CALLS THAT DIDN'T GET ANSWERED.
I THINK A LOT OF THOSE THAT DID HANG UP WENT TO OUR I-REPORT SITE BECAUSE OUR INTERNET REPORTING SITE IS THE SECOND BUSIEST NOVEMBER THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.
THIS IS ALL AT A TIME WHERE WE'RE REALLY SHORT STAFFED TO OUR TURNOVER HASN'T EXACTLY SKYROCKETED, BUT JUST THE NORMAL RATE THAT WE LOSE PEOPLE, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THEM LIKE WE USED TO. WE'RE DOWN ABOUT THREE FULL UNITS, PLUS FULL OF INTAKE SPECIALISTS, AND THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
ONE STRATEGY THAT WE DO HAVE TO TRY TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS IS THAT BEGINNING NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, AS SOON AS JANUARY OR MARCH, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO MAKE STATEWIDE INTAKE LITERALLY STATEWIDE AND HIRE ACROSS THE STATE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LIMITATIONS WITH THAT IN THE PAST.
ONE IS FROM A TRAINING PERSPECTIVE.
WE DO PREFER TO DO OUR TRAINING IN PERSON HERE IN AUSTIN OR IN TEXARKANA.
BUT DURING COVID, WE COULDN'T AT TOM'S RIGHT, SO WE DID TWO TRAINING CLASSES, COMPLETELY VIRTUAL. AND SO WE KNOW THAT IS NOW A POSSIBILITY.
THE OTHER THING IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE GREAT SUCCESS FINDING PARTNER OFFICES ACROSS THE STATE. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WORKING IN ABILENE UNTIL THE WORK GOES DOWN, YOU CAN'T REALLY DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN TO FINISH YOUR SHIFT.
BUT BY ESTABLISHING THESE PARTNER OFFICES ACROSS THE STATE, IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO TELEWORK, YOU HAVE A LOCAL OFFICE.
YOU CAN GO TO GET ON OUR NETWORK AND CONTINUE TAKING THOSE CALLS.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND WITH THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'LL HAVE AN IDEA AS TO HOW WELL THAT'S WORKING AND WHETHER THAT HELPS HER APPLICANT POOL.
I DID WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT NOVEMBER THE WHOLE TIME FINISH AT EIGHT POINT FIVE MINUTES, WHICH IS TO LOOK AT THE PAST TWO YEARS. YOUR FIRST REACTION MAY BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WENT WRONG, BUT YOU GOT TO PUT SOME THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, NOVEMBER EIGHT POINT FIVE IS ON THE LOW END OF A NOVEMBER, A WHOLE TIME GOING BACK TO TWO THOUSAND FOUR.
WE COULD ROUTINELY HAVE DOUBLE DIGIT HOLE TIMES, AND WE HAD MUCH LESS VOLUME AND MUCH MORE STAFF. THEY REALLY DID A GREAT JOB IN KIND OF KEEPING THAT INTACT, AND THAT'S REALLY CLOSE TO WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD HAS THIS AT RIGHT AROUND EIGHT MINUTES.
[01:15:01]
AND SO THE FACT THAT WE DID THAT WITH SO FEW STAFF WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.THAT MEANT STAFF WOULD TAKE A PHONE CALL, GET OFF THAT CALL AND WORK ON THE DOCUMENTATION. AND THEN BEFORE THEY FINISH THAT DOCUMENTATION, TAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL BECAUSE THE WHOLE TIMES ARE SO BAD THAT MEANT HAVING TO GO TO A UNIT AND SAY, I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR UNIT MEETING SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T LET YOU HAVE IT.
WE GOT TO RESCHEDULE IT BECAUSE THE WHOLE TIME TORSO BACK, CUTTING DOWN ON TRAINING TIME, WE GIVE OUR STAFF AND AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THAT'S THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
I SENT MY TEAM AN EMAIL EARLIER THIS WEEK JUST THANKING THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID IN NOVEMBER AND ALSO SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, AND JUST TRYING TO POINT OUT HOW REMARKABLE THAT REALLY WAS, BUT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT MY LEADERSHIP TEAM AT STATEWIDE INTAKE CAN'T KEEP PUSHING THEM LIKE THAT OR ELSE WE'RE GOING TO BURN THEM OUT.
AND SO TRYING TO THINK OF WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR STAFF, IT'S IT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR STAFF, BUT ALSO WHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO FOR STAFF.
I CAN'T PUSH THEM TO THE BRINK AND I REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO KEEP EYE ON THAT WHOLE TIME AND I MAY SEE A NUMBER I DON'T LIKE.
I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER FOR, BUT I CAN'T.
I CAN'T LOSE THE STAFF THAT I HAVE.
ALSO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THEIR WELLNESS ACTIVITIES IN.
YOU KNOW, OUR AGENCY SPONSORS A WELLNESS WALK EVERY MONTH, AND I CAN'T HAVE ALL MY STAFF DECIDE TO GO TAKE A WALK AT THE SAME TIME THAT WOULDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL.
BUT WHAT? WE CAN MAKE IT WORK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SCHEDULING THAT WALK ACROSS THE ENTIRE MONTH FOR STAFF WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND ALSO LOOK FOR OTHER WELLNESS ACTIVITIES WHERE WE CAN FIND THEM ALSO LOOKING TO HELP STAFF WITH VARYING TASK.
I MEAN, I THINK ALL OF US AT THAT DAYS, WE REALLY JUST DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYBODY, AND THAT'S REALLY HARD TO DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING PHONE CENTER AT A CALL CENTER.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE DAYS, WE DON'T WANT STAFF TO CALL IN SICK, SO WE'RE NOT FEELING BAD.
REPORTS ARE HARD TO KNOW, BUT WE'LL TAKE A DAY.
WE'LL TAKE YOU OFF THE PHONES A DAY OR TWO.
HELP US WITH THESE REPORTS VOLUMES.
I THINK LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN BURY THE TASK FOR OUR STAFF WILL ALSO HELP US TRY TO AVOID SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT BURNOUT.
AND ALSO WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT OUR OUR YOUTH HELPLINE.
IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THE RUNAWAY HOTLINE AND THE RUNAWAY HELPLINE.
NOW IT'S THE YOUTH HELPLINE BECAUSE THEY DO MUCH MORE THAN TAKING CALLS FROM POTENTIAL RUNAWAYS. THEIR VOLUMES DOUBLED TO.
I THINK THEY HAVE LIKE 700 OR SOMETHING PHONE CALLS ANSWERED IN NOVEMBER, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND A LOT WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THE INTAKE SIDE, BUT THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED PHONE CALLS AND IT'S A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN OPERATION RUN BY SEVEN PEOPLE AND THEY DO RELY ON VOLUNTEERS. THEY DO RELY ON SOME CONTRACTED STAFF, BUT THEY ARE DOING THAT WHILE KEEPING THEIR WHOLE TIME UNDER UNDER A MINUTE.
AND WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THAT GROUP IS THAT THEIR NUMBERS ARE GOING TO GROW EVEN MORE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE AS OF THIS, I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU THIS YET, BUT WE HAVE A NEW NUMBER THAT'S ABOUT TO GO FIVE FOR THE PARENT HELPLINE.
SO, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF OUR LISTENERS, WE'RE DOING IT, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER SECURED AND SO WE ARE GOOD TO GO.
ALL WE GOT TO DO NOW IS ADVERTISE.
BUT YOU KNOW, ABOUT HALF OUR CALLS, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF A CALLS TO THE YOUTH HELPLINE DO. IT DOES COME FROM PARENTS.
AND SO I THINK BY HAVING AN ACTUAL PARENT HELPLINE, IT'S GOING TO DO TWO THINGS.
IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO CATER OUR ADVERTISING MORE TO SPECIFIC POPULATIONS.
SOMETIMES I LOOK AT A YOUTH HELPLINE, I'M LIKE, OK, IT'S GREAT THAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING, BUT MAYBE IT SHOULD BE 70 30 YOUTH COMPARED TO PARENTS CALLING IT IN.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO CATER OUR ADVERTISING TO THE SPECIFIC POPULATION THAT THE HELPLINES TARGETED TO TO TO HELP.
AND ALSO A LOT OF OUR CALLS TO THE YOUTH HELPLINE THAT COME FROM PARENTS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT TEENS. AND I THINK WITH THE PARENT HELPLINE, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP NOT JUST PARENTS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TEENS OR THE PROBLEMS THEIR TEENS COULD BE GETTING INTO.
BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO GIVE THIS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THOSE FIRST-TIME PARENTS OUT THERE WHO MAY BE NEW TO THAT ADVENTURE AND GIVE THEM SOME RESOURCES AS WELL.
BUT LIKE I SAID, IT WAS SHORT AND SIMPLE.
WE'RE BUSY, AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANKS FOR YOUR WORK. THANKS FOR THE DATA, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE UPTICK IN NOVEMBER, HAS THAT BEEN A TREND THAT YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS? I KNOW THERE WAS A PERIOD DURING COVID WHERE WE WERE NOT SEEING NEARLY AS MUCH.
INTAKE ACTIVITY, HOW LONG HAS THAT TREND BEEN HIGHER? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN SINCE SEPTEMBER, REALLY, IT'S NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S HARD TO LOOK BACK AT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF KOBE.
LET'S BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS WERE EITHER CLOSED COMPLETELY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OR THEY WERE PARTIALLY CLOSED OR HYBRID MODEL.
AND SO SOME OF THE VOLUME THAT WE'RE SEEING IS A LITTLE BIT OF RETURN TO NORMAL AND THAT SCHOOLS ARE BACK IN FULL FORCE.
AND SO WE'RE GETTING THAT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, I THINK STRESS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
OK, AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I DID MY VISIT THERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
[01:20:02]
DO YOU TRACK DATA BY SOURCE OF CALL, WHETHER IT'S FAMILY, NEIGHBOR, FRIENDS, SCHOOL AND AND ARE THE SCHOOL NUMBERS, IF YOU DO? IS THAT YEAH.THERE'S THERE MUCH DRIVING STARTING TO REBOUND AND WHAT I'M WAITING ON RIGHT NOW AND I CAN I CAN GIVE YOU THIS INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO THEM.
I'M REALLY WONDERING ABOUT THE REPORTS THAT YOU REPORT.
VOLUME HAS BEEN THROUGH THE ROOF AND I'M ANTICIPATING WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS IN THOSE REPORTERS.
DATA OUT SHOULD HAVE THAT SOON.
I WILL SAY THAT DURING COVID, WHICH YOU COULD SEE WAS, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS WERE, YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE OUT OR OUR NUMBER ONE REPORTER.
AND THEN I THINK IN FISCAL YEAR 20, THERE WERE STILL OUR NUMBER ONE REPORTER, BUT WHERE THEY USED TO BE AHEAD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, BALIK A COUPLE OF THOUSAND.
IT WAS DOWN TO LIKE 50 SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE STILL NUMBER ONE, BUT THERE WAS A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN THE CALLS THAT WE GOT AND NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK.
SO THAT'S MOST OF WHERE OUR VOLUME IS COMING FROM.
OK, WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'RE CONFIRMING A HUNCH THAT I KNOW I AND A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT ARE A WORRY.
YOU'VE BEEN SITTING ON A POWDER KEG OF UNREPORTED OR UNDERREPORTED.
ABUSE AND NEGLECT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT ACUTE, BUT BUT LINGERING AND CONTINUING, AND THAT WHEN SCHOOLS REOPEN THAT WE'D START TO SEE NOT JUST THE REPORTING, BUT THE ACTUAL AND MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION MORE FOR ROBERT OR FOR DENISE, BUT I'M JUST.
YOU'RE CURIOUS OF THE DEPARTMENT IS PREPARED FOR.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MAY BE SEEING AS KIND OF THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OR THE TIP OF A WAVE THAT'S COMING IN? ARE WE REALLY PREPARED, PREPARED FOR THAT? MAYBE NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT A HUNCH ON THAT AS WELL.
BUT WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT RACHEL CAN SPEAK TO.
BUT I ALSO THINK SOME OF THAT WOULDN'T REALLY BEAR OUT.
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE LINE BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND AND TAKES THE VERY FIRST STAGE. AND SO WHETHER OR NOT THIS INCREASE IN INTAKES REPORTS IS LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN INVESTIGATIONS OR OUR TVS OR, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL COME A LITTLE BIT LATER, WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT RIGHT AWAY.
BUT I THINK JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF ANSWER, JUST BECAUSE THE OUR CALL VOLUME WENT DOWN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NECESSARILY MEAN ABUSE NEGLECT WENT DOWN.
BUT ALSO I DO THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON AND THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S NOT WORKING UNDER MANDATORY REPORTER TRAINING AS WELL TO MAKE SURE OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE REPORTING THE RIGHT THINGS AND THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR VOLUME MAY BE COMING TO US, BUT MAYBE THINGS THAT WE SCREEN OUT, IT DIDN'T TAKE BECAUSE THEY THEY DON'T MEET.
AND SO THAT'S ALSO A POSSIBILITY, TOO.
SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION.
I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF THERE WAS A LACK OF REPORTING BECAUSE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON OUR MANDATORY REPORTER TRAINING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT THINGS THAT WE NEED.
I'M SORRY, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION I FORGOT ABOUT ON THE YOUTH HELPLINE MOSTLY BEEN RUNAWAY FOCUSED, BUT ARE THERE ANY INDICATIONS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CRISES? SUICIDE IDEATION OR THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CERTAINLY SEEING SOME SOME VERY TROUBLING NATIONAL DATA ON, ARE WE EXPERIENCING THAT HERE THROUGH THAT OR IS IT MOSTLY ABOUT, I WOULD SAY, MY PARENTS AND I'M RUNNING AWAY OR, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS I WOULD SAY, YES, SO WELL.
I THINK THE ONLY REASON WE CHANGED THE NAME FROM THE RUNNING WE HOPE ON THE YOUTH HELPLINE IS THAT FOR YEARS AND YEARS NOW, EVEN WHEN IT WAS STILL CALLED THE RUNAWAY HELPLINE, THE FOCUS WAS ALWAYS ON RUNAWAYS.
WE WERE THERE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES ON A NUMBER OF THINGS, AND I WILL SAY THAT WE SAW SOME UPS AND DOWNS WHEN IT CAME TO CALLS REGARDING SUICIDAL IDEATIONS.
I THINK I THINK IT WAS AT A COUNCIL MEETING WHEN THE BROADER ONES WERE REALLY SHOWED.
SOME TRENDS ON THAT WHERE IT WAS GOING UP AND WE SAW THAT THE YOUTH HELPLINE.
THEN IT FLATTENED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND OVER THE SUMMER, WE SAW ANOTHER INCREASE AND NOW LOOK TO FINDING OUT A LITTLE BIT.
SO I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, WE HAVE SEEN A SPIKE IN THAT IT HAS NOT SUSTAINED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
IF THAT MAKES SENSE. LIKE YOU SAID JUST A MINUTE AGO. IT STARTS WITH STATEWIDE INTAKE, AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR INNOVATIVE WAYS OF LIKE REALLY TAKING CARE OF YOUR STAFF.
I HEARD, YOU KNOW, SAYING INSTEAD OF TAKING THE DAY OFF, BEING ABLE TO BE REASSIGNED TO SOMETHING ELSE AND TO AVOID BURNOUT.
SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT INNOVATIVE WAY.
AND JUST LOOKING AT THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR STAFF, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON MESSAGING.
I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY WONDER WHY SOME CASES ARE ELEVATED IN SOME CASES ARE NOT ELEVATED.
AND I WAS WONDERING, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING AROUND MESSAGING TO THE COMMUNITY AROUND THAT? WELL, I THINK SOME OF THAT MESSAGING SHOULD START ABOUT THAT INTAKE SPECIALS, YOU KNOW?
[01:25:07]
AND SO IF THEY ARE DECIDING THAT WHAT IS BEING REPORTED DOESN'T MEET THAT STANDARD FOR AN INVESTIGATION, WE REALLY WANT THEM TO DO TWO THINGS THEY NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY.BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE REPORTS COME TO US, AND IT'S NOT THAT THE FAMILY DOESN'T NEED HELP. IT'S JUST THAT WHATEVER HELP THEY NEED ISN'T SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COMING FROM CPI.
AND SO IT'S ALSO ON OUR STAFF TO WE KEEP A PRETTY ROBUST WEB PAGE OF RESOURCES TO LET THAT REPORTER WALK AWAY WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAYBE COULD GET THEM THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. BUT ALSO AND I THINK IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT SOME TRAINING WE NEED TO DO, ESPECIALLY WHETHER MANDATORY REPORTERS AND GIVING THEM A REALISTIC IDEA OF WHAT DOES MEET AND WHAT DOESN'T MEET.
YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY TRULY DOESN'T KNOW, I WANT THEM TO CALL, LET THE PROFESSIONAL DO THE INTERVIEW AND MAKE THAT DECISION, YOU KNOW? BUT BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
AND RIGHT NOW, SPEAKING OF SOME OF THE VACANTS WE HAVE, WE'RE ABOUT TO HIRE FOR OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THAT PERSON'S MISSION IS TO GO OUT THERE INTO THE COMMUNITIES, TRAIN SOME OF THE OTHER FAITH BASED STAFF ALREADY REGIONALLY ON WHAT IS AND IS NOT ABUSE NEGLECT.
AND I THINK THAT EDUCATION WILL COME FROM THAT POSITION ONCE WE HAVE IT, ONCE WE HAVE IT FILLED, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOU AROUND MESSAGING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE A SUPPORT AND THAT YOU'RE THERE TO HELP THEM.
AND I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT MANDATORY REPORTING, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT TYPE OF COLLABORATION ARE YOU DOING WITH THE REGION OR THE COUNTY LEVEL WITH MANDATED REPORTING? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE HERE AND IN AUSTIN, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON MANDATED REPORTER.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THERE IS ONE MESSAGE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM THE REGION, BUT THEN THERE IS ANOTHER MESSAGE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM THE STATE.
AND SO THEY GET KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT, WELL, WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE LISTENING TO WHEN IT COMES TO MANDATED REPORTING? NO, AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE MAY BE SENDING OUT THERE, MAYBE LOCALLY AT A REGIONAL OFFICE, THEY'RE GIVING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MESSAGE.
AND THIS BECAUSE WE COME FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
NOW WHAT WE TAKE IN AS AN INTAKE ISN'T ALWAYS THE SAME THING THAT WILL GET UPGRADED TO INVESTIGATION. THAT'S PART OF THE ROLE OF THE SCREENERS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE COLLATERAL CONTACTS, TO BE SURE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, REGARDLESS, THE MESSAGING SHOULD BE THE SAME.
AND THAT IS THAT TASK I'M GOING TO PLACE ON THAT FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE MAKING AN OFFER AS SOON AS MONDAY, HOPEFULLY FOR THAT PERSON. AND AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THEIR GOAL.
AND ALSO KEEP IN MIND, THAT IS ONE PERSON THAT'S BASED OUT HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE WILL SEND THAT PERSON WHEREVER IN THE STATE WE NEED TO SEND THEM.
BUT I THINK IT ALSO IS A TRAINING NOT JUST FOR OUR PARTNERS OUT IN THE REGIONS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR OWN INTERNAL FAITH BASED STAFF.
YOU KNOW, MY PERSON IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE EVERYWHERE, ALWAYS AT ONE TIME.
BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON EVEN NOW IS TRAINING THOSE REGIONAL FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN BE OUT THERE SENDING THE CONSISTENT MESSAGE TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE.
I THINK THAT REALLY IS THE KEY IS THE TRAINING WE'VE GOT TO GIVE OUR OWN STAFF.
SO THEY'RE OUT THERE GIVEN THE SAME CONSISTENT MESSAGE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I HEARD THAT Y'ALL ARE STARTING A PARENT HOTLINE, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT.
AND WHEN YOU SAY PARENT, I'M WONDERING, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BIO PARENTS, FOSTER PARENTS, ADOPTIVE PARENTS? IS IT ANY PARTICULAR PARENT AND ANYBODY? WE WANT TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN? I WOULD SAY THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ON BIO PARENTS IN THE SENSE.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF PARENTS CALLING US WHO ARE BRAND NEW PARENTS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE AN EMPHASIS ON THAT, BUT BY NO MEANS IS THAT MEANT TO EXCLUDE ANYBODY OR FOSTER PARENTS NEED TO CALL US.
I THINK WE'RE ALLOWED TO FOSTER PARENTS AND PROBABLY ALREADY COLUMNISTS, MAYBE WITH THOSE TEENS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO SHIFT SOME OF OUR HELP AND RESOURCES TO THIS BRAND NEW PARENTS THAT HELP, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THE PARENTS OF OLDER KIDS AND TEENS, IT'S STILL THERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'LL GET A LOT OF OUR OUR CALLS FROM FROM THE FOSTER PARENTS.
AND WHEN I SAY PARENTS, I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S NOT YOUR PARENT, MAYBE IT SHOULD GRANDMOTHER OR YOUR GRANDFATHER WHO'S RAISING YOU, RIGHT? MAYBE THAT'S NOT YOUR PARENT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS JUST LIKE IF IT WAS YOUR BIO PARENT. OK, AWESOME.
YEAH, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE LIKE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PUSHING THAT IT'S A SUPPORT FOR FOSTER PARENTS AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE HAVE KIDS AND SEE WHAT IS OR BREAK DOWN IN PLACEMENT, BECAUSE FOSTER PARENTS HAVE
[01:30:06]
SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE AT THEIR AGENCY.AND SO THEY RATHER JUST PUT THEM IN A PSYCH WARD OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN ADOPTIVE PARENTS, THEY FEEL LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ADDRESS.
AND SO THEY RATHER, YOU KNOW, TURN THAT KID INTO HOMELESSNESS OR BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND SO IF THERE WAS A DEDICATED LINE IN A PLACE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SEEK SERVICES AND RESOURCES OR BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATE THAT AND BE POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT RESOURCE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WILL TURN IT OVER THEN TO OUR ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, RICH RICHMOND.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. LET ME FIRST GIVE YOU AN APOLOGY FOR NOT MAKING THE LAST MEETING THERE WAS A SCHEDULING CONFLICT, AND I KNOW DENEEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INTRODUCING ME WITHOUT ME BEING THERE, SO.
BUT MY NAME IS ROBERT RICHMOND.
EVERYBODY CALLS ME RICH. THEREFORE, THE RICH RICHMOND, IT JUST HASN'T GONE AWAY.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE MET.
I'VE RETIRED FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER 26 YEARS AS A COMMANDER.
I LEFT. MY LAST CHARGE WAS OVER INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
HOWEVER, A PREDOMINANT PORTION OF MY CAREER WAS SPENT IN CHILD PROTECTION, CHILD EXPLOITATION, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME.
I WORKED ORGANIZED CRIME FOR A LONG TIME WHERE I WAS IN CHARGE OF OUR EXPLOITATION, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD ABUSE TEAMS THAT WE HAD THERE.
SO THAT'S WHERE MY SPECIALTY IS.
AS WELL AS A LOT OF THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND THINGS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS MANY OF YOU ARE FROM HERE KNOW THAT'S A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING AND THINGS. SO LET ME GIVE YOU KIND OF THAT.
THE OVERVIEW FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST TWO AND A HALF MONTHS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UPON BEING HIRED, THE COMMISSIONER WAS VERY GRACIOUS TO HAVE A VERY GOOD HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT DFCS AND CPI ARE EXPERIENCING.
BUT BEFORE THEN, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF.
I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO KNOWS THEY'RE GOING TO RETIRE AND WANTS ANOTHER JOB TO STUDY WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND I SAW IT FROM THE ANECDOTAL SIDE OF THE REPORTS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
SO WHEN WE SAT DOWN, SHE GAVE ME THE TRUE VISION AND A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I'LL JUST GO FROM FROM EACH ONE OF MY RESPECTIVE CHARGES HERE WITH STARTING WITH CPI CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ON ONE OF THE THINGS TOO.
YOU'RE IN A GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT OF ACRONYMS FROM ME BECAUSE I'M STILL LEARNING MYSELF.
SO, SO WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, THOSE THAT IN PARTICULAR, MY MY FOCUS, NO ONE IS ON PERSONNEL RETENTION, AND I KNOW THAT'S THE BANE OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD ACROSS THE BOARD. BUT I'M EXPERIENCING WITH CPI, A ATTRITION RATE OF ANYWHERE FROM THIRTY NINE TO FORTY FOUR PERCENT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON AND IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING AT, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE LOOKING AT PAY CONSISTENCIES AND BEING ABLE TO REALLY STUDY THE PAY TO BRING THE EQUITIES AND INEQUITIES TO WHERE THEY'RE IN BALANCE.
ANOTHER THING THAT I SAW, AND I'M GLAD THAT IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING OR WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR PERSONNEL COMING FROM A HEAVY LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND? AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT TWO HOURS OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR FOR 20 YEARS.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE SAW A LOT OF TRAUMA, ESPECIALLY WITH MY CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATORS AND ALL THOSE THINGS IS THAT WAY.
AND SO I SEE THAT HERE AND WE HAVE A DIRE NEED FOR A PEER SUPPORT TEAM, WHICH I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PHASES THAT I'VE PLANNED THAT I'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE COMMISSIONER, AND WE'LL DISCUSS EVEN FURTHER AS WE GET THE STRATEGIES IN PLACE.
TO BE ABLE TO FUND THIS AND MOVE FORWARD IS MY VISION IS IN EACH REGION.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE PEER SUPPORT MEMBERS THAT ARE ABLE TO BE THERE TO RESPOND TO THEIR PEERS AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM SERVICES NEEDED.
I SAW THIS WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BACK IN THE DAY.
WE USED TO DO THE CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TEAMS, WHICH WERE KIND OF THE 90S 2000S, AND WE FOUND THAT PEER SUPPORT WAS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE.
WHEN YOU HAVE PEER SUPPORT, THEY'RE OUT THERE WITH THESE FOLKS.
EVERY DAY THEY'RE LISTENING TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY CAN SAY, HEY, JOHN, YOU'RE EXPERIENCING A DIVORCE, ARE YOU OK? THEY'RE SEEING THINGS, THEY'RE SEEING.
THE CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR THAT WE WARM NORMALLY WOULD NOT SEE.
IF YOU SEE IT FROM THE ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER LEVEL OR, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR LEVEL, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT CATCHING IT. SO HAVING THAT PEER SUPPORT TEAM, I THINK, IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BUILD A ROBUST TEAM TO WHERE WE CAN GIVE THEM REFERENCES AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HELP PROVIDE YOU THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO BE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WORKER.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IS GOING TO BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING A ROBUST WORKFORCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE MY PRIMARY FOCUS IS AND THAT IS WITH EVERYBODY ACROSS THE CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS WORKING WITH OUR ERP WITH DEER OAKS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PROVIDERS IN EACH REGION THAT KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS OF FIRST RESPONDERS ARE.
[01:35:06]
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SOCIAL WORKERS, ARE INVESTIGATORS, THEIR FIRST RESPONDERS, THEY SEE THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT IN MY PREVIOUS PROFESSION, WE'D CALL TWO OR THREE OR FOUR COPS OUT TO DEAL WITH.AND SO WITH THAT, I'M VERY EMPATHETIC TO THE FACT THAT THEY NEED GOOD CARE.
IF I STOP WORKING, I'VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING WITH OUR RISK MANAGEMENT TEAM TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE RESOURCES AND OUR CURRENT CONTRACT TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE THAT FOCUS IN THIS TRAUMA CARE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM THE BEST SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR EMPLOYEE WHOLE AND GET THEM BACK AND GET THEM ENGAGED AND COMMITTED.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING WITH THE ACTUAL PERSONNEL THING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR H.R.
WE'RE KIND OF SEEING ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX PEOPLE LEAVE IN A MONTH.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS ANECDOTAL BECAUSE IT DOES SHIFT AND CHANGE.
WITH THAT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WAITING IN THE PIPELINE TO BE HIRED AND WE'VE EMPLOYED. AND IN SOME PRACTICES, TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM ON A LITTLE QUICKER AND GET HIM IN THE TRAINING, SO THAT JUST STARTED ON MONDAY AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S GOING TO HAVE SOME GREAT SUCCESSES. THANK GOODNESS FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND PEERS BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT SOME WONDERFUL IDEAS AND EACH ONE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY APPLY TO CPI.
I'LL MOVE DOWN. I'M NOT HAVING REALLY ANY ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONNEL AND RETENTION, WHEN IT COMES TO MY SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM.
WITH THAT, OR LET ME KIND OF ROLL BACK TO CPI ALTOGETHER TO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE.
OTHER THAN THE PERSONNEL ISSUES THAT I EXPLAINED, THE WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHANGES OF HOUSE BILL FIVE SIXTY SEVEN AND SENATE BILL 18 96, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO REMOVALS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT REMOVALS AND ABOUT HOW THAT REALLY LOOKS AND WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON.
SO I JUST ADDRESSED THOSE UP FRONT.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR DATA, I'M GOING TO BE VERY I JUST WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE DATA SET THAT WE HAVE, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO REALLY NAME EVERY FACTOR THAT WE BELIEVE MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE REMOVAL REDUCTION RATES.
HOWEVER, THE CHANGE IN THE LAW WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT REMOVED OUR ABILITY TO DO NON-EMERGENCY REMOVALS.
AND WITH THAT CAME THE DYNAMIC OF ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT TO WORK DIFFERENTLY TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICES. AND ACTUALLY THE REDUCED AMOUNT OF REMOVALS AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T INCREASE CHILD SAFETY CONCERNS IS A GOOD THING.
AND SO LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND ALSO LOOKING AT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE STUDYING THE DATA THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE WITH THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTORS ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM MY DEPUTY, MY DEPUTY ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, AS WELL AS OUR FIELD DIRECTORS, IS MAKING SURE THAT THESE SUPERVISORS ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH EACH ONE OF THESE CASE READS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING CHILDREN IN A PLACE THEY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE EMERGENCY NON-EMERGENCY REMOVALS.
THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE 12 AND ABOVE AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE HANDLING THAT TO INCLUDE THE CASES WHERE THE PARENTS GIVE THEM WHAT WE CALL THE WRAPPER CASES.
WE HAVEN'T CHANGED OUR POLICY IN THE WAY THAT WE ADDRESS IT.
IT'S A PRACTICE CHANGE TO ENSURE THAT THIS CHANGE IN THE LAW IS NOT CREATING A CHILD SAFETY HAZARD. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THAT IS WITH THE 12 AND ABOVE, WE WANTED TO FURTHER NARROW THE DOORWAY OF THOSE REMOVALS THAT ARE NOT EXIGENT AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK. THESE FROM THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR LEVEL FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
TWO. I'M A BIG ONE IN ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IT'S A SUPERVISOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I DON'T WANT THAT REGIONAL DIRECTOR LEVEL TO BE DETACHED AT ANY SENSE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THEIR SUPERVISORS THAT ARE UNDERNEATH THEM TO SAY THESE ARE THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE. SO THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD THAT NORMALLY UNDER THE OLDER LAW, WE WOULD HAVE PROVED WE'RE NOT APPROVING THOSE AND THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TRAINING.
AND THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM THE FIELD IS SUPERVISORS ARE, HEY, THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE NOW OUR REGIONAL DIRECTOR WITH ALL THIS EXPERIENCE IS ABLE TO PROVIDE US REASONS WHY THEY'RE SEEING THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
SO THAT'S HOW WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT.
SO ONCE THAT STARTS TO GET IN PLACE, ONCE WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THESE CASE READS THAT IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE HEADS OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS INVOLVED.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE POLICY OF THE WAY THAT IT IS WITH THE SUPERVISORS APPROVING THOSE. OR IF WE SEE THAT THERE'S A NEED TO HAVE THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS INVOLVED PERMANENTLY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON THERE, DOING THE TRAINING THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CONCURRENT STAGES, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FAMILY BASED SERVICES.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY CLOSE WITH OUR FAMILY BASED SERVICES AND OUR PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION TEAMS TO PROVIDE THOSE PARENTS WITH THE RESOURCES NECESSARY IF WE FINISH THAT INVESTIGATION, IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN'T GO FURTHER WITH ANYTHING OR WE HAVE, IT'S BEEN RULED OUT OR WHATNOT.
[01:40:02]
WE ARE NOT, IN ESSENCE, NOT PROVIDING SERVICES.THOSE SERVICES ARE STILL THERE AND THOSE SERVICES ARE STILL AVAILABLE.
SO THOSE CASES THAT ARE GOING TO THE FAMILY BASED SERVICES, WE'RE ALSO USING THE THE PREVENTION OR EARLY INTERVENTION ARMS AS WELL TO HELP PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES THAT PARENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT FAMILY HOME.
SO MOVING FORWARD TO MY CI PROGRAM, TO MY SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW WHEN I CAME OVER HERE IS THAT SAN ANTONIO HAD INSTITUTED A TEAM OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS THAT WERE FOCUSED STRICTLY ON OUR RUNAWAYS THAT CAME FROM FOSTER CARE AS WELL AS FROM OUR CSR PROGRAM.
AND I WATCHED HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING THESE RUNAWAYS BACK AND ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WERE POTENTIALLY IN HARM FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.
WE WENT AHEAD AND INSTITUTED THIS PROGRAM IN REGION THREE, REGION SIX AND REGION EIGHT.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE HAVE THEIR OWN PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO LOCATE THOSE RUNAWAYS. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD SUCCESS WHERE JUDGE MARTINEZ JONES HAD CALLED ME PERSONALLY AND SAID, HEY, WE HAVE AN ISSUE AND I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH ONE OF THESE GIRLS THAT I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH.
I'M REALLY KIND OF BESIDE MYSELF BECAUSE THE AWESOME POLICE DEPARTMENT HASN'T BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
SO SHE WAS REACHING OUT TO ME AND I WAS LIKE, HEY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TEAM OF FOLKS THAT I CAN HELP YOU OUT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THAT RUNAWAY BASED ON SOME INFORMATION SHE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE WITHIN PROBABLY ABOUT TWO HOURS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO BRING HER INTO CUSTODY AND BE ABLE TO MAKE HER SAFE.
AND SO I THINK THAT SHOWED FOR ITSELF THAT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT BEYOND ANECDOTAL THAT THEY'RE DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB.
SO WHEN I SEE SUCCESS, WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT SUCCESS AND DO IT QUICKLY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'VE REALLY KIND OF PUSHED ACROSS ACROSS CPI IS CONSISTENCY IN INVESTIGATIONS, TRAINING AND CONSISTENCY.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS WE START TO GO THROUGH NOT JUST WITH THE THE CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, BUT ALSO WITH THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS AND ALSO OUR CHILD CARE INVESTIGATIONS AND OUR, YOU KNOW, FOSTER CARE, CHILD CARE INVESTIGATIONS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT THAT JUSTIN LEWIS IS IN CHARGE OF IS THAT WE WERE SEEING SOME INEQUITIES IN THESE REPORTS AND THESE WERE COMING OUT AND WHERE THE THE CARE PROVIDERS NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE GOING BECAUSE IT'S POORLY WRITTEN.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON TRAINING FOR THE QUALITY OF REPORTS.
THEY'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN TO REDUCE THE BACKLOGS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT AND TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THE REPORT. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL.
AND MOVING FORWARD TO THE CHILD.
CHILD CARE INVESTIGATIONS AND FOSTER CARE INVESTIGATIONS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
RESIDENTIAL CARE INVESTIGATIONS, WE WE'VE HAD A COMPLETE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP ONCE JUSTIN LEWIS WAS PLACED IN THERE BY MY PREDECESSOR.
HE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF STARTING TO BUILD HIS TEAM.
WITH THAT, SINCE IT'S BEEN GOING ON OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE CHANGE OF THE TEAM, WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A LULL IN WHERE WE ORIGINALLY WERE, WHERE WE HAD ALL OF OUR SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS ASSISTING THEM TO TO REDUCE ACTUALLY ELIMINATE THE BACKLOG THAT THEY HAD.
SO WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS A LITTLE BIT OF A LULL AND NOT A BACKLOG, BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING TO THE CASES AS QUICKLY AS I WOULD LIKE TO.
AND THAT IN ITSELF IS BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING ON THEIR LEADERSHIP, GETTING THEM IN PLACE AND BEING ABLE TO GET FULLY STAFFED, WHICH I CAN, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFULLY SAY THAT THEY ARE. SO WE HOPE TO TURN THAT AROUND AND BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE UP TO THE LEVELS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE ONCE WE REDUCE THAT BACKLOG.
THE NEXT WOULD BE MY HUMAN TRAFFICKING CLAIM TEAM WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH ANDREAS SPARKS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
THEY'VE GOT A REALLY A LOT OF GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE.
WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS THERE WITH THE DIFFERENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING TEAMS ACROSS THE STATE.
WE WENT TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
I ATTENDED THAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, SAW SOME REALLY GREAT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ACROSS THE NATION.
WE GOT A LOT OF ACCOLADES FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE IN TEXAS AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THE PROGRAM AND THE PREVENTION THINGS.
WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON DEVELOPING A TOOL WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EARLY WARNING ASSESSMENT FOR OUR RUNAWAY AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER KIDS THAT WE HAVE IN CARE THAT IS IN KIND OF ITS FINAL STAGES OF COMPLETION AND THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THEM WITH AN MOU TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOW WE SEE THAT LOOKING AS IT KIND OF GETS IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE STATE. SO I GAVE A WHOLE LOT.
I KNOW I SUCKED THE AIR OUT OF THE ROOM A BIT.
SO. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? I'M SURE THERE IS. I GAVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION.
FROM MY PREVIOUS LIFE OF BEING ON THE BENCH ALL THE TIME AND A THERAPY BEING A THERAPIST PRIOR TO THAT, I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT OUR INVESTIGATORS, OUR CASEWORKERS OF SECONDARY TRAUMA. AND THAT I WANT US TO BE SO CONSCIOUS OF WHAT IT IS THEY'RE SEEING AND DOING AND HAVING A. A PROTOCOL WHEREIN WE GET THEM SOME HELP, BUT PART OF IT ALSO I WOULD I KEEP SEEING I'M VERY TRAUMA INFORMED AND VERY TRAUMA AWARE, AND I'M I THINK OF THE THE PARENTS
[01:45:10]
THAT HAVE COME IN AS FOSTER PARENTS OR ADOPTIVE PARENTS.AND THEN RIGHT IN THE 30 DAY, THE 30 DAY LETTERS TO COME GET THESE BECAUSE THEY THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND TRAUMA, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE KIDS HAVE BEEN THROUGH.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE KIDS ARE DOING THIS OUT OF THE AMYGDALA.
REACTING AND TAKING OVER WITH FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE NEED EDUCATION ON TRAUMA EVERYWHERE WITH ANYBODY THAT TOUCHES THESE KIDS OR ANY OF THIS.
AND THAT INCLUDES, I WOULD HOPE, AT SOME POINT LICENSING FOR FOSTER PARENTS THAT THEY HAD TO HAVE TRAUMA INFORMED TRAINING AS WELL TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY TELL THE KID THEY'RE GOING TO PICK THEM UP AT TWO O'CLOCK.
GET TRAUMATIZED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY CAN'T TRUST YOU.
AND I JUST I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S SO GENERIC.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE AWARE OF ALL OF THESE PLACES WHERE TRAUMA TOUCHES OUR WORKERS, THE SUPERVISORS, THE THE PARENTS, THE THE SPOUSES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THERE.
WHEN THEY'RE THERE, FOLKS COME HOME FROM WORK AND THEY'RE JUST BASKET CASES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S HUGE AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIGHT THE BEAST, BUT I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE THAT THAT IS OVERREACHING INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. LIKE YOU SAID, NOT JUST OUR PERSONNEL, BUT ALSO THE WAY THAT WE CONDUCT OUR INVESTIGATIONS IN THE WAY THAT WE TREAT OUR FAMILIES, RIGHT.
I REALLY LIKE THAT WHEN I CAME TO WORK HERE AND I STARTED TO SEE THE PASSION AND LOOK AND SEE SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT THEY WERE DOING.
THE VERY FIRST TRAINING CLASS THAT I WAS ABLE TO SIT IN AND MONITOR WAS ONE WITH OUR CHILD CARE INVESTIGATORS, AND THEY SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED HOW THIS TRAUMA AFFECTS THOSE THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO AND BEING ABLE TO SHOW THAT EMPATHY AND TRANSPARENCY TO EXPLAIN TO THE PARENTS AND TO THE TO THE CARE PROVIDERS, WHETHER IT BE THE FACILITIES AND ALL THOSE ARE CONTRACTED. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO BE SO CLEAR ON OUR ACTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE INVESTIGATIONS.
AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S GREAT.
SO HAVING THAT IMPLEMENTED IN OUR TRAINING AND I SAW THAT WITH OUR C PROGRAM, WITH THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS THAT WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF A LOT OF THOSE THAT WERE FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATORS, WE HAVE SEX CRIME INVESTIGATORS, WE HAVE FAMILY VIOLENCE INVESTIGATORS AND THEY COME FROM THE GENERATION WHERE THEY UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THEY SAY AND THEY CAN DO DURING THOSE INVESTIGATIONS CAN RETRAUMATIZE THOSE THAT THEY'RE SERVING. AND I SEE THAT THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT EVEN FURTHER.
WHAT I SAW THAT REALLY CREATED A LOT OF I'M TRYING TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY, WHOA, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY JUST BLEW.
MY MIND WAS THE LACK OF OUR WE DON'T HAVE A PEER SUPPORT TEAM.
AND THEN I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS OF FMLA AND OUR PERSONNEL WHO ARE OUT BECAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH RELATED INCIDENTS AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH.
I CAN USE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF 30 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, LOSING OFFICERS, LOSING PEOPLE CLOSE TO ME, PEOPLE JUMPING IN FRONT OF ME, ALL THOSE HORRIBLE THINGS.
THEY STACK UP AND YOU COME TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'RE A ZOMBIE WALKING AROUND AND YOU'RE STUFFING IT AWAY.
I SEE THIS. I EMPATHIZE WITH THIS.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M COMING TO THIS GROUP WITH AND SAYING, HEY, WE REALLY NEED TO GET THIS PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM OUT THERE.
WE NEED TO GET THOSE EMDR RESOURCES OUT THERE TO REALLY IDENTIFY THESE, TO GET THAT WORKER WHOLE SO THAT THEY CAN COME BACK TO SAY, WHY AM I DOING THIS TO BEGIN WITH? THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THE COMMISSIONER ASKED ME.
WHY AM I DOING THIS? YOU'RE LEAVING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WHAT A COMMANDER MAKES WHEN THEY RETIRE.
I COULD SIT HOME, PET MY DOGS AND MAKE FURNITURE.
I COULD. BUT I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I SEE THAT IF ANYTHING, IN MY CAREER, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT AND BEING ABLE TO BRING THAT FORWARD, NOT JUST BECAUSE THE KIDS HAVE NO VOICE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THESE KIDS. THEY DO IT BECAUSE I WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES. I'VE SEEN THE SALARIES OF SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE NOT DOING IT FOR THE MONEY AT ALL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS SO AND I'M JUST GOING TO USE A TERM I THINK IS SO COOL ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE.
AND THERE'S SOME THAT ARE HERE THAT KNOW ME THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH IN DIFFERENT REGARDS.
JUST DON'T BELIEVE WHAT THE SHERIFF SAYS.
BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, I SEE THE SAME FACES OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND IT SHOWS ME THIS IS A LIFELONG PASSION THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN.
AND I THINK BEING PART OF THAT AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN MY RETIREMENT IS WONDERFUL AND BEING ABLE TO LEAVE THAT LEGACY AND PUSH FORWARD.
BUT I SEE RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE WHOLE, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO COME BACK THERE AND REALIZE THIS IS WHY I DO THIS. THIS IS MY PURPOSE AND PASSION AND NOT LET ALL THAT OTHER STUFF DRAG THEM DOWN. THE IDEA OF WE WANT, WE NEED TO WANT TO DO NO HARM, BUT THAT'S GOT TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU.
I TRY TO EXPLAIN TO MY PEOPLE WE WE CAN'T FEED OTHERS UNLESS WE FEED OUR EXACTLY AS IT
[01:50:03]
DROPS DOWN. PUT IT ON YOURSELF FIRST.THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE MY DIRECTION AND THEN MY FOCUS AND GOAL. AND I, YOU KNOW, GOOD.
I JUST HAD ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, I REALLY CAN RESONATE WITH THEM, THE WHOLE ISSUE AROUND FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE TRAUMA I WORK CLOSELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO I'M. REALLY REINFORCING, COMMENDING YOU FOR JUST REALLY LOOKING AT THOSE SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND YES, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TYPICALLY AND FIREFIGHTERS, BUT ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INVESTIGATORS AND HEALTH CARE.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT WHOLE NOTION OF FIRST RESPONDERS.
AND JUST AS THE JUDGE SAID, IT'S VICARIOUS TRAUMA IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I HEAR FROM OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. IT'S OFTEN WITH THE EMS OR THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY JUST TAKEN SOMEBODY ON AN EMERGENCY DETENTION ORDER THE DAY BEFORE.
SO I REALLY THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THOSE SPECIALIZED SERVICES OR THOSE IN THE HELPING. I I FIND AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE IN THIS SOMETIMES WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL IN CERTAIN REGARDS WHEN YOU SEE THE WHEELS WORKING REALLY WELL? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ADMIRE ABOUT AN AGENCY THAT I JUST LEFT IS THEY HAVE A VERY, VERY GOOD PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
AND WITH THAT PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM CAME WITH A LIST OF RESOURCES WHERE I, AS A COMMANDER, HAVING 400 PEOPLE WORKING FOR ME OR MORE WOULD NOT KNOW.
I WOULD JUST KNOW THAT MY OFFICER IS OUT AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE ON EXTENDED FMLA AND WHAT RESOURCES WERE BEING PROVIDED WERE THOSE THINGS THAT MADE THEM FEEL SAFE.
EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT'S THE SECOND PHASE OF WHAT WE'RE PLANNING WITH THIS IS MAKING A A PROGRAM THAT MAKES THEM FEEL SAFE, THAT WHEN THEY REACH OUT, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FEEL.
AND COMING FROM A CAREER WHERE WHEN YOU IDENTIFIED, ESPECIALLY EARLY ON IN MY CAREER OF HAVING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, YOU HAVE JUST PUT A SCARLET LETTER ON YOU.
YOU WOULD GET YOUR BADGE TAKEN AWAY, YOUR GUN TAKEN AWAY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS. WE TELL PEOPLE NOT TO RETRAUMATIZE THOSE WHO ARE BOTHERING TRAUMA AND THEY WOULD WALK AROUND AND YOU WOULD SEE THEM SPIRAL UNTIL YOU HAD SUICIDES OR YOU HAD BAD DECISIONS OR YOU HAD CORRUPTION OR YOU HAD ABUSE THAT WERE GOING ON.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS. SO WITH THOSE, THAT'S EXACTLY THE WAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS TOO AND SAYING, HOW DO WE GET THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE RESOURCES AND THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY THAT REALLY WILL HELP THEM? SO YES, MA'AM.
SO I COME TO YOU WITH A VERY HEAVY HEART RIGHT NOW, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO HOLD MY COMPOSURE WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS HAD LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
I REALLY LOOK AT RUNAWAY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU IN THAT ENDEAVOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE ARE DOING GREAT THINGS AND I THINK WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP WILL BE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S VERY SAD TO ME.
THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY THAT WAS TRAFFICKED WHILE IN FOSTER CARE, AND SHE IS NOW SITTING AFTER LEAVING FOSTER CARE.
AT 18, SHE IS NOW SITTING IN THE LOUISIANA JAIL FOR FOR BASICALLY GROOMING ANOTHER PERSON FROM FOSTER CARE TO BE IN SEX TRAFFICKING.
OUR SYSTEM FAILED THAT YOUNG LADY.
SHE WAS TRAFFICKED FROM THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM THREE TIMES BETWEEN THE AGE OF 12 AND 18.
AND IT IS SAD THAT SHE IS FACING 20 YEARS IN JAIL AT 18 YEARS OLD.
IN MANY OF THESE KIDS ARE IN SWIPE RIGHT NOW, SOME OF THEM ARE RUNNING AWAY AND THEY'RE TAKING OTHER KIDS INTO SEX TRAFFICKING SITUATIONS.
AND I KNOW WE'RE DOING OUR PART AS AN AGENCY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR SAFETY.
BUT EVERY TIME I HEAR THESE STORIES OF THESE YOUNG GIRLS AND YOUNG MEN RUNNING AWAY AND THEN RETURNING BACK TO CARE AND RECRUITING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE, I FEEL LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING AS FAR AS INTERVENTIONS TO HELP THEM? AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER STORY OF A YOUNG PERSON LEAVING OUR SYSTEM AND ENDING UP IN ANOTHER SYSTEM WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED THEM WHEN WE SAID THAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN THEIR PARENTS.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'M HEARING AS WELL IS THAT THESE KIDS ARE RUNNING AWAY AND SOMETIMES IT'S BEING REPORTED TO NICK IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND SOMETIMES IT IS NOT. AND WHEN THAT CHILD IS REACHING A CERTAIN AGE OF 17 TO 18 YEARS OLD AND THAT KID IS STILL MISSING, THAT IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE WHEN PARENTS KIDS ARE TAKEN
[01:55:02]
AWAY AND THEY'RE THINKING THAT THEIR CHILD IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY CPS, BUT THEIR KID IS MISSING. AND WHEN NICK MAKE CALLS TO SAY THEY'RE YOUR KID WAS MISSING FROM CPS AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEIR KID WAS MISSING AND THEIR KID IS STILL MISSING, THAT IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME THAT KIDS ARE GOING MISSING.AND I'M WONDERING WHO IS LOOKING FOR THESE KIDS? BECAUSE ME AS A MOTHER OF TWO, I WOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO BE LOOKING FOR MY KIDS. AND IT'S JUST VERY SAD TO ME, AND I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH NICK MACK? BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM, THAT WE'RE GETTING POSTERS OUT, THAT WE HAVE THESE KIDS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME LEGALITIES AROUND HAVING THEIR THEIR PICTURES AND THINGS OUT THERE LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR THESE KIDS AND THAT THESE KIDS ARE NOT LIKE.
I HEARD A STORY OF A YOUNG PERSON DYING WHILE LEAVING FOSTER CARE ON THE STREETS WHEN THEY RAN AWAY.
AND SOME OF THESE KIDS, THEY'VE RETURNED BACK TO CARE, AND IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN REPORTED THAT THEY'VE RETURNED BACK TO CARE.
AND SO THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COMMUNICATION WHEN KIDS RETURN BACK TO CARE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COMMUNICATION WITH BIO FAMILIES, EVEN IF THE BIO FAMILY RIGHTS HAVE BEEN TERMINATED.
IF THAT KID IS MISSING FROM CARE, THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR CHILD.
MICK MICK, THE NATIONAL MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN, IT I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO SUGARCOAT THIS.
I COME FROM HAVING WORKED CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS WHERE I WATCHED KIDS 20 PLUS YEARS AGO GO INTO THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY GOT REMOVED AND I WAS PART OF THAT REMOVAL BECAUSE OF THE ABUSE THEY RECEIVED IN THEIR HOME.
AND THEN I COME AROUND A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, WE'LL STILL AS A CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATOR AND I'M GOING TO THEIR FOSTER HOME AND REMOVING THEM FOR SOMETHING WORSE, WHETHER IT BE SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE HOME.
IT WAS A SYSTEM IN WHICH WE WERE PUTTING THOSE CHILDREN IN A WORSE SCENARIO THAN WHAT WE TOOK THEM OUT OF. I SAW THAT AND I ANECDOTALLY AS A DETECTIVE, IT JUST MADE ME SICK BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO FOR IT BECAUSE I WASN'T CPS, I WASN'T.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE STRUCTURE THAT WE DO NOW.
WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH CHILD EXPLOITATION AND I'M AGING MYSELF HERE BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE, LITERALLY, WE WOULD START STUFF ON THE COMPUTER AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE DIAL UP KIND OF AGE.
THAT'S WHERE I GOT MY FIRST EXPERIMENTS WITH EXPERIENCE WITH NEC MET THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE FBS, WITH NEC MACHIAS.
WE FEED THEM INFORMATION, WE FEED THEM A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION.
THE CHALLENGES THAT I'M HAVING THAT I'M WORKING THROUGH ARE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT CONSIDERED A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY.
NECK WILL NOT SHARE INFORMATION BACK WITH US WHEN THEY HAVE LOCATED SOMEONE, THEY SHARE IT TO THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
COMING FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, I KNOW THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY LIKE WE DO HERE.
SO MY CHALLENGE HAS BEEN IS TO TRY TO FIND A WORKAROUND OR TRY TO FIND SOME SORT OF LEGAL RESOLUTION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SHARING OF INFORMATION.
I ENCOURAGE ANYONE HERE THAT IF YOU HAVE A CONTACT AND I HAVE TALKED WITH WITH SENATOR CRONIN'S OFFICE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TALK WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH KNICKKNACK AND THEIR DEAL IS THAT THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT IS GOING TO GET INTO THE WRONG HANDS. I GET IT.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT SAYS, HEY, AND NOT JUST FOR US, BUT NATIONALLY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT SAYS THE LOCAL AGENCIES THAT ARE TASKED AND CHARGED WITH CHILD WELFARE THAT HAVE THESE TEAMS SHOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION SHARED TO THEM BECAUSE IT'S DONE IN REAL TIME TO WHERE MY INVESTIGATORS CAN GET THIS.
THEY WILL PROVIDE THEM INFORMATION, SAY ALL I NEED IS THIS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I CAN SAY, HEY, WE GOT INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOT OFF THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT, THAT THEY'RE IN SAN ANTONIO RIGHT NOW AT THIS CLUB RIGHT NOW, SAYING THAT THEY'RE OLDER THAN WHAT THEY ARE. THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR OUR INVESTIGATORS TO GET OUT THERE, AND WE DO HAVE THAT COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO EMPATHIZE WITH THE FACT WE DON'T CONTROL THEIR RESOURCES.
WE DON'T WE CAN'T REALLY PUSH THEM TO DO THINGS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO.
THAT'S WHY WE WORK SO CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, WITH THE AG'S OFFICE, NOT JUST TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, BUT FOR US TO BE PART OF THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT SWAP IS BAD.
IT IS NOT A PLACE FOR CHILDREN THAT ESPECIALLY THAT ARE EXPERIENCED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
WE CANNOT PROVIDE THEM WITH A PARENTAL OVERVIEW AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY WOULD IN A FOSTER HOME. BECAUSE WE HAVE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WORKING THERE, THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST TO WORK THEIR CASELOADS AND TO WATCH THESE CHILDREN WHEN ALL THIS STUFF IS GOING ON.
AND THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE CHINESE KIDS.
SO WHEN THEIR TRAFFICKER IS OUT THE DOOR, UNLIKE A PARENT, WE CAN'T SAY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING? STOP. WE CAN SAY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
[02:00:01]
STOP, AND THEY'LL WALK RIGHT PAST US.WE CAN'T PUT HANDS ON THOSE KIDS.
WE CAN'T DO WHAT A PARENT DOESN'T EMBRACE THEM AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO KEEP YOU HERE.
THAT'S WHY I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS, SEE WHAT BAD SWAP IS HORRIBLE, I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH JUDGE MARTINEZ JONES AND I SAID, LISTEN, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SOMEONE BACK AND SWAP IS NOT GOING TO HELP THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUE, ACTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, ELIZABETH, BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT ISSUE WHEN I HAD THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT.
WE WOULD TAKE CHILDREN BACK TO THE RUNAWAY SHELTER.
THEY WOULD GET ON THEIR PHONE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T KEEP THEIR PHONE FROM THEM.
AND BOOM, THEY WERE RIGHT BACK WITH THE TRAFFICKER.
AND OFTENTIMES, AS YOU SAY, THEY WERE TAKING SOME OF THEIR RECRUITING BECAUSE THE LIFE THAT THEY WERE GETTING PROMISED, EVEN THOUGH THAT IS COMPLETE B.S.
EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE WAS MORE TANTALIZING TO THEM THAN HAVING TO STAY IN CARE WITH A BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT THEY DON'T TRUST.
AND SO, YEAH, I'M A BIG OPPONENT TO SWAP, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND THE QUICKER WE GET RID OF THAT, PROBABLY THE CLOSER WE ARE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THESE OTHER AGENCIES AND AT LEAST GET ONE MORE POINT AND ONE MORE ONE MORE STEP FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THOSE CHILDREN FROM HAVING THOSE ISSUES.
SO I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE FOCUSING ON.
I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU FURTHER TO, YOU KNOW, OFF THE RIGHT OR ON THE RECORD, BUT LATER WITH TO COME UP WITH SOME OF YOUR IDEAS AND GET YOU WITH THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE THAT ARE TASKED WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE WONDERFUL.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL IN THE FIELD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEN I DO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
I AM WORKING ON THE PILOT FOR REIMAGINED WITH JUDGE MARTINEZ JONES, AND I OVERSEE OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL WITH THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AND WE DO HAVE A BIO PARENTS, FOSTER PARENTS AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS ON THAT COUNCIL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES FROM THIS RECENT COUNCIL AND PRIOR IS THAT FAMILY BASED SAFETY SERVICES SOMETIMES PROVIDE A COOKIE CUTTER.
AND WHEN THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LIKE A NINE TO FIVE JOB AND THEY CANNOT TAKE OFF FOR THIS PARENTING CLASS AND THAT PARENTING CLASS, AND THEN THEY'RE THREATENED THAT THEIR CHILDREN'S ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, NOT RETURNED BACK TO THEM.
WHAT TYPE OF APPROACH ARE YOU ALL TAKING TO MAKE IT MORE INDIVIDUALIZED BASED UPON, LIKE THE PARENTS WORK SITUATION? BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S PERCEIVED THAT THE PARENT DOESN'T WANT TO WORK THE SERVICES, AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ACCURATE, ACCURATE, RIGHT? I'M GOING TO LET THAT QUESTION BE ANSWERED BY DANINE DRYDEN, BECAUSE THAT IS HER TEAM THAT WORK ON THAT AND I KNOW THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM.
BUT HER TEAM DOES A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT SHE CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT DOES HELP PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE.
I THINK EVERYBODY REALLY, REALLY DOES EMPATHIZE WITH THE FACT BECAUSE JUST LIKE US, WE CAN'T ADDRESS EVERYTHING WITH OUR KIDS AND WE'RE CONSIDERED NORMAL PARENTS, RIGHT? WHEN YOU HAVE PARENTS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING TRAUMA AND CRISIS, IT GETS EVEN WORSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN POVERTY. I WAS RAISED IN POVERTY, YOU KNOW, AND ALTHOUGH I WASN'T A FOSTER CHILD, YOU KNOW, MY MOTHER'S BOYFRIEND TRIED TO KILL ME WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD.
THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO BE IN THE JOB RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS BE A POLICE OFFICER.
THAT IN ITSELF AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, I KNOW THAT FROM THE CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATION SIDE AS WELL AS CPS, WE WORK SO CLOSELY SIDE TO SIDE SIDE BY SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THOSE OVERLAPPING SERVICES ARE TRULY OVERLAPPING AND THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE INCIDENTS THAT OCCUR WHERE WE MAYBE GO IN FROM AN INVESTIGATION TO, YOU KNOW, FAMILY BASED SERVICES THAT WE HAVE A WARM HANDOFF IN BOTH WAYS THAT IF THEY HAVE TO COME BACK INTO INVESTIGATIONS, WE'RE THERE FOR THEM AND THAT WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEMS AND THE CHALLENGES OF THIS FAMILY HAS HAPPENED.
I MEAN, THE GOAL IS IS REUNIFICATION.
THE GOAL IS TO KEEP A FAMILY HOME, TO GET THEM THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED.
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY IF MY MOTHER DIDN'T GET DRUG TREATMENT.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE ENDED UP IN PRISON TO IN WESTERN NEBRASKA, NOT A GOOD PLACE TO GO IS WHERE DREAMS GO TO DIE.
SO THOSE ARE BAD JOKES IN MY DREAMS. SO THANK YOU, MA'AM.
IF I MAY. RICH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENERGY AND THE PASSION THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THIS, ESPECIALLY SO QUICKLY ON THE JOB.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. YOU MENTIONED THAT REMOVALS HAVE GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND MAYBE THIS IS A BETTER QUESTION FOR STEPHEN OR BOTH.
YOU CAN ANSWER, GIVEN THE DATA THAT HE SHARED, THAT CALLS ARE INCREASING AT LEAST IN THE LAST THREE, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND WHAT WE CAN TELL A REPORTED ABUSE OR SUSPECTED ABUSE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO ANY DATA ON WHETHER THERE'S BEEN A DECREASE? A COROLLARY DECREASE IN.
IN INVESTIGATIONS RESULTING FROM CALLS FROM CENTRAL INTAKE, WHAT WHAT HOW HAS THAT DATA TRENDED? SO THE WAY THAT WE'RE STUDYING THAT DATA WHEN IT COMES TO THE CALL DATA AND AS IT'S COMING IN BECAUSE THESE I'M HESITANT TO REALLY FORM AN EDUCATED OPINION ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE BASED ON THE REMOVALS BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE MONTH OF DATA AND THAT'S WHEN THE LAW CHANGED IN SEPTEMBER.
WE'RE ABOUT READY TO HAVE A SECOND MONTH OF DATA, BUT I CALL IT DIRTY DATA BECAUSE IT REALLY NEEDS TO ESTABLISH THE FACTORS AND TRENDS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AS YOU KNOW.
BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING AND WHAT WE'RE STUDYING IS IS WE'RE LOOKING DOING A DEEPER
[02:05:02]
DOVE BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT THE FORTY FIVE PERCENT DECREASE THAT WE'VE HAD IN REMOVALS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS TO NOW IS NOT JUST HEY, THE LAW CHANGE AND WOO HOO.I'M NOT NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ISN'T SOMETHING THERE THAT WE ARE MISSING.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AT A DEEPER DEGREE TO SAY, OK, HOW ARE THESE CALLS COMING IN? HOW ARE THEY BEING CLEARED? ANOTHER THING I WOULD BE REMISS IF I SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING ON THESE CALLS AS SOON AS THEY'RE THERE, BUT OUR ATTRITION RATE IS CREATING A BACKLOG.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE, WE'VE GOT CASELOADS THAT INSTEAD OF BEING THE FOURTEEN TO TWO TARGET THAT WE REALLY WANT TO BE FOURTEEN POINT TWO TO ONE WHERE SOME IN SOME AREAS, TWENTY NINE CASES TO ONE CASE WORKER.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTING BECAUSE I HEARD YOU ASKED STEPHEN EARLIER ABOUT, ARE WE PREPARED FOR AN INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME AND INCREASE IN INVESTIGATIONS? THE WAY THAT WE'RE PREPARING PREPARING FOR THAT NOW IS WE'RE UPPING OUR EFFORTS FOR RECRUITING. WE'RE UPPING OUR EFFORTS TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM ONBOARDED QUICKLY.
AND WE'RE ALSO UPPING OUR EFFORTS AND SAYING, HEY, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY BE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, YOU MAY BE WORKING AS A CPI.
YOU MAY MEAN WORKING IN THIS INVESTIGATIONS.
WE FOUND THE SUCCESS WHEN WE CREATED, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO ATTACK THAT BACKLOG FOR THE CHILD CARE INVESTIGATIONS THAT WE HAD AS PART OF THE FOSTER CARE LITIGATION.
DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR A LAWSUIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE SENT THE MESSAGE VERY CLEAR TO LET YOUR PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY MAY BE DOING THESE OTHER TASKS TO BE ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT.
WE'RE ALL PART OF THE DFCS TEAM.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF THAT'S ANECDOTAL BECAUSE I'M REALLY TRYING TO FIND WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF THESE REMOVAL NUMBERS.
I DO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DECREASE NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T DO NON-EMERGENCY REMOVALS ANYMORE.
HOPEFULLY, WHAT WE'LL SEE IS THAT WE'LL SEE AN INCREASE IN THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING WHEN IT COMES TO FAMILY BASED SERVICES AS WELL AS OTHER SERVICES.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING THESE CONCURRENT STAGES WITH THEM SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES EARLIER ON BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN SOMETHING WHERE IT ENDS UP IN A REMOVAL. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR KINSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY FAMILY MEMBERS THAT CAN TAKE THE CHILD SO THAT THEY'RE NOT IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
JUST BECAUSE OF, LIKE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WAS MISS JONES.
IS THAT THE SYSTEM? YOU DON'T WANT THE KIDS WITH A FOSTER CARE, WE WANT THEM WITH THEIR OWN PARENTS AND THEN HAVE THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TO RAMP THAT UP.
THAT'S HELPFUL. AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE HAVE DATA TO BE HERE NEXT TIME NEXT IN MARCH.
YEAH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BEAR THAT OUT.
AND IF I COULD ADD TO RICH'S COMMENT, WE WE'RE ALSO INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO NARROW OUR FRONT DOOR. WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS THROW OUT A BIG NET TO MAKE SURE WE GRAB THE ONES THAT ARE THAT ARE GUILTY, BUT WE ALSO GRAB A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT WE SHOULDN'T.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY, VERY FOCUSED WHEN WE DO OUR INVESTIGATION.
IS THIS TRULY A CHILD AT RISK OF IMMEDIATE DANGER OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN WRAP SERVICES AROUND THE FAMILY AND HOLD THEM TOGETHER? WE CAN'T GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE THIRTY THOUSAND KIDS IN CARE AND SAY WE'RE TOO SCARED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER COMING IN AND WE'RE REALLY SLOW TO GET THEM OUT.
KIDS DON'T WANT TO BE IN FOSTER CARE.
THE STATE'S A TERRIBLE PARENT.
WE WERE NEVER DESIGNED TO BE PARENTS.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT REDUCING THAT.
TRAUMA OF THE TRAUMA OF REMOVAL IS HORRIFIC.
TO BE IN A STRANGER'S HOME AND SOME HOMES, NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THE HOME WE TAKE KIDS FROM. AND SO I MEAN, WE CAN'T NOT ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.
AND SO HOW CAN WE WORK WITH SASHA'S TEAM AND WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO KEEP FAMILIES IN PLACE AND SURROUND THEM WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AND THEN WORK WITH OUR OUR PARTNERS WITH HHS? AND HOW DO WE MAKE THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES BEFORE THEY GET IN A CRISIS TO HAVE TO EVER COME INTO CARE? BUT THEN ONCE THEY GET HERE, WE SHOULDN'T BE HOUSING THEM.
WE NEED TO GET KIDS HOME OR GET THEM ADOPTED.
AND SO THERE IS AN INTENTIONAL PUSH TO TO LESSEN THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT COME INTO CARE BUT NOT RISK THE SAFETY OF THOSE KIDS.
AND THAT'S A THAT'S A TOUGH THAT'S A TOUGH WALK FOR OUR CASEWORKERS TO MAKE THOSE.
AND THAT'S GREAT AND GETTING INTO MY NEXT QUESTION A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S I DON'T KNOW WHICH YOU WANT TO ADDRESS IT, BUT I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING AND I KNOW YOU'RE BEHOLDEN TO STATE POLICY CHANGES AND FEDERAL LAWSUIT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM.
LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE SEEN THE PENDULUM SWING A LOT.
RIGHT, I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL SEEN THAT.
AS WELL, AND I GUESS WHAT I WHAT I'VE GOT THIS GNAWING WORRY, AND I'M SURE YOU DO AS WELL WHEN I HEAR ABOUT.
ALL INTAKE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING AND JUST ANECDOTALLY, WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THE ABUSE OR NEGLECT ONCE IT'S FINALLY REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED AND DISCOVERED SEEMING TO GO UP, I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME DATA ON THAT.
[02:10:04]
I'M JUST WORRIED THAT THAT THE PENDULUM TOWARD.NOT NOT NOT KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN THEIR HOMES.
IS IT HAS SWUNG TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND I GUESS I'D BE CURIOUS WHAT, WHAT DATA, WHAT MEASURES, WHAT METRICS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE AND WILL WE BE LOOKING TO KNOW WHEN WE MAYBE HAVE OVER OVER SWUNG THE PENDULUM IN THAT DIRECTION? DO WE HAVE EARLY DATA THAT WILL HELP US KNOW THAT WHEN WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE BEING CLOSED AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOME OF THESE HOMES AND AND BELIEVE ME.
SO I'M FULLY IN FAVOR OF FAMILIES OF ORIGIN RAISING THEIR CHILDREN, RIGHT? BUT BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THAT WE COULD GO TOO FAR IN THAT AND AND I WORRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
SO TO BE ABLE, I DON'T WANT TO MISREPRESENT MY MY HESITATION ON THE DATA FOR A MONTH BECAUSE I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT TOO, IS BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. WE WANT TO SEE THAT PREVIOUS DATA AND HOW IT'S LOOKING, EVEN WITH THIS NEW DATA SET, IS THE REASON I JUST THINK THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY MORE WITH WITH MORE DATA. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE PREVIOUS YEARS TO NOW THE REDUCTION IN NUMBERS, AND HERE'S THE SIGNIFICANCE IS THE REDUCTION OF NUMBERS IS THAT THE YEARS PRIOR WE WERE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL NUMBERS.
LET ME TAKE HIM UP HERE. OF COURSE, I WRITE THEM DOWN AND THEY'RE NOT RIGHT UP HERE.
SO THE OVERALL REMOVALS THAT WE HAD, WE'RE LOOKING IN.
IT WAS A REDUCTION OF 45 PERCENT, BUT WHAT WE REALLY STAYED.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STILL DOING THE REMOVALS FOR BECAUSE WE HAD NEGLECTFUL SUPERVISION FOR FY 22 AND FY TWENTY ONE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERCENT DIFFERENCE IN EIGHTY ONE PERCENT AND IT WAS EIGHTY TWO PERCENT IN TWENTY ONE EIGHTY ONE PERCENT AND TWENTY TWO. PHYSICAL ABUSE 14 PERCENT IN 20 TO 14 PERCENT IN TWENTY ONE.
PHYSICAL NEGLECT, IT WAS 10 PERCENT IN 20 TO NINE PERCENT AND TWENTY ONE.
MEDICAL NEGLECT, IT WAS FIVE PERCENT IN TWENTY TWO AND THREE PERCENT AND TWENTY ONE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR WRAPPER CASES WERE FOUR PERCENT OF THOSE CASES IN TWENTY TWO AND FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE CASES IN TWENTY ONE.
SO THE TRENDS ARE SAYING THE SAME FOR THE MOST PART WHEN IT COMES TO THE REASONS WE ARE REMOVING. THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE IN INFANTS BEING REMOVED AND WE'VE HAD A REDUCTION IN THOSE THAT ARE 12 AND ABOVE THAT ARE BEING REMOVED.
SO THOSE ARE THE FACTORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SAY, OK, EXACTLY WHAT ARE THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS FOR US TO DO THE REMOVAL, WHAT COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS, KNOWING THAT THIS IS THE CHANGE IN THE LAW? ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, REALLY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THIS AND WHEN I SEE THESE NUMBERS, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO KIND OF RELATE TO MY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER. YOU WOULD SEE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE THIS HUGE NUMBER AND PEOPLE WOULD OVERREACT TO IT. AND IT'S LIKE, HOLD ON, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY WHAC-A-MOLE HERE AND REALLY NOT GET TO THE TRUE CAUSATION.
WE'RE CUTTING DOWN THE TREE AND WE DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S A FORCE HERE THAT IF YOU LET THAT TREE GROWS, IT BECOMES A WONDERFUL THING.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SAYING, OK, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT EXACTLY IS CAUSING THIS, BUT WITHOUT CREATING THE PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S WHERE GETTING DOWN TO THE PERSPECTIVE PROGRAM DIRECTORS, THE SUPERVISORS AND THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THEM SO DEEPLY INVOLVED IN REVIEWING THESE REMOVALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN SOMEONE COMES WITH SOMETHING TO THEM THAT THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, LET'S SEND THE MESSAGE.
WE HAVEN'T TOLD YOU THAT WE'RE NOT DOING REMOVALS.
WE'RE TELLING YOU THAT THESE SPECIFIC CRITERIA NEED TO BE MET, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE SAFE AND EDUCATING ALL OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON THAT EDUCATION PIECE AND GETTING THAT DOWN TO THE LOWEST LEVEL, SO IT DOESN'T CONFUSE THOSE ON THE STREET.
ANOTHER THING IS IS THAT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN A TIMELY MANNER.
HAVING BEEN IN A POSITION WHERE I'M WAITING FOR A SUPERVISOR TO MAKE A DECISION WHEN I'M OUT ON A CALL AND A HOMICIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND I'M OUT THERE FOR HOURS IN THE RAIN, I TOLD THEM THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF THAT'S IF A PERSON IS NOT AVAILABLE, WE HAVE IT IN PLACE TO WHERE ANOTHER PERSON OR ANOTHER PERSON CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THAT DECISION FOR THEM THAT ARE AVAILABLE 24 SEVEN, THEY'RE ON AN ON CALL BASIS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO SO FAR, KNOCK ON WOOD THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, IT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL.
AND AS THIS STARTS TO DEVELOP AND WE START TO IDENTIFY THESE DIFFERENT CAUSATIVE FACTORS, WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY WILL BE IN THE DATA THAT WE PROVIDE TO YOU IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU, BOTH.
SHE WENT IN BY JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T FORGET THAT OUR PRIMARY CHARGE HERE IS THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN, ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND SURE, I'M TALKING ABOUT CPS.
DEFINITELY. YES, AS WELL, BUT I'M ALL FOR FAMILY PRESERVATION AND MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES. THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD IS FAMILY PRESERVATION, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT.
WE CAN'T SACRIFICE THAT BASIC LEVEL OF PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF CHILD SAFETY.
CHILD WELL-BEING OVER ANYTHING ELSE.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS AS IF YOU'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PRESSURES PUSHING YOU IN OTHER WAYS, BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND US THAT'S OUR CHARGE.
THE PRESSURE IS NOT AS MUCH AS YOU THINK, BECAUSE WHEN EVERY DAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
[02:15:02]
I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THIS AGENCY IS A TRANSPARENCY THAT EVERY ONE OF US SEE EVERY CHILD DEATH IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.WE GET A NOTIFICATION ABSOLUTELY EVERY TIME THAT WE'RE NOTIFIED OF A CHILD DEATH AND WE READ THOSE AND I READ EVERY ONE OF THEM.
AND IF THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT PUSHES YOU FORWARD TO SAY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PRESSURE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT REALLY MATTERS.
AND YOU SEE THOSE CASES, YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO COMPLETELY REDUCE CHILD FATALITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THAT'S NOT A THAT'S NOT REALITY.
IF I SAT UP HERE AND SAID THAT YOU GUYS WOULD BE LIKE, FIRE THAT NEW TOMORROW BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE REDUCE WHAT OUR IMPACT IS WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING SERVICES AND GIVE THEM EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN AND STUDY IT.
HOPEFULLY THAT'LL DRIVE THAT NUMBER DOWN.
THANK YOU, RICHARD. WE'RE GLAD WE GOT YOU, MAN.
THANK YOU, JUDGE, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I KNOW I SPOKE A LOT, BUT THIS FIRST TIME? WELL, IT WAS US ASKING THE QUESTION, SO IT'S GOOD.
YOU LISTENED. THANK YOU, JANINE.
WELL, IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND TO SERVE IN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
COURTNEY, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOUR LENS AND THAT WE WANT THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE AS WE'RE DISCUSSING WHAT WORKS AND DOESN'T WORK.
AND AS WE CHANGE POLICY AND AS WE STREAMLINE BETTER PROCESSES.
AND SO IN CPS, WE'VE CHALLENGED EACH OTHER TO SAY, ARE THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE THAT HAVE HAD LIVED EXPERIENCE HERE? BECAUSE IF NOT, WE FAILED.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND KNOW IT'S A REAL VITAL PIECE.
CONNIE CONTINUE TO HOLD OUR FEET TO THE FIRE TO GET TRAUMA INFORMED CARE THROUGHOUT TEXAS. IT IS A PRIORITY.
WE'VE ADDED THREE SPECIALIST TRAUMA INFORMED CARE SPECIALISTS TO HELP US CONTINUE TO MOVE THAT DIAL. IT'S NOT ENOUGH ANYMORE JUST TO SAY YOUR TRAUMA INFORMED.
YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT THAT LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE FROM THE TOP OF YOUR ORGANIZATION TO THE BOTTOM. AND YOU ALSO BETTER BE ABLE TO TELL US AS A STAKEHOLDER OR A PROVIDER, WHAT IS YOUR TREATMENT MODALITY FOR TRAUMA INFORMED CARE AND HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT? AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN FOR THE STAFF WITH THE COMPASSION FATIGUE.
TREVOR IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT ALL THINGS.
SEE WHAT TODAY, BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE THOSE STAFF WHO ARE EXHAUSTED AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP IN THE FRONT OF OUR MIND THAT COMPASSION, FATIGUE AND HOW THAT WEIGHS ON THEM AND LOOKING AT RETENTION IN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
WE'VE GONE FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, 20 PERCENT UP TO TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE DONE OUR SURVEYS AND HAVE HAD OUR FOCUS GROUPS, IT IS CLEARLY A WORK LIFE BALANCE.
WHEN WE HAVE CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT, STAFF ARE WORKING OVER TIME.
AND SO IT IS PAINFUL TO WATCH SOMEONE WHO IS DEDICATED THEIR LIFE AS A CASEWORKER OR TO SERVE OUR FAMILIES TO HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR THEM SELVES AND WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR FAMILY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO IMPROVE AND TO STRIVE, TO BRING LIVING EXPERIENCE IN AND MAKE SOME CHANGES, AND KINSHIP IS ONE OF THOSE.
WE KNOW THAT THE FIRST PLACEMENT, THE BEST PLACEMENT SHOULD BE THE ONLY PLACEMENT AND WE KNOW KINSHIP IS THAT ANSWER WHEN IT COMES TO CHILD WELL-BEING.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND OTHERS TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THAT AND TO WORK TO MAKE THAT A REALITY.
WE'RE AT FORTY FOUR PERCENT IN KINSHIP AT THIS POINT AND WE WOULD LOVE TO MOVE THAT DIAL EVEN HIGHER.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT POST ADOPTION.
WE KNOW THAT WE, BY THE TIME FAMILIES ARE THROWING UP THEIR HANDS AND SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, THAT'S TOO LATE, THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE PREVENTION SERVICES.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THEM INTO THESE POSTED UP SERVICES TO WHERE WE CAN WRAP THE SERVICES AROUND BEFORE THEY GET EXASPERATED AND THEY NEED TO LEARN THOSE TRAUMA
[02:20:01]
INTERVENTIONS EARLIER SO THAT WE DON'T GET TO THAT POINT? FOR. UM, TO OUR TPZ, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY WHAT THAT IS.IT'S A QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT IS PART OF OUR PHD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR.
FAMILY FIRST PROTECTIVE SERVICES ACT.
AND SO SINCE MARCH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE QUALITY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND PROVIDERS, SOMETIMES ON A WEEKLY BASIS, CLEARLY ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND WE'VE HAD TO PULL IN FINANCE.
IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL FOR TEXAS.
FOR US, IT HAS TAKEN LONGER TO KIND OF GET OUR FOOTING BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE PRP, WHICH IS A SECOND SITE.
BOY, TODAY IT'S THE ACRONYM THING.
IT'S A. SOMEONE HELP ME PSYCHIATRIC, THAT'S THE WORD PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM. SO BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE HERE IN TEXAS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT FOUNDATION TO QUICKLY MOVE TO THESE QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT.
SO YOU HAVE HEARD STATES SAY THEY ALREADY HAVE THEM.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WERE ABLE TO PIVOT EARLY BECAUSE THEY COULD DO THAT HERE.
WE'RE WORKING AT THE FOUNDATION.
WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.
WE ARE ON TARGET TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN BY OUR DATE JUNE OF TWENTY TWO.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A IMPORTANT PIECE FOR THAT CAPACITY.
BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PERCENTAGE OF OUR YOUTH THAT ARE GOING TO NEED THIS SERVICE.
IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S ONLY FOR THAT TOP TIER THAT WILL UTILIZE THAT.
SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD IS WE'VE MET WITH THE PUBLIC IS A PART OF THE QUALIFICATIONS IS THAT ACCREDITATION PIECE.
AND SO WE TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND LOOKED AT THE COST OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO GOING TO PUT OUT A GRANT FOR THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO GET AND BE A PART OF THE RFP PROCESS THAT THEY COULD GET SOME HELP WITH THAT ACCREDITATION.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU.
WE HAVE A NEW CBC DIRECTOR, TRICIA THOMAS, AND SHE CAME IN RUNNING AND IS STILL MEETING WITH THE DIFFERENT REGIONS.
SHE'S LOOKING OUT, PUTTING OUT AN RFA FOR DIFFERENT REGIONS TO ROLL OUT SOME MORE AREAS FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE.
WE HAVE HAD REGIONAL DIRECTORS WHO HAVE RETIRED, AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME OPENINGS AS A REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND I AM IN LIEU OF TIME.
I'M GOING TO GIVE THAT LIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE RETIRED AND FOR THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY FILLED.
AND WE'LL GET THAT OUT TO YOU.
THEY'VE THEY'VE SERVED US SO WELL AND HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS FOR THE REGION.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO GET NEW PEOPLE, NEW PERSPECTIVE, NEW GUIDANCE.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
I THINK WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR CPS.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, AND I WANTED TO GO FROM THE STATEMENT THAT WAS BEING MADE BEFORE ABOUT THE CASEWORKERS AND THE CASELOAD, AND YOU ALL ARE STILL RECRUITING FOR CASEWORKERS, BUT DO YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT? I MEAN, IS THERE A POINT WHERE RECOGNIZING THAT A PERSON JUST CANNOT HANDLE THAT LEVEL OF CARE? AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE DOING ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS? YES, IT'S A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
AS YOU HEARD KIDS TALK IN APPS AND CPI, IT'S THE SAME AS WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
AND WE HAVE, AS YOU'VE HEARD, OTHER STATE WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT CAN HELP THAT HIRING PROCESS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO LOSE SOMEONE BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING ON OTHER THINGS.
[02:25:01]
WE'RE GOING TO BRING THEM ON BOARD AND THEN DO THOSE PIECES LATER AND STILL MAKE SAFETY THE PRIORITY.AND SO I THINK WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT OF RETENTION AND RETAINING AND DOING THOSE ATTRIBUTES THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO WRAP AROUND OUR WORKERS.
IF I CAN ADD ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT WE'RE DOING IS IS CHANGING OUR TRAINING PROCESS TO BRING REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE INTO THE TRAINING PROCESS SO THAT IT IS SO MUCH THEORY BASED.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET OUT THERE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO.
AND SO I DON'T SEE HOW, SAY NOW, BUT HE IS OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR AND WHAT HIS TEAM, THEIR CHILD SAFETY SPECIALISTS AND ALSO OUR RISK MANAGERS WITH THEY WILL START DOING WITH OUR TRAINING TEAM IS HERE'S A CASE WHERE MAYBE WHERE WE'VE LOST A CHILD, A CHILD HAS DIED AND TO GET THE CLASS TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? AND NOW HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE.
AND HERE'S WHAT THE HERE'S WHAT THE OUTCOME ACTUALLY WAS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S HARD WHEN EVERYTHING IS SO THEORY BASED AND YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY.
HERE IS. HERE IS A DEAD CHILD.
HERE IS HOW YOUR ACTIONS IMPACT THAT AND TO MAKE THAT MORE REAL LIFE SO THAT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY STEP OUT THERE, IT ISN'T LIKE, OH MY GOSH, I WASN'T PREPARED, I DIDN'T GET THIS, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW HEAVY THIS JOB WAS.
NOW NOTHING'S GOING TO 100 HUNDRED PERCENT PREPARE YOU FOR THAT, BUT WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER IN BUILDING UP TO THAT IN HOPES THAT YOU'LL KNOW BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF TRAINING IF THIS IS THE JOB FOR YOU.
AND WE HAVE A BETTER JOB OF HANGING ON TO YOU AND THEN ALSO WORKING WITH OUR MENTORS TO REALLY WALK ALONGSIDE THAT WORKER AND BE THAT PERSON THAT THEY CAN BOUNCE OFF HOW THEY'RE FEELING, MUCH LIKE IN A PRACTICUM.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT PERSON THAT'S WITH YOU THROUGHOUT.
AND I MEAN, THIS IS JUST IT IS A HARD, HARD JOB.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING WHAT WE CAN DO TO HOPEFULLY PREPARE THEM BETTER AND THAT WE CAN HANG ON TO THEM. RIGHT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT THERE, BECAUSE I SEE THE PROACTIVE NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO ALL THESE DATA THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT WE STILL ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THAN WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS FAR AS THE THE COVID STAY AT HOME ORDERS AND ALL OF THIS.
BUT YEAH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT SUPPORT IN PLACE FOR STAFFING IN SOME KIND OF WAY OF HAVING THAT TIERED SUPPORT SO THAT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER THE COMPLICATED CASE THAT JUST YOU HAVE THAT SENIOR STAFF SUPPORT AT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE GOOD PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY'VE JUST GOTTEN BURNED OUT.
COURTNEY? YES, SO I JUST WANT TO SAY MY MY NONPROFIT, WE HOST THE THANKSGIVING EVENT EVERY YEAR FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE, AND THE SUMMIT OFFICE AND AROUND ROCK OFFICE BROUGHT CHILDREN THAT WERE IN SWAP TO THE THANKSGIVING EVENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM BECAUSE I DID SEE THE CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH AND THEY HANDLED THEM WITH RESPECT.
THEY THEY HANDLED IT WITH DIGNITY.
AND I JUST I FEEL LIKE THEY NEED A LUNCHEON OR THEY THEY NEED SOME LIKE BECAUSE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE.
I'VE HEARD STORIES, BUT FOR ME TO SEE IT FIRSTHAND AND TO SEE THAT ONE WORKER, SHE WAS GETTING THE BUSINESS, BUT SHE HAD A SMILE ON HER FACE AND SHE CONTINUED TO TRY TO ENGAGE THAT YOUNG PERSON.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PHENOMENAL PEOPLE THAT ARE STEPPING UP AND TRYING TO SUPPORT THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE IN SEE? I HEARD YOU SAY THAT WITH THE QR, THE KEY RTP, THAT THERE ARE SOME BARRIERS SUCH AS THE ACCREDITATION. ARE THERE OTHER BARRIERS THAT YOU FORESEE WHILE Y'ALL ARE COMING UP WITH A PLAN? KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PROVIDERS, AND SO WE KNOW WHAT THE MODEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE HERE IN TEXAS.
WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT IT'S GOING TO MEET THE NEEDS AND THE ACCREDITATION WAS THE ONLY PIECE THAT WE SAW WAS REALLY COMING UP AS A CONCERN.
OK. AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION REGARDING KINSHIP.
I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING AND THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING TOWARDS FAMILIES MORE.
I WAS APPROACHED TO BE A KINSHIP PROVIDER AND I DECIDED NOT TO GO THE KINSHIP ROUTE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF SUPPORT, SO I BECAME A FOSTER PARENT THAN AN ADOPTIVE PARENT. AND SO I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING UNDER SENATOR ORRIN HATCH WHEN HE DEVELOPED FAMILY FIRST. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DRAWING DOWN TO SUPPORT KINSHIP
[02:30:01]
FAMILIES? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S A LIMITED FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING A LOT OF SUPPORT WITH CONNECTING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY.SO WHAT KIND OF FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION EFFORTS ARE Y'ALL GEARING TOWARDS KINSHIP? WELL, THIS WEEK WE BROUGHT ABOUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS PROBABLY TWENTY FIVE PLUS PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND KINSHIP WAS THE FOCUS.
AND SO WE HAD OUR FINANCE PEOPLE THERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE DONE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD OTHER STATE JOIN US VIA VIRTUAL TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY PULL DOWN THEIR DOLLARS. WHAT CAN WE DO TO LEVERAGE THAT HERE IN TEXAS? SO STAY TUNED BECAUSE WE REALLY DO WANT TO MAXIMIZE THAT AND YOU HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.
BUT WE'VE HEARD THAT AND WE WANT KINSHIP TO HAVE OPTIONS AND TO GET THE BENEFITS THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THAT KID IN THE FAMILY AND BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT'S BEST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE GPS TRACKING THE SEVERITY OF CASES WHEN I LOOK AT THE DICHOTOMY OF NUMBERS OF HIGH NUMBER OF INTAKE CALLS AND LOWER REMOVALS? ARE WE SEEING TREND LINES IN THE SEVERITY OF CASES WHEN WHEN REMOVAL DOES OCCUR? WE HAVE DATA ON THAT TO KNOW IF SOME OF THE SOME OF THOSE THAT HAVE HAD A HUNCH THAT SOME OF THIS ABUSE MAY HAVE BEEN FESTERING BELOW THE SURFACE LONGER THAN WE WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE LIKED DURING COVID. YES, I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING OR NOT, OR YEAH, I KNOW THAT WE PULL THAT DATA AND THAT ADAM HAS THAT, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING HE INCLUDES IN THE MARCH PRESENTATION.
THERE'S STILL SOME LEVELING AT EACH.
YES, AT REMOVAL, THERE'S SOME LEVELING OF YES.
I MEAN, NOT THE SAME SYSTEM, I GUESS, WHERE YOU'VE USED REPLACEMENTS, BUT IS IT A SYSTEM THAT SHOWS WE KNOW WHETHER IT'S ABUSE, NEGLECT, WE KNOW THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
I DON'T KNOW THE SEVERITY OF ABUSES MEASURED OR.
YEAH, I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW THAT'S DONE WITH THE DATA.
BUT IF WE HAVE THAT, WE'LL BRING IT.
YEAH, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHETHER IF WE'RE DOING IT OR NOT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BE DOING IN A MORE SOPHISTICATED WAY TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING AND WHETHER, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MAYBE IT'S AN EARLY INDICATOR THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THAT MAYBE THE PENDULUM IS SWINGING TOO FAR IF WE'RE SEEING CHANGES IN SEVERITY OF PARTICULARLY ABUSE ABUSE TYPE SITUATIONS.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS AROUND SWAP, AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR PRIMARY WAY OF DEALING WITH THE SEEWHAT KIDS IS TO SORT OF BEG, BORROW AND STEAL FROM OTHER CASEWORKERS TO TO COME IN AND DO THEIR DUTY, IF YOU WILL, FOR A SEASON OR A NIGHT OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE? OR DO WE HAVE DEDICATED SWAP SPECIALISTS IN ANY IN ANY FORM OR FASHION IN ANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF SEEWHAT KIDS? THE ANSWER IS YES TO ALL OF THAT.
OK. WHAT WE SEE IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CASEWORKERS IN THERE.
THEY HAVE THAT DIRECT KNOWLEDGE.
IT'S PART OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THESE KIDS AND IT'S PART OF OUR SUPERVISION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM IN THERE.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AUGMENT TEMPORARY STAFF THROUGH GOODWILL TO KIND OF HELP THEM WITH THAT.
WORK, THE COMMISSIONER HAS ALSO MADE IT MANDATORY THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS STEP IN AND HELP. AND SO WE HAVE TRIED TO UTILIZE WHAT WE HAVE ANY ACCESS TO STAFF TO HELP THEM OUT.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING RESPITE TO STAFF AND AUGMENTING THEM.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS MORE AROUND.
YOU KNOW, BETTER EQUIPPING STAFF TO NOT JUST HANDLE THE KIDS, NOT JUST KEEP THEM FROM RUNNING AWAY, BUT MAYBE EVEN TO CARE FOR THEM IN THE TERRIBLE SITUATIONS THAT ARE IN.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE ADMITTING DEFEAT.
BUT BUT AGAIN, I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH THAT WE'VE HAD SEEWHAT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S EBBED AND FLOWED, SEEMS TO BE IN A IN A PARTICULARLY ACUTE STATE AND HAS STAYED THERE FOR A WHILE.
AND SO IF SOME LEVEL OF SWAP BREAKING YOUR RULES JUDGE CHILD WITHOUT PLACEMENT IS WITH US TO STAY, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO INVEST IN? SOME KIND OF A SWAT TEAM, A HIGHLY TRAINED GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT NECESSARILY JUST BE IN THE ROOM, THE HOTEL, THE THE OFFICE WITH THEM BUT BE BE MORE ADEPT AT UNDERSTANDING THE SEVERITY OF TRAUMA, THE DEGREE OF BEHAVIOR, THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DONE
[02:35:05]
DIFFERENTLY TO HELP THESE KIDS.AND AGAIN, NOT JUST KEEP THEM FROM RUN AWAY OR DOING OTHER BAD THINGS, BUT MAYBE EVEN GET THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH.
WOULD THAT BE WORTH? ANY KIND OF INVESTMENT IN HIGHER LEVEL TRAINING OR EQUIPPING OR DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES? OR DO WE JUST NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE WITH US FOREVER? WHAT WE KNOW IS IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD LITTLE POCKETS OF SWAP, BUT JUST WITHIN AFTER COVID AND KIND OF ALL THIS PERFECT STORM, WE'VE SEEN THAT INCREASE.
WE'RE NOW SEEING THE DECREASE HAPPEN.
AND TREVOR WILL TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE'VE BEEN UNDER 100 HUNDRED FOR OVER A WEEK AND SO WE'RE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN STATE WIDE. RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE ENCOURAGED BY THAT.
BUT BUT WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.
SO LET ME SAY THAT, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO THE POINT TO WHERE IT'S JUST THOSE POCKETS.
WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE EMERGENCY WHERE KIDS ARE REMOVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SITUATION AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD YEARS PRIOR.
THERE WERE SOME, LIKE YOU SAID, SOME BUMPS IN THE ROAD, BUT WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE TREND COME DOWN. OK, WELL, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE I'M SORRY, I JUST KNOW, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK AND HARD WORK AND THE.
THIS REALLY FOCUSED EFFORT AT DEVELOPING THESE OPTIONS FOR.
IT SAID I'M SO ENCOURAGED THAT.
SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS IN TERMS OF THE PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT.
I MEAN, A VERY MUCH NEEDED LEVEL OF CARE IN THIS STATE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, YOU'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF TREATMENT, THERAPEUTIC FOSTER CARE.
SO I. WITH YOU ON THERE AND HOPE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT, I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I KIND OF FROM A CLINICAL BACKGROUND IS THIS POSSIBLE NEED FOR THIS ACUTE CARE? YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU KNOW, WE KNOW OUR PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS USUALLY KEEP OUR CHILDREN FOR.
YOU KNOW, AND WE KNOW A LOT OF THEM NEED THAT LONGER STAY.
SO BUT JUST REALLY, REALLY, I'M ENCOURAGED JUST TO SEE THIS EXPANSION IN.
ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT THE PULSE OF KIND OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE ENCOURAGED BY TREVOR SEEWHAT REPORT ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH BUILDING THAT CAPACITY FOR THOSE ACUTE BEDS.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US UNPRECEDENTED MONEY FOR THE SEX TO HELP BUILD CAPACITY.
AND SO THERE ARE MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE, THEY'RE GETTING IT NOW.
THEY'LL BE PUTTING OUT THEIR RFA TO GET SOME GREAT, INNOVATIVE IDEAS.
WE RECEIVED 20 MILLION AND SO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF PROCURING THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY BEFORE SPRING, WE'LL GET THAT OUT.
AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT WE GET SOME REALLY GREAT WAYS TO BRIDGE THAT TREATMENT FAMILY FOSTER CARE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN A FAMILY AND IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE'RE WE'RE HOPING WE GET SOME GREAT RESULTS.
GREAT, LET ME JUMP IN HERE BEFORE YOU INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A 10 MINUTE BIOLOGICAL BREAK.
SO IF YOU ALL WILL PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ALL OF US, WE'RE GOING TO RUN AND LET US GET FIRST IN LINE AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK, OK? WE'RE CAUGHT STANDS IN.
OH, IT'S NOT COURT. WE STAND IN RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES.
OK, WE ARE RECONVENING THE COUNCIL MEETING.
GOOD MORNING. I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME AND I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED A LOT ABOUT SIWA, BUT SEE, WAP HAS IMPACTED THE LAWSUIT.
AND AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WE HAD A HEARING IN SEPTEMBER ON THE CHILD WITHOUT PLACEMENT ISSUE BECAUSE THE MONITORS HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE COURT TO GO OUT AND VISIT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS AND TO REPORT TO THE COURT OF WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING WITH THE CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT. I DO WANT TO KIND OF PUT THIS THOUGH IN CONTEXT.
I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, BUT WE DO NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT PLACEMENT AND ENDING UP IN THE OFFICES AND THE HOTELS IS
[02:40:07]
LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF OUR CHILDREN.AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE LOSE FOCUS ON THAT.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT GROUP AND WE'RE SPENDING 100 PERCENT OF OUR TIME TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED. BUT OVERALL, THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM HERE IN TEXAS IS DOING QUITE WELL.
AND SO I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO DANINE ON THAT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON THE PROBLEMS WITHOUT NOTING THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL.
AND SO BEFORE I START TALKING ABOUT SWAPPA AND HOW IT'S IMPACTED, YOU KNOW, THE LITIGATION, I DID WANT TO MAKE NOTE OF THAT.
SO AT THIS SPECIAL CALL STATUS CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, THAT HEARING ENDED WITH THE COURT AND THE PLAINTIFFS ASKING WHETHER WE WOULD BE WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A NEGOTIATION WITH THE MONITORS ABOUT.
HOW COULD WE COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS OUR CURRENT SEA WATER CRISIS? WE AGREE TO THAT, AND THE OUTCOME OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WAS AN EXPERT PANEL THAT WAS FORMED. IT'S BEING PAID FOR BY FUNDS THAT WERE PUT IN TRUST WITH THE COURT FROM THE PLAINTIFFS FEE AWARD.
AND THIS EXPERT PANEL HAS BEEN SPENDING ITS TIME LOOKING AT OUR DATA AND THEY ARE GOING TO ISSUE A REPORT BY DECEMBER 15TH PROVIDING US WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO IMPLEMENT THOSE, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO RECEIVE THEM BECAUSE SEAWATER IS NOT GOING TO BECOME THE NORM AS WE ARE EXPERIENCING NOW.
OUR CASEWORKERS ARE PROVIDING TEMPORARY EMERGENCY CARE FOR THE CHILDREN, WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO WHENEVER WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND A SUITABLE PLACEMENT.
IT IS INTENDED FOR THAT EMERGENCY.
THE FAMILY IS OUT OF TOWN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THEY CAN COME BACK AND ACCEPT THIS CHILD. THERE'S A HURRICANE COMING A BLIZZARD THAT WE WILL ALWAYS ENCOUNTER.
BUT THIS CURRENT ISSUE THAT WE'RE HAVING, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE LACK OF ADEQUATE CAPACITY OF CERTAIN PLACEMENTS, WE'VE HEARD SUBACUTE.
WE'VE ALSO REFERRED TO IT SOMETIMES AS PLACEMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH HIGHER NEEDS.
THIS HAS BECOME A CRISIS HERE FOR US.
AND AS DENEEN TOUCHED UPON, IT WAS BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE PR, TFS AND QR TPS, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT THE TREND IS THAT IS CURRENTLY PROVIDING CARE FOR SUBACUTE.
I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT PARTICULAR TO TEXAS.
WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS ACROSS THE NATION AND THE NATION IS EXPERIENCING INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WITH THEIR YOUTH.
AND SO WE ARE FEELING THAT IMPACT.
AND EVEN THOUGH CAPACITY AND PLACEMENT ARRAY ARE NOT PART OF THE ISSUES IN THE LITIGATION, IT IMPACTS THE LITIGATION.
AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE COURT ON OUR EFFORTS OF WHAT WE WERE DOING TO ADDRESS IT BECAUSE THE CLASS IS ALL CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM WHO ARE PART OF THE PERMANENT MANAGING CONSERVATORSHIP.
AND SO WE HAVE KEPT THE COURT APPRIZED ALL ALONG AS THE NUMBERS WERE CREEPING UP OF WHAT WERE THE ISSUES, WHAT WE WERE DOING TO TRY AND ADDRESS IT.
AND IN FACT, BACK IN SEPTEMBER, WE WROTE A REPORT AND SUBMITTED THAT TO THE COURT IN ADVANCE OF THAT SEPTEMBER HEARING DETAILING OUR EFFORTS.
WE KNOW SINCE THAT HEARING, THE MONITORS HAVE CONTINUED TO VISIT OUR LOCATIONS, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT AT OUR NEXT HEARING, THEY PROBABLY WILL SUBMIT AN ADDITIONAL ADDENDUM TO THE PRIOR REPORT AND WE WILL BE PREPARED TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH INTO TREVOR'S AREA, BUT YOU KNOW, I MAKE THE POINT THAT THIS CRISIS HAS IMPACTED THE LITIGATION, AND I THINK EVERY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE AGENCY, EVEN INCLUDING APPS, TO THE EXTENT WE'VE ASKED THEIR STAFF TO PITCH IN, YOU KNOW, ASSIST OUR CASEWORKERS WITH SUPERVISING AND WATCHING THE CHILDREN.
AND AS WE SAID, WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.
OUR CASEWORKERS ARE NOT TRAINED CAREGIVERS.
IT'S NEVER WAS INTENDED FOR ANY KIND OF EXTENDED CARE.
IT IS TEMPORARY EMERGENCY CARE AND I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT AS THE FOCUS AS WE
[02:45:02]
CONTINUE TO BUILD ADEQUATE CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.SO THOSE ISSUES WE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO DISCUSS WITH THE COURT AND WITH THE PLAINTIFFS.
WE'VE BEEN VERY CANDID AND FRANK WITH THE EXPERTS, AND IT HAS.
BEEN ENCOURAGING TO ME THAT IN TALKING WITH THE EXPERT PANEL, THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
AND I THINK AS MANY OF YOU HAVE NOTED, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK, YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS FOR MONEY OR FOR LOVE.
YOU KNOW, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND WE'VE NOTICED IT, AND SO HAVE OUR STAFF AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TURNOVER.
I'VE EXPERIENCED IT EVEN IN THE FOSTER CARE LITIGATION TEAM.
I THINK WE'VE HAD FOUR LEAVE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE JUST SINCE FEBRUARY.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE ARE STAFFED, BUT IT'S HARD WORK.
YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO DO AND EXPERIENCE REFORM WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT LOSING SIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE CHARGED TO DO, WHICH IS TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, COMMISSIONER MASTERS HAS HAD ME PARTICIPATE AND BE INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS RELATING TO THE CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT ISSUE BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT OUR LAWSUIT.
IT ALSO IMPACTS OUR CASEWORKERS.
THE CASELOAD, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING MONITORED BY THE COURT AND THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF IMMEDIATE ORDERS.
SO AFTER WE FORMED THIS EXPERT PANEL AND WAS ANTICIPATING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE THIS REPORT READY IN DECEMBER, ORIGINALLY WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE OUR NEXT STATUS CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER.
BUT THE COURT NOTIFIED US THAT SHE PUSHED IT OFF UNTIL JANUARY, AND SO JANUARY 11TH WILL BE OUR NEXT HEARING.
SHE'S NOTICED IT AS AN IN-PERSON HEARING, ALTHOUGH SHE HAS PROVIDED A ZOOM LINK FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY.
AT THAT HEARING, WE WILL BE GOING OVER THE REMEDIAL ORDERS THAT PERTAIN TO SCREENING INTAKE INVESTIGATIONS.
OUR CASELOADS BOTH CPI OR CCI.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO REHASH HOW WE'RE DOING BECAUSE THOSE AREAS HAVE ALREADY BEEN COVERED. BUT THAT'S WHAT WILL BE REPORTED TO THE COURT IN THE JANUARY HEARING.
THE NEXT HEARING WILL BE IN MAY, AND AT THAT HEARING WILL BE FOCUSING ON OUR CAREGIVER.
IT'S THEIR TRAINING, CPD ALSO ALL OF THE REMEDIAL ORDERS THAT PERTAIN TO THE CHILD'S SEXUAL AGGRESSION ISSUES.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO PROVIDE WITH RESPECT TO THE FOSTER CARE LITIGATION. THERE'S ONE OTHER ISSUE, THOUGH, THAT I MIGHT GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON AND IT'S THE HEIGHT MONITORING.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 79 OPERATIONS ON HEIGHTENED MONITORING, AND I KNOW EVERYONE HAS AN INTEREST IN HOW THAT'S GOING.
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE ARE COMING UP ON THEIR ANNUAL REVIEW.
UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO THAT WERE AT THEIR ONE YEAR MARK.
ONE YEAR IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME THEY CAN SPEND ON THE HEIGHTENED MONITORING.
ONE OF THEM DID PROCEED TO THE POST MONITORING PHASE.
THE OTHER ONE HAS BEEN GIVEN SOME EXTENDED TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T MET ALL OF THEIR PROJECT TASKS.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT AS WE SEE MORE OPERATIONS, ENTER THE POST PLAN THAT THAT WILL ASSIST THE CONCERNS OR ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT ARE PROVIDERS HAVE RAISED OF FEARING THAT BEING PLACED ON HEIGHTENED MONITORING IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BEGIN TO SEE THAT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR OPERATION AND THAT YOU CAN SURVIVE IT AND SUCCESSFULLY EXIT.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I'LL STAND FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SWAP THAT WE SAVE THOSE FOR HIS HOLINESS, THAT'S IN THE BACK AND LET HIM GIVE US HIS PRESENTATION.
BUT IF DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING ELSE TO? AS CORDLESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY YOU HAVE GREAT TIMING, JUDGE, BECAUSE IT'S HOLY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMISSIONER SAID SHOULD BE MY BUSINESS CARD, SO I'M GLAD Y'ALL Y'ALL THINK
[02:50:03]
ALIKE. YOU KNOW, THROUGH Y'ALL'S EXCELLENT QUESTIONS AND MY COLLEAGUES, I DON'T I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I NEED TO COVER ON SEEWHAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE FOLKS WHO PATIENTLY WAITED TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS OF PUBLIC COMMENT.WE WANT TO HEAR THAT AND GET TO THAT.
I JUST HAVE A FEW POINTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE TO ROUND OUT THE CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, COUNCILMEMBER JONES, I JUST I WAS SITTING BACK THERE AND WHAT YOU SAID, YOUR CANDIDATE THOUGHTS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHY PSYOP IS AT THE FRONT AND CENTER OF WHAT WE ARE DOING. THE COMMISSIONERS MADE IT A PRIORITY AND THEREFORE IT'S OUR PRIORITY.
AND YOU KNOW, DENNY MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THERE IS A TRAIN AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND THERE'S A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IS NOT A TRAIN, RIGHT? WE ARE ROUNDING.
HEY. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO AS OF A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WEDNESDAY, WE HAD FIVE CHILDREN IN THE OFFICE, ONLY FIVE.
BUT WE STARTED WITH OVER 90 AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER.
WE HAD OVER 200 CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER.
WE'RE NOW AT NINETY EIGHT IN ALL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
BUT THAT IS HUGE PROGRESS, BUT HUGE PROGRESS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBER COREY, YOU MENTIONED LEANING ON FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT, OUR COMMUNITY FOLKS HAVE JUST BEEN AMAZING BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH WHAT GEORGE MARTINEZ JONES IS WONDERFUL.
WE ARE GETTING GREAT HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITIES.
DENEEN WAS SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CAPACITY GRANT FUNDS, WHICH ARE SO IMPORTANT GIVEN TO STATE TO THE SCC AND GIVEN THE DPS.
BUT WE GOT $70 MILLION MORE THAN THAT FOR ADULT RATES.
THAT'S CRITICAL FUNDS FOR OUR PROVIDERS AND OUR PROVIDER PARTNERS ARE STEPPING UP IN DROVES OVER THE COURSE OF THIS MONTH AND IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN FRED'S TREMENDOUS INCREASE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH PLACEMENTS FOR THESE KIDS.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OUR MENTAL BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT.
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY WORKING WITH HHC ON THAT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET MORE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS TO OUR CARE HOMES.
SO ONE THING THAT JANINE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO MENTION IS THAT SHE AND THE COMMISSIONER ARE LEADING A SERIES OF MEETINGS OF WHICH WE DRILL DOWN INTO EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE.
THESE KIDS ARE THE TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH, THE PLACE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE AROUND THE CLOCK FINDING PLACES FOR THESE KIDS.
WE ARE PERSONALLY INSERTING OURSELVES INTO THESE CASES AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY CAN'T THESE KIDS GO HOME? WHO HAVE WE LOOKED AT AND WHAT DO WE NEED? AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO PUSH THROUGH THIS FINAL 100 KIDS.
WHO'S CARING FOR THE KIDS? SO WE KNOW THAT OUR CASEWORKERS ARE THERE, OK? THE COMMISSIONER HAS MENTIONED THAT SHE'S REQUIRED ALL OF US FROM ALL DIVISIONS TO GET IN AND HELP WITH THIS. WE ALSO HAVE 100 TEMPORARY STAFF.
WE'RE BRINGING ON BOARD AND WE'VE EXTENDED.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR VISITATION CONTRACTS, OUR SUPERVISED VISITATION CONTRACTS TO BRING THOSE FOLKS IN. WE'RE LOOK AT EVEN BRINGING IN MORE FOLKS, RIGHT? WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME RELIEF TO CASEWORKERS AS THESE NUMBERS GO DOWN.
WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING TO THEM RIGHT AWAY.
ONE THING THE COMMISSIONER ALSO DIRECTED US TO DO, WHAT I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE ON IS GETTING SOME MEDICAL FOLKS IN THERE TO HELP WITH THESE KIDS, RIGHT? SO WE'LL HAVE SOME MEDICATION NEEDS WHERE GOING TO HAVE FOLKS IN THERE TO HELP WITH THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE KEY TO ENDING SWAP.
WE HAVE IT. IT'S WITHIN OUR GRASP.
IT'S BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE HAS GIVEN US CONSTANT SUPPORT, THE COMMISSION HAS MADE THIS A PRIORITY. AND OUR COMMUNITIES ARE HELPING.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR CASE WORKERS.
END OF JANUARY INTO FEBRUARY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SPACE FOR THESE KIDS.
THEN THE NEXT PART BEGINS, RIGHT, WE NEED TO GROW THAT NEXT PORTION OF CAPACITY, RIGHT, THAT MODERATE GROUP, WE NEED TO FIND MORE BASIC HOMES.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF HELPING KIDS THE FEW THAT AGE OUT OF CARE.
SO THIS ISN'T TO TELL YOU IT'S ALL ROSY.
BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND HEARING THE PROGRESS THAT THEY'VE MADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS, BUT SITTING BACK THERE AND LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. I MEAN, YOU ALL ARE THE ONES GETTING FOLKS TO STEP UP AND HELP CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND VULNERABLE ADULTS.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU PERSONALLY FOR ME, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
I MAKE SURE I KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON OR IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS BECAUSE JUDGE HOLMES THREW ME UNDER THE BUS.
NO, I THINK YOU SUMMED IT UP REALLY WELL.
I I I DON'T THINK WE CAN REALLY GIVE THE RIGHT WORDS TO HOW MUCH EFFORT IS BEING PUT TOWARDS YOU UP.
I WAS TELLING SOMEONE HERE, I HAVEN'T TAKEN A VACATION SINCE I STARTED THIS JOB, AND THE HARD PART FOR ME IS HOW DO I WHEN I HAVE MY STAFF HERE? TWENTY FOUR SEVEN, THEY ARE PAST BURNOUT.
[02:55:02]
WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NO LONGER IN A PHASE OF TRYING TO PREVENT BURNOUT.THAT TRAIN LEFT A LONG TIME AGO.
THEY ARE AT THEIR ABSOLUTE END, AND THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO UNPLUG WHEN THEY CANNOT UNPLUG.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AROUND THE CLOCK.
THEY CAN'T SEE ALL THAT WE ARE ALSO DOING, AND THAT'S HARD THAT IT'S HARD FOR US TO GET THAT MESSAGE TO OUR TEAM THAT WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY OFTEN THAT EVERYONE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIDS.
WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR STAFF.
WE HAVE TO EQUALLY CARE ABOUT BOTH.
AND THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS AND SEE IS NOT A GOOD PLACEMENT FOR ANY CHILD.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GET PAST KIDS BEING PLACED THERE AND THE STRUGGLE OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH KIDS REFUSING TO TAKE THE PLACEMENT BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE HAVE PLACEMENTS AND THE KIDS REFUSE THOSE PLACEMENTS.
AND SO THAT'S A STRUGGLE AS WELL.
WAP IS A VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION THAT I THINK PEOPLE THINK THERE'S AN EASY ANSWER TO THIS. AND IF THERE IS AN ANSWER, BELIEVE ME, WE WOULD HAVE ALREADY JUMPED ON IT.
THE CONCERN, BUT WE NEED SOLUTIONS OR WHAT WE NEED, NOT MORE CRITICISM.
AND SO WE ARE OPEN TO ANY THOUGHTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND WE WILL ENTERTAIN EVERYTHING TO GET THE RIGHT PLACEMENT FOR THE CHILD.
AND SO I WANT ALL OF YOU ALL TO BE ASSURED.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE SHELF THAT WE ONLY DEAL WITH WHEN IT SHOWS UP IN THE MEDIA. THIS IS ROUND THE CLOCK, AND IT IS JUST THAT ONE PERCENT OF KIDS THAT IS TAKING SO MUCH TIME AND THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER AREAS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO BE FOCUSED ON.
AND SO WE ARE WE ARE WE ARE WORKING WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE.
AND I ALSO ALWAYS THROW LISA OUT AS EXAMPLE, BUT AS OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, SHE EVEN WORKS SEEWHAT. SO THIS IS NOT JUST ARMS, OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, EVEN SHE I MEAN, WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO LESSEN THE BURDEN ON OUR ON OUR CASEWORKERS. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE WHAT, SEVENTY SIX DIFFERENT CO-OP LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IT DOWN OR DOWN.
THAT'S A LOT OF YOU HAVE TO BE THERE.
TWENTY FOUR, SEVEN AND WE HAVE TO DO IT.
AND SO THAT'S STILL A HUGE BURDEN.
EVEN WITH JUST 90 KIDS, THAT'S STILL A HUGE BURDEN FOR OUR STAFF.
OUR OPTIONS FOR HOW WE CONTROL BEHAVIOR IS LIMITED.
SO THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THAT, AND THAT'S THAT'S TRAUMATIZING FOR THE CHILDREN AND IT'S TRAUMATIZING FOR OUR STAFF.
SO JUST KNOW WE WE GET IT AND OUR WORKERS SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU ALL SEE THEM TOO, JUST FROM THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE.
AND WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL OF TEXAS KIDS TO SEE THESE KIDS AND SEE THESE FAMILIES AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, NOT JUST FOR OUR KIDS AND SEE WHAT, BUT PERIOD.
TREVOR, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND.
I MIGHT ADD, JUDGE, THOUGH, THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL RETURN WITH YOU.
NO, BUT JUST TO ADD, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE STRONGER TOGETHER AND WE'RE GOING TO IN TEXAS IS HUGE, BUT WE'RE.
WE'RE TEXANS. SO THANK YOU FROM COMMISSIONER AND ALL THE WAY DOWN.
TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY, I KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS TAKING CARE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S FAMILY.
TAKE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY YOURSELF.
AND WITH THAT, DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE LOST A COUNCIL MEMBER AND THAT WAS DR.
CALHOUN, AND SHE WAS IMPLEMENT THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT JUST TO COME HERE AND LISTEN.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MYSELF AND OTHER COLLEAGUES TO WALK IN HERE.
AND NOT BE HERE. BECAUSE SHE WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT STARTED WITH US AS WE DEVELOP THIS COUNCIL. THANK YOU.
YES. YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR TREVOR.
IF NO ONE ELSE DOES. TREVOR, HOW LONG HAVE YOU SERVED WITH THE STATE? REMIND US. FIFTEEN YEARS, IT'S YOU.
YOU'VE SERVED WELL. AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
[03:00:04]
AND SINCE YOU'RE HERE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN OVER LEAVING YOUR HEAD HIGH AND PROUD OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH FIRE AFTER FIRE, AFTER FIRE.
YOU'VE EARNED. HOPEFULLY YOU'RE GOING TO AN EASIER JOB.
YOU'VE EARNED THAT. AND AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU. IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT.
THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE.
IT REALLY HAS. TREVOR, YOU'RE AWESOME.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU A LOT.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE WE'RE LETTING YOU GO WITH LOVE AND WANTING YOU TO SUCCEED AT YOUR NEXT ENDEAVOR, BUT TAKE A WEEK OFF OR SOMETHING TO BREATHE AND CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IN THE CARDS, JUDGE.
YEAH, GOOD. GOOD, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE AND STAYING ON TOP OF STUFF.
AND I PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR THE COMMUNICATION THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME. AND IT'S YOU'RE VERY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN.
MAN, THAT'S MORE APPLAUSE THAN I GOT FOR DINNER THE OTHER NIGHT.
OK, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY, WHERE WE WILL WELCOME INPUT FROM
[V. Public Comment]
THE PUBLIC AND THE SHAREHOLDERS REGARDING ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM.WE'RE ALWAYS APPRECIATIVE OF YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE VALUE YOU VERY MUCH YOUR INPUT.
PLEASE KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL, NOBODY ON THE COUNCIL, THE COMMISSIONER MASTERS OR VICKI CHAKA KHAN IS THAT CLOSE.
OUR GENERAL COUNSEL ARE UNABLE TO COMMENT OR TO RESPOND TO ANY OF YOUR STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS DURING PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
THIS IS YOUR TIME FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH US.
IF YOU PLAN TO TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC CASE, A REPRESENTATIVE IS HERE FROM THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER RELATIONS, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU PRIVATELY FOLLOWING YOUR TESTIMONY AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
THOSE FINE THREE PEOPLE SITTING OVER THERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY LEFT SIDE, I DON'T KNOW FROM YOU. IT'S PROBABLY ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE.
AT THE BACK ARE THE ONES THAT ARE WITH THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER RELATIONS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE OPEN AND WILLING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANYTHING AFTERWARDS BECAUSE WE CANNOT.
UM, IF WE OBSERVE A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR ALL SPEAKERS, OUR TIMEKEEPER WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME FOR YOU AND INDICATE WHEN YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT BY FLASHING THE YELLOW LIGHT. THERE'S SOME LIGHTS RIGHT HERE BY THE MICROPHONE ON THE PODIUM.
WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, THE RED LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WE REQUEST AT THAT TIME THAT YOU QUIT SPEAKING ON THE PILLAR IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM, WE HAVE LISTED THE ORDER OF THE SPEAKERS, SO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN LINE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS TINA FREEMAN.
I SERVED AS THE DISTRICT CLERK FOR SEVERAL TERMS AFTER WORKING IN THE DA'S OFFICE FOR 10 YEARS IN PREPARATION FOR TRIAL.
I REVIEWED MANY CHILD ABUSE CASES, SOME OF WHICH STILL HAUNT ME.
SO I NEVER DREAMED I'D SPEAK FOR CPS REFORM.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO COVER EVERYTHING IN THREE MINUTES, LET ALONE EXPLAIN IT.
BUT I HAVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
CASEWORKERS VANISH, LEAVING FAMILIES IN LIMBO, LEAVE OUT PERTINENT INFORMATION IN COURT AND IN REPORTS ARE CONFUSED OR OUTRIGHT LIE WHEN THEY TESTIFY.
DON'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN POLICIES, RETALIATE, CONDONE ALIENATION AND REVICTIMIZED VICTIMS. THE MENTALITY IS THAT ANYTHING GOES SINCE THE PARENTS ARE IN FACT RESPONSIBLE FOR CPS INVOLVEMENT. TOO MUCH IS LEFT TO THEIR OWN DISCRETION AS THE DISPROPORTIONATE STATISTICS
[03:05:04]
ON REMOVAL RIGHT SHOW.THIS IS FROM THE WEB, THE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STARTED THE SERVICES CASE INVOLVING MY GRANDCHILDREN.
ALTHOUGH DAD WAS THE PERPETRATOR.
PLACEMENT WAS MADE WITH HIS PARENTS WHERE HE RESIDED AS WELL.
THIS HOUSEHOLD HAS FAMILY VIOLENCE HISTORY.
AN INMATE YOU'RE MORE PATIENT FOR YEARS, HAS A HISTORY OF DRUG USE, CONTINUE TO USE IN THIS CASE AND NEEDED DRUG TREATMENT.
WHILE DAD HAD LITTLE LIMITATION ON ACCESS, MOM'S TIME WAS LIMITED.
MY DAUGHTER'S ONLY POSITIVE TEST IN 11 MONTHS WAS THE FIRST TEST, AND THAT LAB REPORT WAS LOST FOR WEEKS AND DID NOT EVEN LIST THE CORRECT NAME ON IT.
AND BASED ON THAT ONE TEST AND HEARSAY.
SHE INITIALLY INITIALLY SAW HER CHILDREN JUST SIX HOURS A WEEK.
SHE WAS DENIED OVERNIGHT STAYS WITH HER CHILDREN, EVEN SUPERVISED IN MY HOME FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS BASED ON ONE TEST AND THE SAME DAY THAT CPS AGREED THAT SHE COULD HAVE OVERNIGHT VISITS.
THEY DECIDED THAT THE CHILDREN DIDN'T NEED TO EVEN SEE MOM STAFF ALONE MADE THAT DECISION. WHILE THEY APPEAR TO IGNORE DAD'S MENTAL STATE FOR MONTHS, MY DAUGHTER WAS INTERROGATED OVER ANXIETY IN ANY POSSIBLE PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES SHE MIGHT HAVE.
THE LAST COURT REPORT FINALLY DISCLOSED THE CONCERNING RESULTS OF HIS PSYCHOSOCIAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CPS MOVE FOR DISMISSAL AFTER PLACING THE CHILDREN FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THEY DID NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH PLACEMENT, SO THE CASE CLOSED, LEAVING KIDS WITH DAD AND MOM WAS ON HER OWN IN THE DIVORCE.
FOR ANYONE TO USE THE WORDS BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR CASE IS AN OXYMORON.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN MAY NEVER BE THE SAME.
MY 11 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IS NOT WELL.
SHE HAS STARTED SELF-HARMING LIKE HER DAD IS DONE.
SHE WAS A HAPPY CHILD BEFORE CPS INVOLVEMENT.
DON'T UNDO THE DAMAGE TO FIX A PROBLEM, YOU NEED TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN CPS HAS SOME. I'LL END WITH A QUOTE FROM REPRESENTATIVE DUTTON DURING SUNSET.
WHO'S PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM CPS? AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD DONE WITH CPS AND Y'ALL HAVE MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER LISTENING TO Y'ALL THAT Y'ALL REALLY WANT TO SEE CHANGES.
I MEAN, I KNOW HOUSE BILL FIVE SIX SEVEN DID SOME THINGS.
I TESTIFIED AFTER MY EXPERIENCE WITH HER, AND NOW THEY GET ATTORNEYS ON SERVICES CASES.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE ALSO REGION SEVEN DIRECTOR MISS VAN BUSKIRK.
SHE SPENT SOME TIME WITH ME AFTER THIS CASE WAS OVER, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT I WANT YOU ALL TO SEE THAT THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN. THANK YOU, MA'AM.
AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT IT, FEEL FREE TO GO TALK WITH IT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE FORMAL THAN MOST.
I'M A FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS.
DURING THAT TIME, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CPS SYSTEM AS A LITIGATOR, FIRST REPRESENTING CHILDREN, AS AN ATTORNEY, AD LITEM, THEN MOVING ON TO REPRESENTING BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS AS A COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEY.
NOW I MEDIATE THOSE CASES, SO THAT'S A BIT OF MY BACKGROUND THAT I WANT YOU ALL TO BE FAMILIAR WITH. I KNOW I HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE, IT'S ABOUT A CONCERN THAT I HAVE BASED OFF OF PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THIS COUNCIL.
THERE HAVE BEEN COMMENTS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS, GOVERNOR ABBOTT AG PAXTON, BUT ALSO RESPONSES BY THE DEPARTMENTS COMMISSIONER ABOUT LGBT YOUTH THAT IS GIVING ME GRAVE CONCERNS. I SPECIFICALLY REFER TO THE AUGUST LETTER FROM COMMISSIONER MASTERS, MISCHARACTERIZING GENDER AFFIRMING CARE AND MISQUOTING IT AND CALLING IT GENITAL MUTILATION. THERE IS NO WORLD IN WHICH CHILDREN ARE SUBJECTED TO GENDER CONFIRMATION SURGERIES. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT UNDER THE ALL OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS OF CARE ONLY HAPPEN WHEN A CHILD IS NO LONGER A CHILD.
ALL THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS OF CARE SAY THAT ANY GENDER CONFIRMATION SURGERIES MUST HAPPEN WITH A CONSENT OF A PERSON WHO'S OF THE AGE OF MAJORITY.
[03:10:02]
SO FOR THE COMMISSIONER TO INDULGE THE GOVERNOR IN THAT MANNER IS DEEPLY CONCERNING.BUT EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL PAXTON IN THE LAST WEEK HAS ASKED THE COMMISSIONER TO SAY THAT NOT JUST GENDER CONFIRMATION SURGERIES, WHICH DON'T HAPPEN TO CHILDREN, OUR CHILD ABUSE, BUT THAT GENDER.
AFFIRMING CARE, WHICH DOES NOT LEAD TO ANY SURGERIES IS CHILD ABUSE.
THIS IS PUTTING THE ISSUE ON ITS HEAD.
MEDICAL NEGLECT IS DEFINED AS CHILD ABUSE BY THE FAMILY CODE AND BY OTHER STATUTES IN TEXAS. IF THIS DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, INCLUDING PUBERTY BLOCKERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT DO NOT RAISE TO ANY SORT OF OTHER MORE DRASTIC LEVEL, INCLUDING THERAPEUTIC CARE, INCLUDING.
USING PRONOUNS THAT CHILDREN USE TO FEEL WELCOME AND SAFE IN THEIR OWN BODIES.
IF THIS. IF THE DEPARTMENT DOES SOMETHING THAT WOULD STAND IN THE WAY OF CHILDREN RECEIVING GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, THIS WOULD ACTUALLY BE MEDICAL NEGLECT.
AND THE STATISTICS ARE VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT CHILDREN LGBT YOUTH WHO ARE NOT SUPPORTED, WHO DO NOT RECEIVE GENDER AFFIRMING CARE ARE EIGHT TIMES MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
THEY ARE SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN ILLICIT DRUG USE.
THEY'RE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIORS BY TRYING TO CLASSIFY BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TRYING TO CLASSIFY GENDER AFFIRMING CARE CHILD ABUSE.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS TRYING TO GET THE DEPARTMENT TO ADVOCATE FOR MEDICAL NEGLECT, AND SO I'M ASKING THIS COUNSEL NOT TO TAKE THE BAIT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN TEXAS, INCLUDING GENDER DIVERSE YOUTH, ARE PROTECTED AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO MEDICAL NEGLECT. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS WITH ONE OF THE TWO FOLKS AT THE BACK, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND COMING DOWN TO TALK TO US.
MERRY CHRISTMAS. NICHOLAS GUILLORY.
GOOD MORNING. COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONER MASTERS, OUR NAME IS NICK.
MY NAME IS NICHOLAS GUILLORY AND I'M A TEXAS ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS OFFICE OF LAMBDA LEGAL. I AM TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF LAMBDA LEGAL, A NONPROFIT COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING FULL RECOGNITION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF LGBT PEOPLE AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
A SERIES OF RECENT ACTIONS BY DPS ARE HARMFUL TO LGBTQ YOUTH.
LAMBDA LEGAL OPPOSES THESE ACTIONS AND URGES DPS TO RESTORE THE TEXAS YOUTH CONNECTION WEBSITE TO RESCIND THE LETTER REPORTING TO DETERMINE SOME FORM OF GENDER AFFIRMING CARE AS A SO-CALLED CHILD ABUSE AND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LGBTQ PLUS CHILD AND YOUTH RESOURCE GUIDE. THESE REQUESTS ARE TWO OF THESE REQUESTS WERE SENT IN WRITING TO COMMISSIONER MASTERS ON NOVEMBER 1ST FROM THE TEXAS LGBT PLUS CHILD WELFARE WORK GROUP, WHICH CONSISTS OF DPS STAFF MEMBERS, RESEARCHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND CHILD ADVOCATES, AMONG OTHERS. THE WORK GROUP HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE.
I HAVE COPIES OF THE LETTER FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN CASE THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THIS LETTER.
THAT IS FUNDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHILD, CHILDREN AND FAMILY SHOW THAT 30 TO 35 PERCENT OF YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE ARE LGBTQ PLUS.
SO IS RECENT ACTIONS POTENTIALLY IMPACTS ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN IN THEIR IN THEIR CARE? FIRST, THE EPA HAS A DECISION TO REMOVE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES FOR LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH IN CARE TO SAY BY DISABLING THE TEXAS YOUTH CONNECTION WEBSITE RUNS COUNTER TO BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW. CUTTING OFF ACCESS TO INFORMATION SUCH AS CRISIS, MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, OTHER AFFIRMING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO PROMOTING THE WELL-BEING OF LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH AND ARE HARMFUL TO THEM AS WELL.
SECOND, COMMISSIONER, FASTER DETERMINATION LETTER HAS CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE IN DPS CARE.
A PREDETERMINED NOTION THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF GENDER AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE MAY CONSTITUTE SO-CALLED CHILD ABUSE HAS NEGATIVE AND HARMFUL RAMIFICATIONS FOR LGBTQ YOUTH AND CARE IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION, AS WELL AS FEDERAL AND STATE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
CONSTITUTION AND FEDERAL LAW PROTECTS LGBTQ YOUTH AND FOSTER CARE FROM INEQUITABLE TREATMENT AND DETERMINATION.
YOUTH IN CHILD WELFARE CUSTODY HAVE SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION RIGHTS UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT.
PROTECTIONS IN FEDERAL LAW ALSO INCLUDE TITLE FOR AND 4B OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, WHICH ENSURES CHILDREN RECEIVE SAFE AND PROPER CARE.
THE AGENCY HAS A GRANT RULE, THE NONDISCRIMINATION REGULATIONS OF SECTION 15, FIFTY SEVEN OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND TITLE NINE PROTECT LGBT LGBTQ YOUTH FROM DISCRIMINATION IN THESE PROGRAMS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL DOLLARS, FEDERAL POLICY ALSO PROTECTS LGBTQ YOUTH IN
[03:15:02]
CARE. A MEMO FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES STATES CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES SHOULD ENSURE THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF LGBTQ YOUTH ARE PROTECTED AND SUPPORTED WHILE THEY'RE IN FOSTER CARE SO THEY CAN THRIVE AS ADULTS.TEXAS LAW ALSO PROTECTS LGBTQ YOUTH IN CARE.
THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE CODE SETS OUT THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN TO FAIR TREATMENT, WOUND CARE AND MEDICAL CARE THAT ADEQUATELY MEET THE CHILD'S NEEDS.
THESE RIGHTS ARE MIRRORED IN THE PCS POLICY AND APPLY TO ALL CHILDREN IN YOUTH, AND DFS IS CLEAR, INCLUDING LGBTQ YOUTH, CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY.
THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO, WE'VE GOT TWO FOLKS BACK HERE THAT YOU COULD VISIT WITH.
AND WE APPRECIATE IT, THANK YOU.
HI. HELLO, MY NAME IS KATE AND ASHER, I JUST LEFT REGULAR FOSTER CARE IN JUNE.
SO I JUST LEFT REGULAR FOSTER CARE NOT TOO LONG AGO.
I'M A TRANSGENDER YOUTH, SO I KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SYSTEM WITH TRANSGENDER YOUTH.
THERE ARE A LOT OF STARTLING STATISTICS FOR TRANS YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE U.S..
FIFTY TWO PERCENT OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH IN OUR COUNTRY HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT SUICIDE, AND 20 PERCENT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY STARTLING.
IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CARE FOR US BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM PLACEMENTS AND WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM STAFF AND WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM EVERYONE IN POLITICS OR ANYTHING EVERYWHERE, WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE THAT SAY WE DON'T EXIST.
PEOPLE THAT THINK WE ARE MENTALLY UNSTABLE.
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR BRAINS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE GENDER WE WERE ASSIGNED AT BIRTH.
IT'S HARD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TELL OTHERS THAT WE'RE TRANS.
I WAS TRANS BEFORE I ENTERED CARE.
THAT'S WHY I ENTERED A CARE IS BECAUSE MY FAMILY WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE AND MY FAMILY ABUSED ME. THEY USE THE EXCUSE THAT MY MENTAL HEALTH IS SO BAD THAT THEY HAD TO LET ME STAY IN CARE. BUT MY FAMILY WAS ABUSIVE AND IT HURT ME A LOT.
AND WHEN I GOT IN CARE, I FELT LIKE I COULDN'T TELL ANYONE I WAS TRANS.
THEY WOULD SEND ME TO ALL GIRL PLACEMENTS, AND WHEN I TRIED TO COME OUT AT THOSE PLACEMENTS, THE PLACEMENT SAID, BECAUSE WE ARE CHRISTIAN FACILITIES, WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS BECAUSE YOUR GOVERNMENT NAME IS THIS.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS BECAUSE YOU WERE BORN THIS GENDER.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ASSOCIATE WITH MALES.
YOU WILL STAY A FEMALE IN STATE CARE.
WE DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
IT TOOK ME A VERY LONG TIME TO EVEN GET MY NAME CHANGED.
I HAD TO HAVE A SUB JUDGE DO IT BECAUSE MY JUDGE SAID THAT SHE WOULD NOT CHANGE ANY NAMES UNTIL THE CHILD WAS ADOPTED.
SO EVEN FOR CONSIDERATION, SHE WANTED ME TO BE EITHER ADOPTED OR AT LEAST 18.
I HAD A CASA AND MY CASA WOULDN'T LET ME GET ANY HEALTH CARE THAT I NEEDED FOR TRANS ISSUES BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THAT IT WASN'T A REAL THING THAT I WASN'T REALLY TRANS.
SO IT'S REALLY STARTLING TO SEE PEOPLE USE US AS BARGAINING CHIPS AND POLITICS TO GET MONEY OR TO GET WHAT THEY THINK IS BETTER FOR ALL FOSTER YOUTH.
BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN TOO, AND OUR LIVES DO MATTER AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO STAND UP FOR US AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO CARE FOR US BECAUSE IT IS HARD AND IT'S DEVASTATING THAT WE HAVE TO SAY THESE THINGS BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO.
WE SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE FOR US AND THERE, THERE JUST AREN'T.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT DO SUPPORT US, THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING UP.
AND WE IT'S SAD THAT WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP OURSELVES, BUT WE DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN.
AND IF YOU WANT TO VISIT, WE GOT TWO FOLKS BACK THERE THAT'LL BE GLAD TO TALK TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS. THANK YOU.
I'M MARY CHRISTINE REID, AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS FOSTER YOUTH JUSTICE PROJECT, WE PROVIDE FREE LEGAL HELP TO CURRENT AND FORMER FOSTER YOUTH THIS FISCAL YEAR DPS ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF EXTRA PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS TO ASSIST CURRENT AND FORMER FOSTER YOUTH AGES 14 THROUGH TWENTY ONE.
[03:20:02]
HOWEVER, THE AGENCY IS SIMPLY PLACED MOST OF THE FUNDS IN THEIR REGULAR TRANSITIONAL LIVING SERVICES BUDGET, USING IT THE SAME WAY THEY WOULD IN A YEAR, AND IS FAILING TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO STAFF ABOUT THE EXPANDED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YOUNG ADULTS.I'M HERE TO EXPRESS CONCERNS THAT THE AGENCY IS NOT PUBLICIZING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS IN A MEANINGFUL MANNER OR FACILITATING ACCESS TO THIS CRITICAL RESOURCE.
IN LATE 2020, CONGRESS PASSED THE SUPPORTING FOSTER YOUTH AND FAMILIES THROUGH THE PANDEMIC LAW, ALLOCATING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORT TO CURRENT AND FORMER FOSTER YOUTH.
DPS RESERVED OVER FIVE MILLION OF THEIR FUNDS TO USE THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR THE PAL PREPARATION FOR ADULT LIVING PROGRAM AND AFTERCARE CASE CONTRACTORS.
I'VE SUBMITTED WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT GO INTO MORE DETAIL AND INCLUDE EXHIBITS, BUT I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY OUTLINE MY CONCERNS WHEN YOU PRESS THE AGENCY ABOUT WHAT THESE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR. THE RESPONSE IS ANYTHING THAT IS CHAFFEE ELIGIBLE.
CHAFEE IS THE FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT ISSUED THE FUNDS.
WHEN YOU ASK WHAT IS CHAFEE ELIGIBLE? THE RESPONSE IS EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL AND AUXILIARY EXPENSES.
WHEN YOU TELL THEM THAT MOST YOUTH DO NOT KNOW WHAT VOCATIONAL OR AUXILIARY EXPENSES ARE, AND ACTUALLY I'M NOT SURE WHAT AUXILIARY EXPENSES ARE, THEY WON'T ELABORATE OTHER THAN TO POINT YOU TO TO A LIST FROM THE PAST OF OPTIONAL PAL SERVICES.
THAT LIST INCLUDES SNACKS FOR PAL CLASSES, GRADUATION EXPENSES AND TUTORING.
MOST ITEMS IN THIS LIST ARE LOW.
COSTS DO NOT MEET THE URGENT NEEDS OF FOSTER YOUTH, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE AGED OUT AND ARE ALREADY COVERED IN THE PELL BUDGET OR FROM SEPARATE SOURCES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THERE IS NO MENTION OF HELP WITH THINGS SUCH AS CAR REPAIRS OR TRANSPORTATION TO GET AND KEEP JOBS KEEPING YOUR CELL PHONE TURNED ON SO YOU CAN APPLY FOR JOBS AND NAVIGATE SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN OUR WORLD OR FOR FUNDS OR PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR NORMALCY.
NO WRITTEN GUIDANCE HAS BEEN ISSUED TO STAFF AND CONTRACTORS REGARDING HOW TO USE THESE SURPLUS FUNDS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS.
NO RUDIN'S GUIDANCE LEADS TO HAPHAZARD AND INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF ASSISTANCE DEPENDENT ON WHO YOUR CASEWORKER IS AND WHERE YOU LIVE IN THE STATE.
OUTREACH YOUR USE HAS BEEN LIMITED AND LACKING IN DETAIL TO ALERT THEM.
THAT SIGNIFICANT HELP IS AVAILABLE FOR EACH AVAILABLE FEATURING NON YOUTH FRIENDLY LANGUAGE ABOUT A VARIETY OF AUXILIARY, PERSONAL AND TRANSITIONAL NEEDS, AND IS UNLIKELY TO CAUSE A YOUTH TO ASK ABOUT HELP WITH A CAR REPAIR OR PURCHASE A PURCHASE, A COMPUTER OR FUNDS TO BE IN MARCHING BAND.
THESE FUNDS PRESENT AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY FOR TEXAS FOSTER YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
THEY DESERVE TO KNOW ABOUT THESE RESOURCES FOR THEIR CRITICAL NEEDS AND HAVE FAIR AND EQUITABLE ACCESS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE IN THE STATE OR WHO THEIR PAYROLL OR PAL OR AFTER CARE WORKER IS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF FOLKS BACK THERE.
OK, THERE BEING NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA.
I'M GOING TO NOW DISMISS OUR MEETING UNTIL OUR NEXT TIME WE'LL SEE.
YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY.
OH, GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.