Sep 08, 2023 DFPS Council Meeting

[I. ORGANIZATIONAL ITEMS]

[00:00:05]

I'D LIKE TO SAY IT'S 9:00 AND I'M CALLING THE CALLING US INTO SESSION.

HOWEVER, IT IS 9:09.

SO GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK THERE.

I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AND I'M ASKING THAT WE I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE AND WHO'S WATCHING ONLINE.

I GUESS I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE WERE HAD GONE LIVE WITH THAT, TOO.

SO LET ME.

OKAY. UM, MY NAME IS BONNIE HELLUMS, AND I'D LIKE EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PLEASE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND GIVE THE CITY FROM WHICH YOU COME.

HELLO, MY NAME IS CORTNEY JONES.

I'M ORIGINALLY FROM DALLAS, TEXAS, BUT I RESIDE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

I'M MATT KOURI FROM AUSTIN.

OKAY. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

I'M OMEDI CANTU ARISMENDEZ, AND I'M FROM DALLAS, TEXAS.

GOOD MORNING. I AM LIESA HACKETT AND I'M FROM HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, AND I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU I'M BONNIE HELLUMS AND I'M FROM HOUSTON.

GOOD MORNING, AND I'M ENRIQUE MATA AND I'M FROM EL PASO, TEXAS.

GOOD MORNING. I'M DR.

CONNIE ALMEIDA AND I'M FROM FORT BEND COUNTY, RICHMOND, TEXAS.

THANK YOU. WE REACH THE END DOWN THERE.

I CAN'T SEE AROUND PEOPLE.

OKAY. I ALSO SITTING UP HERE WITH US.

WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER JENNIFER SIMS WITH US AND ALSO VICKI, [INAUDIBLE].

I CAN NEVER SAY IT RIGHT.

VICKI KAYE, WHO IS THE GENERAL COUNCIL, AND OF COURSE, OUR LOVELY CHERYL GOMEZ, WHO IS OUR COUNCIL LIAISON AND SOMEONE FOR WHOM I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.

I'M TURNING IT OVER TO YOU, MY DEAR.

ALL RIGHT. SO TODAY WE HAVE JULIE KRAWCZYK AS OUT SICK AND GREG HAMILTON IS ATTENDING A FUNERAL TODAY.

SO TWO MEMBERS ARE NOT PRESENT.

OKAY. WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS, SO I'M DECLARING THAT WE DO INDEED HAVE QUORUM.

WE'VE GOT MORE THAN THAT.

SO AND I'D LIKE AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, JENNIFER SIMS, TO GIVE US SORT OF AN UPDATE.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

THANKS FOR COMING ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN IF YOU WERE TRAVELING IN.

WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.

IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH THE COUNCIL AGAIN TODAY.

COMMISSIONER MUTH WILL BE HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE.

SHE HAD AN URGENT ISSUE SHE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS MORNING, SO I'M PINCH HITTING FOR HER, BUT I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT UP HERE WITH SUCH AN ESTEEMED PANEL.

SINCE THE CONCLUSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, LOTS OF LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE NEEDED TO GET GOING.

SO I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW OF THOSE MAJOR ACTIVITIES WITH YOU THIS MORNING.

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA THAT WE'VE NOT THE IDEA THE OUR NEW INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE STARTED FOR ANNUAL PLANNING.

SO WE ARE DEVELOPING AN ANNUAL PLAN THAT WILL COME OUT SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.

WE WANT TO ORGANIZE OUR WORK IN THE YEAR AHEAD, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP THIS PLAN SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND BE ABLE TO SHARE PUBLICLY WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.

THE PLAN IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY AND INSIGHT INTO THE STEPS THE AGENCY IS TAKING OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND TO CONNECT OUR PRIORITIES AND WORK TO OUR VISION, WHICH IS IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE THAT WE SERVE.

THE PLAN WILL HAVE THREE MAJOR FOCUS AREAS THE EVOLUTION OF CHILD WELFARE, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, AND SUPPORTING AND RETAINING OUR WORKFORCE. WE'LL SHARE THE PLAN WITH YOU AS SOON AS IT'S FINISHED, ALONG WITH POSTING IT ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT'LL SERVE AS AN ANCHOR FOR US TO MAINTAIN PROGRESS AND A FOCUS ON STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, AND THEN WE'LL BE UPDATING YOU ON REGULARLY AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING IN THE PLAN.

SECOND, I WANTED TO TALK JUST A MINUTE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY BASED CARE INITIATIVE, NOT INITIATIVE.

THE NEW WAY THAT WE'RE DOING BUSINESS, ACTUALLY THE EVOLUTION OF CHILD WELFARE.

WE ARE EXPANDING THIS MODEL FROM FOUR CONTRACTORS TO SEVEN WITH THREE NEW CONTRACTORS GOING LIVE.

ONE STARTED ON FRIDAY.

YAY! AND TWO MORE ARE COMING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

AS YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION, THAT CONTRACTS WITH DFPS TO PROVIDE PAID FOSTER CARE AND KINSHIP IS KINSHIP SERVICES, IS KNOWN AS A SINGLE

[00:05:05]

WE DO HAVE THE THREE NEW SSCCS AND ONE HAS MOVED INTO STAGE ONE AND TWO THAT ARE PREPARING TO DO SO LATER THIS FALL.

EMPOWER IN REGION THREE MOVED INTO STAGE ONE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST FOR KIDS, FOR FAMILY IN REGION FOUR, AND THEN THE TEXAS FAMILY CARE FAMILY CARE NETWORK IN REGION FIVE ARE SCHEDULED TO MOVE INTO STAGE STAGE ONE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

THE FAMILY CARE NETWORK IS ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA TODAY TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A GRANULAR IDEA ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO GET READY AND GO LIVE IN STAGE TWO.

THE SSCS PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, KINSHIP AND REUNIFICATION SERVICES.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR SSCS IN STAGE TWO, AND ON TODAY'S AGENDA, YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR FROM BELONG ONE OF OUR SCC PARTNERS WHO'S IN STAGE TWO, AND THEY CAN SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT'S WORKING FOR THEM, AND THEY OPERATE IN SOUTH CENTRAL HILL COUNTRY, KIND OF THE AREA AROUND SAN ANTONIO. NEXT, I WANTED TO TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE NEWS A LOT AND THAT WE SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WORKING TO RESOLVE, AND THAT IS OUR COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENTS.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE ARE UNDERLYING ISSUES THAT ARE LEADING TO CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENTS, AND THEY'RE VERY COMPLEX.

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE CAPACITY FOR RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS IN TEXAS HAS BEEN REDUCED BY OVER 30%.

THE AGENCY GOAL IS TO HAVE AN APPROPRIATE LICENSED PLACEMENT FOR EVERY CHILD IN CARE EVERY NIGHT, AND WE WORK DILIGENTLY EVERY DAY TO MEET THAT GOAL, BOTH ON THE CASE, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT ALSO WE HAVE INSTITUTED A PLAN OF ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHAT'S LEADING TO THESE SHORTAGES OF PLACEMENTS, TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND TO HOPEFULLY UNDERSTAND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE KIDS THAT ARE WITHOUT PLACEMENT.

THE LAST MONTH WE HAD AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 97 CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT PER NIGHT.

THE MAJORITY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE ABOVE THE AGE OF 14 AND HAVE COMPLEX NEEDS, INCLUDING A HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION AND PHYSICAL AGGRESSION.

A MULTI PRONGED APPROACH IS NECESSARY TO FIND THE SOLUTIONS AND TO THE CHALLENGES THAT LEAD TO CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY SYSTEMICALLY OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS TO TRY TO ADDRESS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE AND THEN FIND SOLUTIONS TO THEM.

WE'RE WORKING IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LINES OF WORK.

THE FIRST ONE IS PLACE, CAPACITY, STABILIZATION AND DIVERSION.

SO AS YOU AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO TRY TO KEEP THE CHILD AT HOME WHENEVER IT'S POSSIBLE.

WE ALREADY HAVE HAD A LONGSTANDING PROGRAM CALLED ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE.

WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, WE ARE REALLY ONLY TAKING THE CHILDREN INTO CARE THAT ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO COME IN AND THAT WE HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THE OPTIONS THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN, WHETHER THAT BE KINSHIP OR OTHER CONNECTIONS TO PROVIDE THE CHILD SAFETY AND SECURITY WITH A FAMILY MEMBER AND THEN WRAP SUPPORTS AROUND THEM AND PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.

WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO DO THAT.

WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO STABILIZE OUR PROVIDERS, BECAUSE THE ACUITY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE HAS REALLY INCREASED, AND AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THIS AGENCY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND THE ACUITY OF THE KIDS THAT WE SERVE HAS REALLY INCREASED OVER THAT TIME, AND IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR OUR PROVIDERS TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.

AS YOU ALL ALSO KNOW, WORKFORCE IS AN ISSUE FOR ALMOST EVERY EMPLOYER IN THE STATE.

OUR PROVIDERS ARE STRUGGLING TO HIRE PEOPLE AND THEN TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY QUALIFIED TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT IS NEEDED.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND OUR PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MATCH THE KIDS THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE ABILITY THEY HAVE TO SERVE THOSE CHILDREN, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT THEM AND HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AND ABILITIES TO MEET THESE THIS NEW ACUITY OF CHILD THAT THEY'RE SERVING.

UM, I WILL BE HONEST, WHEN WE STARTED THIS WORK, I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF THIS, THAT WE WOULD ADD CAPACITY AND THAT WE WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO WE WOULD FIND NEW PROVIDERS. I AM NOT 100% SURE AT THIS POINT THAT WE CAN DO THAT, AND SOME OF THAT IS TIED TO THE WORKFORCE ISSUES.

[00:10:03]

SO WE'VE INSTITUTED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO ADD CAPACITY IN A VERY SPECIALIZED WAY, AND ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE INTENSIVE PSYCHIATRIC STEP DOWN PROGRAM THAT WE'VE INSTITUTED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS AROUND THE STATE.

THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A YOUTH WHO NEED PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES.

OFTEN WHEN WHEN A CHILD GOES IN FOR PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES, THEY'RE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 3 TO 5 DAYS AND THEN THEY'RE RELEASED BACK TO OUR CARE, OUR PROVIDER BASE.

HOWEVER, THERE'S AN INTERMEDIATE STEP THAT THOSE KIDS NEED IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FINDING WITH BASED ON THE ACUITY OF THE CHILDREN AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE.

SO THIS PROGRAM WOULD ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN THE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS TO REALLY STABILIZE THEIR BEHAVIOR AND THEN HOPEFULLY REALLY BE ABLE TO TRANSITION INTO A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT SETTING BECAUSE THEY'RE THE CHILD IS IN A BETTER PLACE.

WE WANT TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT WE DON'T WANT KIDS TO BE THAT WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME A PLACEMENT.

THIS IS REALLY A PROGRAM TO GET THEM READY TO GO INTO ONE OF OUR TRADITIONAL PAID PLACEMENTS, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME GOOD RESULTS FROM THIS AND WE'VE STARTED THIS IN FOUR DIFFERENT SITES AROUND THE STATE AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT'S GOING TO HELP ADD SOME CAPACITY.

I KNEW YOU WOULD ASK ME THAT. I CAN NAME A FEW OF THEM.

CORPUS CHRISTI TEXARKANA, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, UT HOUSTON, AND I CANNOT THINK OF THE FOURTH ONE.

WHY CAN'T I THINK OF A FOURTH ONE? ANYWAY, THERE'S A FOURTH ONE.

WE'LL GET IT TO YOU. ALL RIGHT.

I'LL TELL YOU WHERE IT IS. I JUST.

MY MIND.

I'LL TELL YOU WHERE IT IS.

THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF US REALLY LOOKING AT THE KIDS THAT ARE ON OUR LIST OF CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT AND REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND TRYING TO BUILD CAPACITY TO MEET THOSE SPECIFIC NEEDS RATHER THAN JUST BROADLY MEETING NEEDS.

WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR PLACEMENT PROCESS.

WE HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD OUR PLACEMENT TEAMS BASED REGIONALLY ALL OVER THE STATE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT THOSE PLACEMENT STAFF WERE NOT NECESSARILY DOING THINGS IN ALL THE SAME WAYS AND MAYBE NOT ALWAYS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY THAT THEY COULD.

SO IN MAY, THE BEGINNING OF MAY, WE CENTRALIZED THOSE PLACEMENT TEAMS, BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER ALL WITH THE HOPE OF CREATING A MORE SEAMLESS AND CONNECTED SYSTEM ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT OUR PLACEMENTS.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OR NOT CHALLENGES REALITIES IS THAT AS WE ROLL OUT THE NEW SSCCS, THE PLACEMENT STAFF THAT WE HAVE TRANSITIONED TO THE CCS, BUT THE SSCCS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO NEED US TO BE INVOLVED IN PLACEMENT, IN PARTICULARLY FOR PLACEMENT FOR REALLY TOUGH CHILDREN AND AS THEY TRANSITION THROUGH STAGE ONE.

SO WE ALSO HAVING THE TEAM CENTRALIZED IN THIS WAY WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER SUPPORT AND CONNECT WITH OUR SSCC PARTNERS AS THEY MAKE THIS TRANSITION AND PARTICULARLY FOR THESE REALLY CHALLENGING KIDS.

SO WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT STREAMLINING THAT PROCESS WILL HELP TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET INTO PLACEMENTS.

CHILD WATCH STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT IS ANOTHER AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

WE RECOGNIZED THAT FOR A CHILD TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR A YOUTH TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT'S VERY RELATIONALLY BASED, AND SO RIGHT NOW, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE HAD STAFF AND THERE'S BEEN A GOOD REASON FOR THIS, BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SHORT SHIFTS WHERE THE CHILD DOESN'T GET TO KNOW THE CAREGIVER.

IT'S SOMEBODY NEW EVERY DAY.

WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT OVER.

WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL CONSISTENT STAFFING WHERE THEY WORK 40 HOURS A WEEK.

WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT SO THAT WE HAVE EVEN MORE STAFF THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY WORKING WITH THE YOUTH SO THAT THROUGH RELATIONSHIP, THAT MAY CHANGE THE CHILD'S WILLINGNESS. SOMETIMES KIDS REFUSE TO GO TO PLACEMENTS AND WHEN THEY'RE OLDER THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT.

UM, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WHOEVER THEY'RE WORKING WITH HAS THEIR BEST INTEREST AT HEART, AND WHEN THEY'RE SUGGESTING A PLACEMENT TO THEM, THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT PLACEMENT FOR THEM AND IT'S A GOOD CHOICE FOR THEM, BUT WHEN SOMEONE NEW IS COMING EVERY DAY, IT'S HARD TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP.

SO WE'RE WORKING TO STABILIZE THAT.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO NOT HAD REALLY CONSISTENT SCHEDULES IN THE IN THE LOCATIONS WHERE WE HAVE YOUTH.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FREE TIME, I THINK, FOR THE KIDS, A LOT OF JUST A LACK OF STRUCTURE.

[00:15:08]

SO WE FEEL LIKE IF MORE CONSISTENT STAFF, MORE CONSISTENT SCHEDULE, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO DEVELOP A BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION SORT OF REWARD SYSTEM SO THAT KIDS WILL BE ABLE TO EARN THINGS.

WHEN THINGS GO WELL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET A TRIP TO MCDONALD'S OR HAVE ADDITIONAL FREE TIME.

THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE ALL DO WITH OUR OWN KIDS IS HAVE KIND OF A REWARDS BASED RELATIONSHIP SET UP.

SO WE'RE THINKING THAT IF WE IMPLEMENT THOSE THINGS AND DO IT WELL IN THE CURRENT SITUATION, LOCATIONS, THAT WE MAY START TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN THOSE SETTINGS, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, MOST OF THE KIDS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE 14 OR OLDER, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE THESE OLDER YOUTH NEED A DIFFERENT APPROACH, AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN THINKING THROUGH HOW DO WE HELP PREPARE THEM FOR ADULTHOOD.

I THINK LAST NIGHT THERE WERE 15 OF THESE THESE YOUTH THAT ARE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF BEING 18.

WELL, WE NEED TO BE USING THAT TIME THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM JUST LIKE WE SHOULD.

EVERY CHILD THAT'S ABOUT TO TURN 18 OR YOUTH THAT'S ABOUT TO TURN 18, BUT PARTICULARLY FOR THESE YOUTH, WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE TO PREPARE THEM FOR WHAT IT'S GOING TO WHAT IT'S GOING TO WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE.

YOU COULD GO TO COLLEGE AND WE CAN HELP YOU TO DO THAT.

WE CAN HELP YOU GO TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HERE.

LET US HELP YOU GET YOUR GED.

WE NEED TO BE HELPING THEM USING THAT TIME IN A WAY THAT HELPS TO PREPARE THEM FOR ADULTHOOD AND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CHOICES.

A LOT OF THOSE YOUTH, WHEN THEY TURN 18, THEY DON'T REALLY WANT TO STAY IN THE SYSTEM ANYMORE, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT WE WANT THEM TO KNOW IS THAT WE'LL STILL BE HERE FOR THEM, THAT THEY CAN COME BACK IF THEY NEED HELP, AND WE NEED TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

SO WE THINK THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN BE DOING IN OUR CO-OP LOCATIONS TO SUPPORT THESE OLDER YOUTH.

I THINK IF I WAS THREE MONTHS FROM TURNING 18, I MIGHT NOT WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER PLACEMENT EITHER.

I THINK THAT'S A REALLY THAT'S A TOUGH DECISION, AND SO HELPING THEM SEE THAT MOVING TO THAT PLACEMENT, HOW THAT WILL HELP THEM TO PROCEED INTO ADULTHOOD, NOT THAT ANY OF US ARE REALLY THAT ADULT AT 18 AS WE ALL THINK WE ARE, BUT ANYWAY, I THINK WE'RE VERY CLEAR THAT THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN BE DOING TO HELP THESE OLDER YOUTH AND PREPARE THEM, AND THEN THERE'S JUST OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN BE DOING TO FREE UP CAPACITY IN THE SYSTEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN IN RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT THAT REALLY COULD PROBABLY MOVE TO LOWER LEVELS OF CARE, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE TRANSITION YOUTH INTO THOSE LOWER LEVELS OF CARE, THUS FREEING UP THOSE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT BEDS FOR ANOTHER YOUTH.

SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE MOVE KIDS IN THE SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENTLY AS WELL.

SO I WHAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW IS THAT WE REALLY ARE LASER FOCUSED ON THIS AND WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE THIS BETTER.

I SPEND, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 80% OF MY TIME THINKING ABOUT AND WORKING ON WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THIS.

IT IS NOT A QUICK FIX.

WHEN I STARTED BACK IN JANUARY, I WAS PRETTY SURE THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME VERY SIMPLE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN, AND I WAS WRONG.

THESE ARE LONG TERM SYSTEMIC THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT WHAT I RECOGNIZE THAT IS THAT WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE LONG TERM SYSTEMIC THINGS, THERE ARE CHILDREN TODAY THAT ARE IN THOSE SETTINGS AND WE DON'T THAT IS NOT IDEAL AND THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WANT, AND SO WE HAVE TO WORK TODAY AND WE HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON TOMORROW ABOUT MAKING THE SYSTEM BETTER.

SO YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE DEDICATED TO WORKING ON THIS.

SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, I WANTED TO SHARE SOME NEW HIRES TO SOME SENIOR POSITIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

SO WE HAVE A NEW CHIEF OF STAFF, ALISSA JONES.

ALISSA, WOULD YOU STAND UP? AND ALYSSA JONES HAS JOINED US FROM THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHERE SHE FOCUSED ON ARTICLE TWO OR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ACTIVITIES.

AND WE'RE SO GLAD SHE JOINED US.

UM, LET'S SEE.

WE'VE ALSO STARTED ON JANUARY 1ST.

TRINA EDDIS JOINED US AS THE CHIEF STRATEGIST FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

TRINA, DO YOU WANT TO. SHES OFFICIAL.

SHE'S BEEN ON LOAN TO US FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, BUT SHE OFFICIALLY IS STAYING WITH US AND SHE'S GOING TO BE INVALUABLE IN THIS WORK AROUND CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT BECAUSE

[00:20:07]

UM, SO AND WITH THAT, THAT'S KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACTIVITIES AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.

I HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? SURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE 15 AT THIS TIME THAT ARE GETTING READY TO AGE OUT AND THAT YOU'RE WORKING AND NOT ABLE TO SLEEP AND HOW TO ASSIST THESE.

CHILDREN GOING OUT? HAVE YOU PARTNER OR HAVE WE PARTNERED WITH.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR TRIOS OR ANY FEDERAL PROGRAMS OUT THERE? HAVE THEY'VE COME TO SOME GUEST SPEAKERS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SYSTEM THAT ARE THE MOTIVATORS.

THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

THAT IS EXACTLY WE HAVE HAD THAT HAPPEN.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO SYSTEMIZE.

I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT WORD, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE THAT MORE SYSTEMIC.

IT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S HAPPENING SPORADICALLY.

SO THAT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A BEST PRACTICE THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN IMPLEMENT AND MAKE THAT MORE CONSISTENT.

YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR BRING IN A GED TRAINER OR ANY WHATEVER THAT SOMEONE TO HELP THEM WITH FINANCIAL PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT MONEY AND HOW THAT WORKS.

EXACTLY. TO DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO BETTER PREPARE THEM.

I HAD A COMMENT QUESTION SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND YOUR APPROACH AND DEFINITELY AGREE WITH YES, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS LONG TERM SYSTEMIC, BUT WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT THE CHILDREN THAT NEED US RIGHT NOW.

SO THANK YOU.

I GUESS THERE'S TWO THINGS AND MAYBE TWO POPULATIONS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, THOSE CHILDREN THAT ENTER INTO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND I SEE THOSE THEY'RE IN PLACEMENT.

SOMETHING HAPPENS, THERE'S 17.

THEY GO INTO OUR JAIL AND OFTEN AGE OUT OF THE SYSTEM WHILE THEY'RE INCARCERATED.

UM, IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE COMPLEX NEEDS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH, I'M ALSO SEEING THE INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

SO, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT REALLY THAT DEEPER DIVE INTO WHO ARE THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR COMPLEX NEEDS I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND YOU CLEARLY MENTIONED THAT INCREASING CAPACITY WE TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT THAT CAPACITY NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE, AGAIN, I DO AGREE THAT THE ACUITY, THE COMPLEXITY AND AGAIN, NOT FORGETTING THOSE CHILDREN THAT ALSO HAVE THE ID ISSUES AND I GUESS THE OTHER POPULATION, BECAUSE I HAD SOMEBODY IN MY OFFICE JUST TWO DAYS AGO, IT ARE THE CHILDREN AGING OUT OF OUR SYSTEM? I'M 1920 THAT I'M THAT WE'RE SEEING BECAUSE THEY NOW HAVE A CHILD WITHIN THE SYSTEM.

UM, AND THIS HOMELESS, NOT CONNECTED TO SERVICES.

SO CLEARLY WE HAVE THOSE AGING OUT SERVICES, BUT HOW DO WE REALLY MAKE THOSE MEANINGFUL? HOW DO WE KEEP CHILDREN ENGAGED? AND IN THE HOUSING PIECE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE STRUGGLE THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

I DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT WE ONE OF THE AREAS THAT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY ON IS JUVENILE JUSTICE, AND HOW AND I KNOW THAT CAN SOMETIMES LEAD INTO NOT JUVENILE JUSTICE, BUT ADULT JUSTICE.

WE THAT'S A NATIONAL TREND THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR PEERS IN OTHER STATES IS THAT THERE ARE CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SIDE AS LAWS HAVE CHANGED AND CHILD WELFARE, AND THAT THERE ARE KIDS THAT ARE SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE, THEY DON'T REALLY BELONG IN JUVENILE JUSTICE.

THEY DON'T NECESSARILY BELONG IN OUR SYSTEM.

AND SO FIGURING OUT HOW WE SUPPORT THEM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE.

AS YOU KNOW, JUVENILE JUSTICE IS A COUNTY BASED SYSTEM, BUT THEY'RE HELPING US TO CONNECT WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME CROSS TRAINING THAT WE NEED TO DO AND BETTER COMMUNICATION THAT WE NEED TO BUILD BETWEEN THE TWO AGENCIES, AND SO WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT. AS TO THE ID GROUP, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE TRINA CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT ALL A LOT OF THOSE SERVICES REALLY ARE PROVIDED FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

WE AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN OUR CONNECTIONS TO THOSE AVAILABLE SERVICES.

[00:25:06]

YOU'D THINK, I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP, BUT WE REALLY ARE WORKING IN ALL OF THESE AREAS WE'VE REALLY BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

WE CALL OUR PROGRAM SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT LIVING.

WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY SUPERVISED AND WHO WANTS TO BE IN THAT.

SO IT'S A SIMPLE AS DO WE REALLY DO WE NEED TO RENAME THAT AND THEN REFOCUS AND REALLY TALK ABOUT BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE KIDS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT SERVICE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT IT'S MAYBE NOT SOMETHING THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN.

CHANGING THE NAME ALONE ISN'T THE ANSWER, BUT HOW DO WE ALSO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE FOCUSED ON.

SO THANK YOU.

I'M SORRY. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE AND THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IN THE DEPARTMENT.

I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ANNUAL PLAN.

I HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU ALL ARE IN LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE, AND I WAS WONDERING, ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE WITH THE ANNUAL PLAN? BECAUSE TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN SYSTEMS IS WE CREATE A PLAN AND THEN WE TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE PLAN, AND SO I AM ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE FOR CO COLLABORATION, AND SO IF YOU ALL ARE NOT WORKING WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIRECT LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH THE ANNUAL PLAN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I RECOMMEND.

I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL LIKE PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO SIT AT THE TABLE, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE EXPERTS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF ONE THING WITH THE ANNUAL PLAN WONDERING THAT.

THEN THE OTHER THING IS I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN CHILD WATCH AND BY 30%. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT, BUT I'M WONDERING, HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE KIDS WITHOUT PLACEMENT AND DID SOME TYPE OF FOCUS GROUP? BECAUSE I HEARD YOU SAY YOU'RE TRYING TO SEE THE SYSTEM BARRIERS AND GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE.

AND SO I WANTED TO KNOW, WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE ARE YOU TALKING TO? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL GROUP, AND TYPICALLY THE KIDS ON THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL GROUP ARE THE KIDS THAT ARE NOT EXHIBITING BEHAVIORS, AND THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT ARE GIVING YOU ALL RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD GO.

SO I'M WONDERING, ARE YOU ALL TALKING TO THE KIDS THAT ARE ACTUALLY EXHIBITING EXHIBITING THOSE BEHAVIORS TO REALLY GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE? AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT I PUT HERE, HAVE YOU ASKED WHY THEY ARE REFUSING PLACEMENT AND ARE YOU WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM TO FIND THE PLACEMENT AND VERSUS SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE TO FIND A PLACEMENT, THIS IS WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE? BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU WORK ALONGSIDE THEM AND THEY ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF, OKAY, I CALLED THIS PERSON THAT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THIS COACH OR YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THIS AUNT.

I THINK THAT WHEN THEY ARE A PART OF THE PROCESS, THEN THEY ARE BROUGHT IN MORE THAN SOMEONE TELLING THEM THIS IS WHAT WE CAN FIND, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IN ALL OF THESE THINGS, WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH IT? AND THEN LASTLY, IN REGARDS TO DUAL STATUS YOUTH AND AGING OUT YOUTH, I BECAME A FOSTER PARENT AT 35.

AND WHEN I BECAME A FOSTER PARENT AT 35 DURING MY HOME STUDY, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD CHARGES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AGAINST ME WHEN I WAS IN FOSTER CARE BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS 17, AND AT 35 I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY, WHICH I WAS IN FOSTER CARE AT, TO TRY TO GET THOSE RECORDS EXPUNGED.

SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DUAL STATUS YOUTH ARE ONE, AWARE THAT THEY HAVE CHARGES THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT THEM AS AN ADULT? AND TWO, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR JUVENILE RECORDS ARE ACTUALLY SEALED WHEN THEY ARE LEAVING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM? AND THEN REGARDING THE KIDS THAT ARE AGING OUT, I HAVE A NONPROFIT CALLED CHANGE ONE, AND WE HAVE A HOMELESS DIVERSION PROGRAM BECAUSE

[00:30:06]

THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY GET INTO SUPERVISED, INDEPENDENT LIVING.

SO WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT DOING AROUND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS THAT STILL NEED HOUSING? AND I KNOW THOSE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I HEARD AND WHAT'S ON MY HEART, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE TRAUMA.

AND LASTLY, JUST AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE I HEARD YOU SAY REALLY CHALLENGING KIDS, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND KIDS THAT EXHIBIT CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS.

HUH? THANK YOU.

YOU CAN TELL I HATE PUBLIC SPEAKING BECAUSE I ACTUALLY THINK THAT WAY.

I JUST DIDN'T SAY IT THAT WAY.

SO LET ME ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE THEM, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE, AND IT'S EASY FOR ME TO SAY THIS IS WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT, BUT I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE I WON'T BE THE ONE TO LIVE IT OUT.

SO WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO HEAR FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE BOTH AS A FOSTER CHILD, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED AS FOSTER PARENTS OR ADOPTIVE PARENTS.

I MEAN, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE VOICES ARE PART OF ANY DECISION MAKING THAT WE'RE PURSUING.

AS TO THE ANNUAL PLAN, I THINK A LOT OF THE ANNUAL PLAN IS BASED ON WE HAVEN'T I WON'T BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN THE ANNUAL PLAN AND SAID, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING TO PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, BUT WHAT THE COMMISSIONER AND I HAVE BOTH DONE AND OTHERS ON OUR TEAM IS WE'VE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO HEAR THOSE VOICES AND PARTICIPATE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE'RE WHILE WE'RE NOT SHARING THAT DOCUMENT WITH THEM, WE'RE BRINGING THAT INTO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT, ABOUT WHAT OUR ANNUAL PLAN IS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, AS FOR YOUTH THAT ARE IN SETTINGS AND WHY THEY REFUSE AND WORKING WITH THEM, WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO DO THAT.

I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO.

WE HAVE CLINICAL COORDINATORS THAT WE ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR AND PART OF THEIR ROLE REALLY IS TO WORK WITH THE YOUTH AND REALLY TO LISTEN TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK IS IF THERE'S AN AUNT THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IN A LONG TIME OR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF PLACE THEY'D LIKE TO BE PLACED, I REALLY WANT TO BE IN A FOSTER HOME. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT.

THEY WANT THERE THAT'S PART OF THEIR JOB AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE TEAM.

SO WE'RE WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO HEAR THEM.

WE'VE ALSO HAD A PILOT IN HOUSTON WITH A PROGRAM THAT SENDS IN MENTORS TO WORK WITH YOUTH SO THAT IT'S NOT THE DEPARTMENT TALKING TO THEM.

IT'S SOMEONE WHO THEY SEE AS THEIR ADVOCATE THAT'S WORKING WITH THEM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN EXPAND UPON THAT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD SUCCESS WITH THAT, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR BECAUSE HONESTLY, I THINK THAT YOUTH WHEN WHEN I WHEN I TALK TO YOUTH AND I DON'T I CAN'T SPEAK FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE, BUT WHEN I'VE TALKED TO THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAY FREQUENTLY IS THERE WAS THIS ONE PERSON THAT REALLY CARED ABOUT ME.

THERE WAS THIS ONE PERSON THAT I COULD TELL WAS ON MY SIDE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND I DON'T THAT MAY BE THIS ADVOCATE.

IT MIGHT BE A CASEWORKER, IT COULD BE THERE.

THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT COULD BE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY YOUTH HAS AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO THEY CAN POINT TO.

I'D REALLY LIKE THEM TO HAVE 5 OR 6, BUT I'D LOVE IT FOR FOR FOR THERE TO BE AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO IS SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF, JUST LIKE YOUR MOM OR DAD MIGHT, OR YOUR AUNT OR UNCLE OR YOUR GRANDPARENTS.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE HAS THAT ALL OF OUR YOUTH HAVE THAT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE HOW TO WHERE WHAT WE'RE DOING AROUND THE CHARGES AROUND YOUTH, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL COMMIT THAT WE'LL LOOK INTO.

THERE MAY BE WORK GOING ON ABOUT IT.

I JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, ABOUT HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING AND SHARING THOSE CHARGES WITH YOUTH.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY IMPROVE ON, AND THAT'S TERRIBLE THAT YOU WERE 35 BEFORE YOU KNEW THAT WAS HANGING OUT THERE.

THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT SYSTEM SHOULD WORK, BUT I'M NOT TOTALLY SURPRISED THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT AND WE'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU AND LET YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOUR COMMENTS AROUND HOMELESSNESS AND YOUTH AGING OUT.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT SERVING OLDER YOUTH, HEARING THEIR VOICE, BUT ALSO HELPING THEM TO MAKE THAT

[00:35:07]

THAT IS NEVER THE SOLUTION THAT WE SHOULD BE OFFERING TO OUR YOUTH, AND SO YOU HAVE THERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING, ALTHOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE COMMISSIONER AND I BOTH ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, BUT THE HEARING FROM THE YOUTH THAT HAVE AGED OUT IS REALLY ON OUR HEARTS THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE AND ARE NOT DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.

SO YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ATTENDED MORE THAN ONE MEETINGS WHEN I'VE BEEN CHAIR HAVE HEARD ME SCREAM FROM THE ROOFTOPS ABOUT TRAUMA. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUR CARE HAVE BEEN THROUGH TRAUMA.

I CAN GUARANTEE IT, BUT THE VERY FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT WITH THEIR PARENTS, THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT I WOULD JUST BEG US TO PLEASE GET EVERYONE WHO TOUCHES THESE CHILDREN TRAUMA INFORMED TRAINING, BECAUSE THEY'LL UNDERSTAND BETTER WHY THE BEHAVIOR THAT THEY GO, OH, MAN, I DON'T WANT THAT KID IN THE HOUSE ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST ACTING UP.

IT'S THE AMYGDALA THAT'S CAUSED THEM TO FLIP THEIR LIDS AND THAT'S FIGHT, FLIGHT AND FREEZE.

THAT'S THE ONLY THREE THINGS THAT THE AMYGDALA KNOWS HOW TO DO, AND I JUST I'M HOPING THAT CAN BE A PART OF OUR ANYBODY THAT TOUCHES I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULD BE A MANDATORY QUESTION WE WOULD ASK ANY FOSTER PARENT, HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINED, ANY THERAPIST THAT'S DEALING WITH THEM, HAVE YOU DONE. DON'T JUST BE THE GOODY TWO-SHOES, HAVE A COOKIE KIND OF THING.

YOU'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE BEHAVIOR IS COMING FROM, AND PART OF THAT IS RELATIONSHIP ORIENTED DON'T TELL THEM YOU'RE GOING TO PICK THEM UP AT 4:00 AND GET THERE AT 4:15 OR 4:20.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON THE TRUTH OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND THAT'S WHY THE RELATIONSHIP PART, I THINK, IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WITH GETTING THEM TO SEE THE SAME WORKER TIME AFTER TIME WHERE THEY CAN BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THAT THEY WON'T BE.

WORK RELATED ONLY.

THEY'LL BE RELATED TO FORMING A RELATIONSHIP AND CARING ABOUT THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSON, NOT JUST.

OKAY, THAT. LET ME CHECK THAT ONE OFF.

YOU. OKAY.

I THINK WE GOT OUT OF STEP, DIDN'T WE? OKAY. YOU WERE JUST SUPPOSED TO SAY HI AND INTRODUCE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.

YOU GOT ANYBODY TO INTRODUCE IN THE ROOM THAT'S HERE? NOT THAT I DIDN'T ALREADY INTRODUCE.

OH, OKAY.

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO.

DO I HAVE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST.

EXCEPT THE MINUTES. SECOND.

OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR.

ALL RIGHT. THEY PASS.

WE'VE ACCEPTED THEM.

OKAY, NOW LET ME GO TO THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS THAT I NEED TO SHARE WITH YOU.

[II. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]

WE'VE GOT THE APS CONFERENCE COMING UP.

IT'S GOING TO BE OCTOBER THE 10TH THROUGH THE 13TH.

THAT'S ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

WE SOMETIMES USE ACRONYMS A WHOLE LOT, AND NOT EVERYONE ALWAYS KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEAN.

SO WE'RE DOING THE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES MEETING IN AUSTIN IN OCTOBER 10TH THROUGH THE 13TH.

PARTNERS IN PREVENTION CONFERENCE IS GOING TO BE NOVEMBER 14TH THROUGH 16TH IN AUSTIN.

OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO UP AND DOWN THE LINE HERE AND WE'LL START WITH SOMEBODY TELLING US WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING SINCE WE SAW YOU LAST.

[III. COUNCIL ACTIONS/INITIATIVES]

[00:40:02]

I DO NOT WANT THEM TO BE LIKE THE LAST THREE YEARS WHERE MERELY I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING TOKENIZED.

I SERVE NOT ONLY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M ALSO ON THE PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION SUBCOMMITTEE IN THIS CAPACITY.

I WANT TO BE MADE SURE THAT I'M A PART OF SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY MAKES CHANGE.

I DON'T WANT TO JUST REVIEW APPLICANTS FOR A WORKSHOP FOR A CONFERENCE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT TWO YEARS THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS MADE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE'S VOICE IS HEARD AND THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE COME OF THIS COUNCIL.

I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THIS POSITION SHOULD BE LEVERAGED WITH THE GREAT KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE.

I'VE BEEN A KID IN FOSTER CARE FOR TEN YEARS.

I HAVE WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT FOR FOUR YEARS.

I HAVE BEEN A FOSTER PARENT AND AN ADOPTIVE PARENT, AND THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE SERVED ON THIS COUNCIL, NOT ONCE HAS ANYONE ASKED ME ABOUT SWAP OR ABOUT RUNNING AWAY OR ANYTHING, AND I HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE.

SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THE INCORPORATION OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THEIR VOICE.

WHEN SOMEONE HAS BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO SIT ON A COUNCIL AND I HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN ASKED.

I AM COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THESE EFFORTS WITH THE DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY DONE.

I HEAR REPORT OUTS.

I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION.

AND THROUGHOUT THAT TIME OF THE QUARTER, NO ONE REALLY GETS BACK TO ME ABOUT THAT INFORMATION.

I WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE ARE A PART OF THAT SOLUTION.

ACCOUNTABILITY GOES BEYOND JUST MERELY WORDS.

IT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE'S LIVES.

I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING AUTHENTIC AND TRANSPARENT RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY TO PREVENT THEM FROM EVEN HAVING TO BE IN THE SYSTEM.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST PROVIDING LIP SERVICE.

I KNOW THAT DURING THIS TIME I'M SUPPOSED TO REPORT OUT ON ALL THE THINGS THAT I AM DOING, BUT I CANNOT SIT HERE AND SAY ALL THE THINGS THAT I AM DOING AS AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON AND NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM ON THIS COUNCIL, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW SOME OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HERE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE SIT HERE AND DO.

I HEAR WITHIN THE COUNCIL MEETING THEIR REPORT OUTS, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR APPOINTMENTS, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES, THAT THEY ARE SEEN, THAT THEY ARE HEARD, AND THAT WE ARE CHANGING LIVES.

I WILL NOT SIT HERE ANOTHER TWO YEARS JUST TO SIT HERE AND COME TO A QUARTERLY MEETING.

WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND I APPRECIATE IT.

MATT. THANKS, JUDGE.

THANKS, CORTNEY, FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND KNOW THAT WASN'T EASY FOR YOU.

I SHARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT HOW, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK I'M ON YEAR SIX AND CERTAINLY THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN MORE CHALLENGING IN TERMS OF INTERACTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND FEELING LIKE THE COUNCIL HAS AN ABILITY TO HAVE A REAL INFLUENCE.

SO THANKS FOR SHARING THAT.

MY WIFE AND I CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, HELPING TO SUPPORT FOSTER FAMILIES AND KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED THROUGH SUPPORT GROUPS AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE TRAINING AND JUST PROVIDING MEALS AND THINGS THAT FAMILIES NEED WHO ARE HELPING THESE KIDS THROUGH HARD TIMES, AND SO WE'RE BLESSED TO GET TO DO THAT AND TO HELP RAISE UP MORE FOSTER FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY FROM CHURCHES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, TO SERVE THE NUMBER OF KIDS IN CARE.

THANK YOU, CORTNEY, AND THANK YOU, MATT.

I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE DAY ONE, AND I FEEL YOU CORTNEY AND WE NEED TO DO MORE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.

WE COME HERE AND THEY ASK, WHAT IS YOUR REPORT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER? I SHARE MY REPORT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT NEVER HAVE I BEEN ASKED.

TO PARTICIPATE WITH OUR DEPARTMENT DOING SOME OF THESE EVENTS.

[00:45:03]

MEETINGS AROUND OUR AREA.

I VISIT WITH FEW.

I'VE SHARED MY CONTACT, SO I DO NOT HAVE ANY REPORT AS AN INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THAT IS MY PASSION OF VOLUNTEERING AND DOING INDIVIDUAL THINGS IN MY COMMUNITY.

AND I VOUCH FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE INSTEAD OF JUST PLANNING AND LISTENING TO REPORTS AND ASKING QUESTIONS. I DO WANT TO THANK.

FOR SENDING SOME OF THOSE BILLS THAT WERE PROOF THAT I HAD ASKED, AND I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THOSE BILLS THAT WERE APPROVED TO EXPLAIN THEM IN A CLEAR DETAIL.

THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT DO COME AS GUEST TO LISTEN TO OUR MEETING.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALSO THOSE STAFFS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.

THE. YOU GIVE YOUR TIME, YOUR PASSION, AND I KNOW IT TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY TIME, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

GOOD MORNING, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER.

JUDGE, I.

THIS COMMISSION MEANS A LOT TO ME.

I HEAR MOST REPORTS ABOUT CHILDREN.

I LOVE CHILDREN.

THEY ARE OUR FUTURE, AND OF COURSE, I WANT TO SEE GREAT THINGS FOR CHILDREN.

HOWEVER, MY PASSION IS DIRECTED TOWARD ADULTS, SENIORS, ELDERS.

I TELL YOU KEZ, ANY TIME I CALL HIM, EMAIL HIM, NEED SOME INFORMATION.

HE'S GREAT, AND GETTING BACK WITH ME, LETTING ME KNOW, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN WALKER COUNTY, AND HOPEFULLY THOSE PROGRAMS CAN GET EXTENDED THROUGHOUT THE STATE BECAUSE I SEE GREAT I SEE LIVES CHANGING IN OUR SENIORS AND WHAT WE DEAL WITH, BASICALLY OUR PROGRAMS ARE DEALING WITH OUR SENIORS, THEIR LONELINESS, THEIR VULNERABILITIES, LACK OF FAMILY SUPPORT.

AND SO WE'VE STARTED I'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR YOGA CLASS SO MANY TIMES BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST BE CHANGING LIVES AND FLEXIBILITY AND BREATHING.

NO, IT'S CHANGING LIVES SOCIALLY.

IT'S EVEN BRINGING THEIR FAMILIES AROUND MORE.

WE'VE STARTED PARTNERING OUT TO TRY AND HELP THEM WITH FRAUD PREVENTION.

EVEN IN THE YOGA CLASS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SIMPLE THINGS SUCH AS HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU SAY HELLO? YOU SAY HELLO ONCE, ONLY HOW MANY TIMES YOU SAY YES? NEVER. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU CATCH THOSE LITTLE CHECKS THAT COMES IN THE MAIL? NEVER. BECAUSE ONCE YOU DEPOSIT THOSE, THEY HAVE YOUR BANK INFORMATION.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON THINGS LIKE THAT, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE HAVING OUR FIRST SENIOR HEALTH FAIR, AND I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THAT, AND OUR APS HERE ACTUALLY WILL NOT JUST GIVE US A LITTLE SUPPORT AND SEND ME A FEW DOCUMENTS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE ON THE GROUND THERE IN WALKER COUNTY FOR US, AND I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THAT JUST BRINGS ME GREAT JOY.

SO MY FOCUS IS ALWAYS ON SENIORS.

I DO HAVE A PERSONAL STORY ABOUT A PLACEMENT AND I'LL TALK WITH THE COMMISSIONER, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND THE JUDGE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T GO WELL WITH THE PLACEMENT IN MY FAMILY.

SO, UM, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

I'M NOT SURE I CAN ADD MUCH TO WHAT CORTNEY SAID.

I THINK IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SOMETIMES WE FEEL POWERLESS, EVEN THOUGH WE SIT UP HERE AND LOOK LIKE WE HAVE POWER.

I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES ALL I CAN DO IS HERE WITH RESPECT AND COMPASSION AND I TRY TO DO THAT, BUT IT DOES FEEL LIKE THERE IS SO MUCH NEED OUT THERE AND IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF WORK.

I REALLY APPRECIATED THE ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS THIS MORNING AND THE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT RECOGNITION THAT SOMETIMES WE ALL WANT QUICK WINS,

[00:50:04]

SO I JUST SAYING THAT AND I DO JUST I WANT TO MENTION ONE THING THAT NOT SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN DOING, BUT I DID HAVE AN INVOLVEMENT IN IT MANY YEARS AGO.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH ONE OF OUR JUDGES, JUDGE RONALD POPE OF THE 308 DISTRICT COURT IN FORT BEND COUNTY, WHO'S NOW RETIRED, AND HE REALLY TOOK THE LEAD IN DEVELOPING THE FIRST INFANT TODDLER COURT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEN FOLLOWED BY JUDGE BONNIE HELLUMS AND SEVERAL OTHER JUDGES, THAT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN FORT BEND COUNTY, NOT ONLY BY OUR JUDICIARY, BUT OUR TEXAS, BUT BY OUR CASA FORT BEND CASA HAS REALLY BEEN A PARTNER, AND AFTER MANY YEARS THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TEXAS CASA AND I THINK ALSO THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, AND THEY HAVE PUT TOGETHER A 0 TO 5 GUIDEBOOK CALLED LITTLE PEOPLE BIG IMPACT ADVOCACY FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.

THEY SENT ME A COPY AND I WAS VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT HAS COME TOGETHER, AND AGAIN, JUST THE RECOGNITION THAT CASA IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THE WORK THAT WE DO.

YES. HOW DO YOU WANT TO TURN YOURS OFF? THANK YOU, JUDGE. OKAY.

THANK YOU, JUDGE, AND CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YEAH. THERE WE GO. YEAH.

SO I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF THE COMMENTS HERE THAT IT'S BEEN A MUCH MORE VOCAL MEETING THIS TIME AROUND, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT, TOO, AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE CHALLENGES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO COME HERE AND SHARE WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO TO LEARN HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS AND THE COMPLEXITIES OF IT SO THAT WE CAN FIND WAYS TO MOVE TO BETTER SOLUTIONS AND WORK TOGETHER ON THAT.

ONE OF MY ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY IS TO WORK TOGETHER ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR REGION, BUT COMING HERE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE TIME THAT JUDGE HELLUMS HAD CALLED ME AND SAID IF YOU COME ON THIS COMMITTEE, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE ACTION.

WE WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF THIS AND BE SOMEONE WHO WILL SHARE AND WHO WILL WORK TOGETHER WITH US.

AND SO WE DO AS AND I SEE THAT FROM EVERY ONE OF THE MEMBERS ON THIS ON THIS COUNCIL, THAT THERE IS THAT PASSION, AND WE DO ALL LOOK TO TRY AND FIND THE BEST SOLUTIONS POSSIBLE EVERY DAY FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR THE LONG TERM WE ARE PLAYING A LONG GAME HERE WITH TRYING TO BUILD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND HELP THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE FACING TO COME OUT OF THAT AND CREATE NEW GENERATIONS WITH HOPE AND CARING IN THEM.

SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, I DO SHARE MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS PASSION AND CONCERN AND WANT TO CERTAINLY SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE IF I NEED TO, FOR MORE THINGS THAT WILL COME UP, AND I'M OPEN MINDED TO WHAT WE CAN DO TO BRING BETTER SOLUTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS THIS MOST RECENT QUARTER, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, THANKS TO THE ANNIE CASEY FOUNDATION, THAT WE ARE ONE COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT AND WE ARE GOING TO PART OF THE WORK THAT I AM DOING WITH THE NORTH CENTER AT MEADOWS POLICY INSTITUTE IS WE'RE GOING TO HOST A YOUTH SEQUENTIAL INTERCEPT MODEL SESSION SO WE CAN TRY TO HELP LOOK AT THINGS FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SIDE AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT YOUTH FROM INAPPROPRIATELY FALLING INTO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, HELP THEM TO GET THE CARE THEY NEED, GET THE ASSETS THAT THEY NEED TO FUNCTION AND LIVE IN NURTURING ENVIRONMENTS. SO WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A GOOD, LONG DAY AND A HALF TO TRY AND BUILD OUT A PLAN THAT WILL HELP US TO BETTER OUR JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

THAT'S ONE SMALL COMPONENT, BUT CERTAINLY ONE THAT'S VITAL FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE FALLING INTO THE SYSTEM, AND SO THAT'S THE MAJOR PART OF MY WORK THIS THIS QUARTER. THANK YOU, JUDGE.

I'M SO PROUD OF ALL YOU GUYS.

MY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN AND MY WORK HAS BEEN INVOLVED QUITE A BIT IN THE WITH THE TEXAS COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY CENTERS, WHICH IS ALL THE LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES. I'M ON THE I'M THE PROGRAM CHAIR FOR THE HARRIS CENTER BOARD AND WE HAVE STARTED THE JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM,

[00:55:06]

A LOT OF THE GIRLS, A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT HAVE GONE OVER THERE ARE RESPONDING EXTREMELY WELL TO IT, AND WE SO FAR HAVE NOT HAD ANY RECIDIVISM.

SO WE'RE I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE DID NOT GIVE US MUCH MONEY FOR ID PROBLEMS, AND THAT IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME BECAUSE WE HAVE A GROWING GROUP WHO HAVE DIFFERENT ID SITUATIONS, BE IT AUTISM TO DOWN'S SYNDROME OR WHATEVER, BUT IT'S A VARIETY, AND WE ARE NOT WE DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES FROM THE STATE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO READJUST.

WE'RE TRYING TO READJUST THE FINANCIAL PACKAGES WE'VE GOT.

ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAD, JENNIFER, FROM WHAT YOU HAD SAID, IS IN GETTING THEM TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

YOU ALSO PLEASE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU GUYS DO TRAINING FOR SECONDARY TRAUMA, BUT THAT IS JUST I SEE SECONDARY TRAUMA, NOT JUST IN THE CASEWORKERS.

TRY THE JUDGES.

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE HEAR AND IT IS.

ANYWAY, I'VE GOT A HUSBAND'S SHOULDER THAT I CURL UP ON, AND THAT'S PART OF MY SECONDARY TRAUMA.

HE SAYS IT'S ALL GOING TO BE OKAY, BUT IT'S WE REALLY DO NEED TO GET SECONDARY TRAUMA.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS WORK BY ITSELF, JUST HEARING THE STORIES IS ENOUGH, AND AGAIN, YOU JUST GOT HERE TRAUMA, AND I'M JUST SCREAMING, WE NEED TRAUMA TRAINING FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE FOLKS SITTING OUT HERE AND ANYONE THAT THE KIDS WE DEAL WITH, THE FOSTER PARENTS, THE PLACEMENTS AT RTC'S, WHEREVER WE'RE GOING, WE NEED THE TRAUMA CARE.

ALSO, WE DO NEED TO UTILIZE.

JENNIFER, I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT LONE STAR TALK WITH THEM IN HOUSTON ABOUT WORKING WITH THEM ON HELPING TO DO WITH THE IS PREPARATION FOR ADULT LIVING.

IS THAT YOU ALL'S PROGRAM OR IS THAT HARRIS COUNTY? IT'S OURS. OKAY.

BECAUSE WE USE PAL STUFF A WHOLE LOT.

AND THAT PREPARATION FOR ADULT LIVING, THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FROM THEIR PARENTS ORDINARILY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN REMOVED, AND THAT'S NOT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT AS THE KIDS WALKING OUT THE DOOR.

SO TEACHING THEM ABOUT FINANCES, TEACHING THEM HOW NOT TO JUST GO OUT, AND WHEN YOU GET SOME MONEY, YOU KNOW WHAT CONCERNS ME A LOT IS THIS.

FROM SCHOOLS, THE KIDS GET TO BE THERE, SELECTED FOR THE FOOTBALL TEAM, AND THEN THEY GET TO GO INTO THE PORTAL AND MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY BUY THEMSELVES. THEY'RE 18 YEARS OLD AND THEY BUY THEMSELVES REAL FANCY CARS AND STUFF LIKE THIS.

THE BRAIN'S NOT WORKING FULL FUNCTION UNTIL THEY TURN 25, AND IT'S JUST REAL SCARY WHEN YOU PUT KIDS IN A POSITION WHERE AN ADULT WOULD NEED TO BE MAKING ADULT DECISIONS AND THE KIDS ANYWAY, AND I'VE BEEN SITTING IN COURT A LOT, SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE A LOT OF OUR CASEWORKERS AND SEE SOME OF THE REALLY INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.

SOMETIMES I FUSS AT THEM, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE REALLY GOOD, AND SO SOME OF THEM HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW ME PROBABLY A LOT BETTER THAN THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED TO ANYWAY.

I DO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THIS GROUP BECAUSE THE THESE FOLKS ON THIS ADVISORY BOARD HAVE INDIVIDUALIZED GIFTS THAT MANY TIMES WE COULD OFFER, BUT.

WE JUST NEED TO BE ASKED.

WE NEED TO BE.

GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO.

NOW, OF COURSE AS WITH OPEN MEETING ACT KIND OF STUFF, WE CAN'T ALL MEET TOGETHER AGAIN SOMEWHERE ELSE AND HAVE LUNCH AND THAT SORT OF STUFF.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT. SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE OF AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT WE WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD CALL US.

THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE THAT ARE WORKING.

IF YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT FIT IN OUR WHEELHOUSE, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL.

OKAY. YOU WANT TO SAY HEIDI.

[IV. Agency Update]

AFTER. THANK.

THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING LATE THIS MORNING.

I DID HAVE AN UNEXPECTED MEDICAL ISSUE WITH MY MOM TO DEAL WITH, BUT I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT ON MY WAY HERE, I WAS LISTENING TO THE COUNCIL MEETING.

SO I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ALL HEAR MOST OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT I CERTAINLY HEARD ALL OF THE COUNCIL REPORTS, AND I THINK THE TIMING OF THIS CONVERSATION IS PERFECT.

AS JUDGE HELLUMS AND I DISCUSSED EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE WORKED ON SORT OF REVAMPING OUR APPROACH TO THE AGENDA, WHICH I THINK WAS THE FIRST START

[01:00:09]

WE REALLY WERE THOUGHTFUL, BROUGHT FORWARD, KEY ISSUES THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS FACING OPEN TO ANY FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE COVERED.

AND THEN OF COURSE, I THINK I STARTED IN JANUARY AND IT WAS PROBABLY MY FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB.

I THINK I REACHED OUT TO ALL OF YOU ALL HAVEN'T GOT CONSUMED BY SESSION, AND THERE'S CERTAINLY THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THAT WAS EXACTLY THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH JUDGE HELLUMS IS LOOKING AT HOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER SUPPORT YOU ALL IN YOUR ROLE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT ALSO HOW YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR MISSION OF PROTECTING THE UNPROTECTED.

SO EXCITED AT OPPORTUNITIES TO RELOOK AT HOW WE'RE ENGAGING AND TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS UPON THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE DEDICATION AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU, JENNIFER, FOR PINCH HITTING FOR ME, AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU, JENNIFER.

THAT WAS VERY WELL DONE, AND COMMISSIONER, I'M DELIGHTED THAT YOU'RE WITH US.

OUR FIRST PRESENTATION FOR TODAY WILL BE A QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM.

WE'LL HAVE THE TEXAS FLOWERS MOFFAT FROM THE CPS ON THE QR, TPS, AND IF I MIGHT, I THINK JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION TO WHY WE CHOSE SORT OF PRESENTING AROUND THIS TOPIC.

CAPACITY, AS JENNIFER MENTIONED IN HER COMMENTS, IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND ACCESS TO CAPACITY IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY.

SO TPS IS A PART OF THAT.

SO WE WANTED TO SHARE WHAT THAT IS AND OUR PROGRESS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, COMMISSIONER MUTH.

MY NAME IS TEXAS FLOWERS MOFFAT AND I AM A PROGRAM SPECIALIST FOR THE STATE OFFICE PLACEMENT DIVISION.

MY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IS IN QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO GIVE YOU THIS UPDATE.

JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND FOR FFPSA OR FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT WAS ENACTED IN 2018. IT ESSENTIALLY CHANGED THE WAY WE ARE PAID FOR CONGREGATE CARE.

IT LIMITS SOME OF THE FOURIER FUNDING.

A QRTP IS ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS TO THAT, AND SO AS A RESULT, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, DFPS RELEASED OUR FFPSA STRATEGIC PLAN TO INCLUDE A PILOT FOR QRTP PROGRAMS. THE QUESTION I GET ASKED QUITE A BIT IS WHAT IS A QRTP? WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS OUR RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES HAVE TO BE LICENSED AS A GRO.

THEY HAVE TO HOLD A GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATION LICENSE, THEY HAVE TO BE ACCREDITED.

THEY PROVIDE TIME LIMITED TREATMENT SERVICES SO KIDS DON'T LANGUISH IN RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT UNDER A QRTP PROGRAM.

QRTP SERVE COMPLEX EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN IN CARE.

THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE 24/7 NURSING AND CLINICAL STAFF, PROVIDE INCREASED SUPERVISION, PROVIDE INCREASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS, AND THIS IS THE REALLY EXCITING ONE THAT QRTP DO.

THE PROVIDER HAS TO INCLUDE A FAMILY FINDING ACTIVITY COMPONENT.

SO THE PROVIDERS HAVE ALWAYS SOMEWHAT COLLABORATED WITH FAMILIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, BUT NOW FOR CHILDREN THAT DON'T HAVE THAT FAMILY, ONCE THEY ENTER A RESIDENTIAL SETTING, THE PROVIDERS HAVE THAT IN THEIR COMPONENT TO FIND FAMILY OR MAKE THOSE ATTEMPTS.

THEY USE THE TRAUMA INFORMED TREATMENT MODEL, AND ANOTHER REALLY EXCITING THING ABOUT QRTP IS THEY PROVIDE SIX MONTHS OF AFTERCARE SUPPORT.

SO THERE'S A CONTINUITY OF CARE FROM THAT RESIDENTIAL DISCHARGE TO GOING HOME TO THEIR LESS RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

SO IN TERMS OF WHEN WE STARTED AND KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, IN MARCH OF 2021, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET THIS JOB ALONG WITH SOME OF MY TEAMMATES, AND WE BEGAN OUR WORK TO BUILD THE TEXAS MODEL, AND IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE NATIONALLY, IN APRIL OF 2022, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR OPEN ENROLLMENT PUBLISHED AND FOR THE LICENSED GROWS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY TO BECOME A QRTP CONTRACTED PROVIDER.

[01:05:03]

WE WERE READY IN JULY OF 2022 TO SERVE OUR FIRST YOUTH.

OUR CONTRACTS CAME ONLINE IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.

WE GOT TWO.

ONE IS LOCATED IN REGION TWO, ABILENE, ONE IS LOCATED IN REGION SEVEN, GOLDTHWAITE, AND THEN WE GOT OUR THIRD CONTRACT IN AUGUST AND THAT CONTRACT IS LOCATED IN REGION ONE, LUBBOCK.

SO WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD KIND OF THE SINGLE SOURCE CONTINUUM CONTRACTOR AREAS, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME LEGACY AREAS TO WHERE OUR PILOT CAN GET A GOOD PULL FROM ALL AREAS.

THE TOTAL CURRENT BED CAPACITY FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE CONTRACTORS IS 90 BEDS.

THE PLACEMENT PROCESS.

SO THE REFERRALS COME IN KIND OF TRADITIONALLY LIKE YOU SEE FROM ANY RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATION, BUT IN THIS CASE, WE ALSO CAN GET THEM FROM THE SSCC PROVIDERS AND WE CAN GET THEM FROM THE PLACEMENT PROVIDERS THEMSELVES.

SO IF THEY HAVE ADMITTED A CHILD THAT THEY FEEL LIKE REALLY QUALIFIES FOR THE PROGRAM, THEN WE CAN ASSESS THOSE CHILDREN AS WELL.

STATE OFFICE PUT INTO OUR TEAM, PUT INTO PROCESS A PRE PRE SCREENING.

THE REASON WE DID THAT IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT MAKING THE BEST MATCH FOR THE BEST PROVIDER, MAKING SURE THAT THE RIGHT CHILDREN ARE GOING INTO THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE THIS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE RESTRICTIVE PROGRAMS, AND THE NEXT ONE, WHICH IS THE ASSESSMENT, IS THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT GETTING THE CHILDREN'S VOICE AND IT REALLY HITS HOME BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THIS HAPPENS FOR THE QRTP PROGRAM.

WHEN WE ASSESS A CHILD, THERE IS ACTUALLY THREE STEPS.

ONE OF THEM IS A CANS. THAT'S KIND OF A SIMPLE TOOL THAT'S USED THE CHILD AND CHILD ADOLESCENT NEEDS AND STRENGTHS.

THAT'S THE TOOL THAT GETS USED, AND IT'S KIND OF A MARKER, BUT THE EXCITING STEP IS THAT WE PULL TOGETHER A PERMANENCY TEAM, A PERMANENCY TEAM MEETING.

THE CHILDREN ARE INVITED, THE ADULT SUPPORTS ARE INVITED, THE LEGAL PARTIES ARE INVITED, PROVIDERS ARE INVITED, THERAPISTS, ANYBODY AROUND THAT CHILD, AND THEN WE ALSO GET REALLY CREATIVE, AND BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OVERSIGHT AND COLLABORATION FROM OUR TEAM AT STATE OFFICE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH FIELD.

WE GET AS MANY PEOPLE INVITED AS POSSIBLE X, FOSTER PARENTS, GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS.

THERE'S SOME PARENTAL RIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN TERMINATED THAT HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL A SUPPORT AND A CONNECTION FOR THAT CHILD, PARTICULARLY THE OLDER YOUTH.

SO THEY HAVE THESE MEETINGS SET UP.

THEY CAN BE DONE VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON.

IT REALLY IS UP TO THE CHOICE, AND THERE'S SPECIFICS THAT THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION OF 2018 MANDATED.

SO FVPSA SAID THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN IF THEY'RE 14 AND OLDER, THE CHILDREN GETS TO CHOOSE WHO THEY ATTEND AS LONG AS IT'S SAFE AND THERE'S NO COURT PROHIBITIONS OR SAFETY ISSUES, AND THEN THEY ALSO GET TO SAY WHEN AND WHERE.

SO A LOT OF THE KIDS DO LIKE TO DO IT VIRTUALLY, BUT THE KIDS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCESS.

YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A SECOND.

I'VE GOT SOME SLIDES THAT HAVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF THE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THESE THESE MEETINGS.

BUT THE MEETINGS HAPPEN.

THAT'S THE SECOND STEP OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS, AND THEN FROM THERE, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION GOES ON TO OUR THIRD PARTY REVIEWER, WHICH IS OUR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL MAKING THE CLINICAL RECOMMENDATION, AND THE PROCESS HAS BEEN PRETTY SEAMLESS AT THIS POINT.

WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE FORM THAT FOLLOWS ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, AND I GIVE YOU THIS BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE SRWTP PROCESS THAT WE'RE SEEING SO FAR IS THAT THESE MEETINGS UP FRONT HAVE REALLY MADE THE KIDS UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE AT, WHY THEY'RE THERE, WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE, AND DURING THESE MEETINGS, DURING DURING THESE PERMANENCY TEAM MEETINGS, THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS THEIR SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS, THEIR BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH GOALS, SO THE KIDS GET A VOICE TO SIT DOWN AND REALLY KIND OF LINE OUT WHAT THEY WANT NOW AND WHAT THEY WANT LATER, AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING SO FAR.

THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE THIS SLIDE IS SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT YOU SEE TO THESE MEETINGS.

WE'VE GOT A 14 YEAR OLD MALE THAT SAID HE LOVES SEEING HIS FAMILY AT HIS MEETING.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 14 YEAR OLD THAT SAID, I WAS GLAD I WAS A PART OF THIS TEAM BECAUSE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ME, AND OUR THIRD PARTY REVIEWER HAS SAID THAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY STREAMLINED AND EFFECTIVE.

THEY GET A LOT OF INFORMATION AND THEY GET TO KIND OF WRITE IT UP.

AND JUST TO KIND OF NOTE HERE, THE COURTS HAVE SEEMED TO ENJOY GETTING THIS INFORMATION IN THIS MANNER, TOO, BECAUSE IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE.

THEY CAN SEE CLEARLY WHY WE'VE MADE THE REFERRAL, WHAT TOOLS HAVE BEEN USED TO ASSESS THE CHILD AND WHAT THAT FINAL RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN.

[01:10:07]

WE'VE GOT A SRWTP PROVIDER THAT SAID THE PCMS ARE PERMANENT.

TEAM MEETINGS ARE BRIDGING THE GAPS FOR THE CHILDREN.

SO IT'S REALLY PUTTING TOGETHER THAT WHY THEY'RE THERE AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING FROM HERE, AND THE LAST ONE THAT WE HAVE UP HERE IS HEARING AND SEEING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES AND GOALS AND MAKING A POSITIVE IS MAKING A POSITIVE IMPRESSION ON THE CHILDREN, AND THAT COMES FROM SOMEBODY WHO SITS. THEY FACILITATE AND COORDINATE THE MEETING, BUT THEY SIT OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.

THEY'RE NOT REALLY THE PARTICIPANT, THEY'RE JUST KIND OF LOGGING IT ALL IN, AND THAT'S SOMEBODY THAT JUST GETS TO OBSERVE THE ROOM AND SEE HOW IT FEELS.

COURT REQUIREMENT IS ANOTHER THING THAT IS REQUIRED UNDER FVPSA.

AT 60 DAYS BEFORE, 60 DAYS AFTER INITIAL PLACEMENT IS MADE INTO A QRTP, A COURT HAS TO REVIEW THAT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION, AND AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE THE ASSESSMENT, IS THAT THREE STEP PROCESS, THEY HAVE TO REVIEW THAT ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINE IF THEY APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE OF THE PLACEMENT.

AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO DO THAT AT EACH SUBSEQUENT HEARING.

DISCHARGE AND TRANSITION, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT EXTENSION HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER THING.

DISCHARGE BEGINS AT PLACEMENT AND BECAUSE WE ARE PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT, OVERSIGHT, COLLABORATION FROM A STATE OFFICE STANDPOINT WITH OUR TEAM, WE'RE REALLY STAYING ON TOP OF THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT DISCHARGE WORK IS KIND OF BEING ADDRESSED ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

IN FACT, WE'VE MET OUR FIRST QUARTER ON SOME RECENTLY PLACED KIDS, AND THAT'S DIALOG THAT WE'RE HAVING AS WE GET THESE QUARTERLY QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS BACK FOR THE QUARTER, AND SO IT BEGINS AT PLACEMENT AND IT REQUIRES POST DISCHARGE AFTERCARE.

SO WHEN THE CHILDREN DISCHARGE AGAIN, THEY HAVE THAT CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR THAT SIX MONTHS.

THE PROVIDER BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY LEAVE THE FACILITY HAS TO SET UP AND ARRANGE THE SERVICES TO WHERE THE CHILD IS GOING AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION AND MONTHLY CONTACT AND MAYBE THERAPY AS NEEDED.

JUST DEPENDS ON LOGISTICS IN THAT SITUATION.

EXTENSION REQUESTS.

SO COMMISSIONER MUTH, HERE'S FOR YOU.

EXTENSIONS CAN ONLY BE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER.

THAT IS THE ONLY PERSON, NO MATTER WHO HOLDS THE CONTRACT PER THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON THAT CAN APPROVE THOSE.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE ASKING FOR ANY CHILD THAT MIGHT NEED AN EXTENSION.

WE HAVE TO GET ALL THAT INFORMATION STARTED THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY'RE DISCHARGED.

SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE SCRAMBLING PROCESS.

SO 90 DAYS BEFORE THEIR DISCHARGE, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT DETAILED INFORMATION.

THEY HAVE TO TELL US WHY THEY NEED THE DISCHARGE.

THEY NEED TO TELL US THE EXACT TIMEFRAME THAT THEY'RE NEEDING IF THEY WANT TO EXTEND THAT, AND THEN THAT'S ALL PROVIDED UNTIL IT GETS TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR APPROVAL AND.

THIS IS SOME OF OUR DATA FROM OUR CURRENT PLACEMENTS TO DATE, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 90 DAYS IN.

WE'VE GOTTEN 85 REFERRALS.

OF THOSE 85, WE'VE MADE 31 TOTAL PLACEMENTS.

WE ARE STILL WORKING ON ABOUT 25 THAT WE ARE IN THE PRESCREENING PROCESS OF.

WE HAVE HAD SOME THAT WE'VE CLOSED OUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS WHICH CAN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THEY WERE YOU, THEY REALLY NEEDED A MORE A LESS RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

THERE WAS ANOTHER SETTING THAT WAS GOING TO BE MORE APPROPRIATE OR THEY NEEDED KIND OF THAT MOST HIGH LEVEL OF CARE, LIKE THE INTENSIVE PSYCHIATRIC STABILIZATION PROGRAM.

THEIR ACUITY WAS SO HIGH.

THERE'S BEEN CLOSEOUTS FOR VARIOUS REASONS THERE.

WE HAVE HAD TWO DISCHARGES.

ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY, BOTH OF THEM WERE CHILDREN THAT WHO RAN.

SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THE PROGRAM ISSUE.

IT'S THE CHILD RAN AND WE THEY COULDN'T GET THEM BACK AT THE TIME.

THE REFERRAL DEMOGRAPHICS.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S KIND OF EQUALLY BALANCED BETWEEN ONE OF THE SSX AND DSPS AND THEN THE OTHER TWO SSX ARE ABOUT EQUAL, AND THEN FOR THE PLACEMENT DEMOGRAPHICS TO ENGAGE HAS 18 YOUTH PLACED.

AND SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE FACILITIES IS LITERALLY IN THEIR AREA AND DFPS HAS NINE LEGACY YOUTH AND SAINT FRANCIS HAS FOUR. WHEN WHEN I TALK ABOUT [INAUDIBLE], THE QUESTION THAT COMES UP OFTEN IS WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN RTC AND QRTP? BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR.

THEY'RE LICENSED AS GROWS.

THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHAT YOU'LL SEE AS SOME OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES.

[01:15:02]

THEY PROVIDE INCREASED THERAPY AND SUPERVISION.

THE PERMANENCY TEAM MEETINGS.

SO THAT ASSESSMENT PROCESS, THE 60 DAY COURT HEARING TO APPROVE ALL QRTP PLACEMENTS ARE TIME LIMITED.

SO CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER ARE SIX MONTHS, AND 13 AND UP ARE 12 MONTHS UNLESS THAT EXCEPTION IS GRANTED THROUGH EXTENSION.

THERE'S 24 HOUR NURSING, THERE'S THE FAMILY FINDING ACTIVITIES AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SIX MONTHS OF AFTERCARE, AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO PRESENT TODAY.

I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

I PROBABLY HAVE SEVERAL, SO I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF.

UM SO I STARTED WORKING WITH THE CANS, AND NOW I'M REALLY FEELING OLD 26 YEARS AGO.

UM, AND WHEN WE STARTED DOING THAT WORK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO, UM, SO ARE YOU USING THE CANS ALSO IN THIS MODEL AS A PRE POST OR IS IT JUST AND I I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL VERSIONS, BUT IS IT JUST FOR THAT INITIAL PLANNING OR WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO USE THAT INFORMATION TO ALSO LOOK AT WHAT'S CHANGED IN THE CHILD'S LIFE? SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION.

THEN. I HAVE JUST ONE OTHER.

NO, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, AND WE ARE USING IT TO KIND OF SET UP THE BECAUSE THE CANS HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN REVIEW THAT CANS DURING THE MEETING. SO SINCE THE CANS ACTUALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHILD'S STRENGTHS OR THE FAMILY'S STRENGTHS AND NEEDS, IT REALLY JUST SETS UP THE ABILITY TO KIND OF BUILD ON THOSE GOALS, AND THEN AT THE END THE PROVIDERS DO DO CANS REGULARLY THROUGHOUT.

SO AT THE END, THE CANS CAN BE DONE TO KIND OF GIVE THAT MEASURE.

ABSOLUTELY. OKAY, SO AS A SYSTEM, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE CANS INFORMATION FOR THE CHILDREN WE'RE SERVING, RIGHT? BECAUSE SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE HAD CANS BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO INTO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, RIGHT.

WE CAN, YES.

OKAY, BUT THERE'S REALLY NO COMPARISON OF HOW THOSE CANS AND THAT INFORMATION CHANGES OVER TIME.

AT THIS POINT, NOT AT THIS POINT.

OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS THAT ARE DONE QUARTERLY BY OUR THIRD PARTY REVIEWER WILL HELP DECIPHER SOME OF THAT OUT.

OKAY, AND I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION AND COMMENT AND I.

UM I COMPLETELY SUPPORT THE AFTERCARE PIECE AND, AND I TRY TO BUILD THAT INTO WHATEVER PROGRAMS I DO OR TRY TO INFLUENCE, BUT IT'S INTERESTING, LIKE YOU HAVE A SIX MONTH AFTERCARE, AND I WAS JUST THINKING, IS THERE A MAGIC NUMBER TO THAT? LIKE. WHY DO WE DECIDE SIX MONTHS OF AFTERCARE AND THEN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING IS ACTUALLY ALLOCATED TO AFTERCARE COMPARED TO THE SIX MONTHS SO THAT THEY'RE IN THE QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM? THAT'S NO, THAT'S VERY GOOD.

THE SIX MONTHS OF AFTERCARE ACTUALLY COMES FROM THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PILOT.

THIS IS FLUID INFORMATION WE BUILT THE MODEL AND IT COULD BE TWEAKED AT ANY POINT AS NEEDED.

SO AT THE END OF THIS, WE'LL FIGURE OUT, DO WE NEED MORE? WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T GO LESS BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENT, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT MORE IN TERMS OF THE ALLOCATION.

WHEN WE BUILT THE DAILY REIMBURSEMENT, WE FACTORED IN THE AFTERCARE SUPPORT.

MHM. CAN I ADD ONE THING ALSO REGARDING THE CAVS ASSESSMENT? SO AS YOU MAY RECALL AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING AND WE SHARED ABOUT THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE NEW RATE STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING. SO THE ACTUAL WE ARE WORKING ON DOING A MODIFIED CANS ASSESSMENT THAT WILL BE THE TOOL THAT WE USE TO INFORM THOSE PLACEMENT DECISIONS VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY.

SO AGAIN, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION AND THEN THOSE WILL HAVE TO BE REPEATED ON A RECURRING BASIS, AND CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING IF IT'S OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO YOU AS WE'RE WORKING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR RATE MODERNIZATION, THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO ENGAGE YOU ON THAT CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.

I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND WORKING WITH THIS POPULATION.

I WAS WONDERING HOW IS THE PTM DIFFERENT FROM CIRCLE OF SUPPORT? IT'S ACTUALLY VERY SIMILAR.

IT REALLY IS.

IT DOES KIND OF WHEN WE BUILT THIS MODEL, WE DIDN'T QUITE REALIZE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AREAS.

[01:20:03]

SO THAT'S MY SHORT, MY LONG, SHORT ANSWER IS IT'S VERY SIMILAR.

OKAY, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE FEDERAL GUIDANCE, EVERY KID THAT'S IN ACUTE CARE, WHAT IS IT SHARP THAT THEY ARE GETTING THE PTM MEETINGS RIGHT.

ABSOLUTELY, YES.

THEY CANNOT OFFICIALLY BE PLACED INTO A GROUP WITHOUT IT.

OKAY, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IS, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA TO BACKUP THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES THAT ACTUALLY ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS? NO, WE BECAUSE WE'RE IN A PILOT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH HOW EACH PROCESS WORKS AND THEN WE ARE TRACKING THINGS, BUT WE HAVE NOT COMPILED ANY DATA YET.

OKAY. YEAH, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND THEY WERE RELOOKING AT KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PERMANENT MANAGING CONSERVATORSHIP AND THEY WERE DOING THE PMC MEETINGS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A CONCERN TO ME IS THEY SAID, OH, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF THEM HERE, AND HAVING A PICTURE OF THEM IS NOT ENOUGH THEY NEED TO BE IN THOSE MEETINGS, AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, WELL, THE CASEWORKER REACHED OUT TO THEM.

WELL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COORDINATING WITH FOSTER PARENTS OR GROUP HOMES TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY THERE.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN.

SINCE THIS IS A PILOT, IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO TRACK THEIR PARTICIPATION.

JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAY THEY'RE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CHILD OR THE FAMILY, THE CHILD AND FAMILY THAT IS IN THOSE MEETINGS AND THE PARTICIPATION IN THE INITIAL MEETING. SO WHOEVER WE SET UP IN THE INITIAL MEETING, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION THIS PROCESS, THE PERMANENCY TEAM WE BUILD AT THE BEGINNING, OUR HOPE IS THAT'S THE TEAM THAT STAYS INVOLVED BECAUSE THE PROVIDERS HAVE TO MEET WITH THE CHILD AND THE PERMANENCY TEAM TWICE A MONTH UNDER THIS MODEL AND THEY HAVE TO CONTINUALLY TALK ABOUT THOSE GOALS.

NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW.

SCHEDULES CHANGE, COURT HAPPENS, THE MEETINGS GET SCHEDULED DURING THIS OR THAT, AND BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MONITORING AND WE ARE OVERSEEING FROM OUR LEVEL AND THROUGH OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THING I'VE BEEN IN A LONG TIME AND I SHARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT WE WANT THE BEST INTENTIONS AND THINGS.

THINGS HAPPEN AND THEY MOVE SIDEWAYS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYS ON TARGET BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THIS MODEL.

THANK YOU, AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, I LOVE THE RESPONSES OF THE CONSTITUENTS ASSESSMENT, BUT I'M WONDERING WHO'S COLLECTING THAT FEEDBACK. IS IT THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE DIRECTLY WORKING WITH ASKING THEM THIS FEEDBACK? I DID. OKAY.

AWESOME. THANK YOU.

I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM, IF NOTHING ELSE, THAN HAVING THE KID INVOLVED, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS AFTER YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH TRAUMA IS THE SENSE OF LOSS OF CONTROL OF ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE.

THAT'S HERE IT COMES AGAIN, AND SO THEY'RE HEARING AND SEEING AND WORKING THROUGH THAT.

IT BRINGS THEM IN AT A DIFFERENT AND MUCH HEALTHIER LEVEL.

THEY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE TOTAL CONTROL OVER IT, BUT THEY CERTAINLY HAVE THE INVOLVEMENT OF BEING THERE AND BEING A PARTICIPANT WITH IT, WHICH IS JUST HUGE. SO ANYWAY, GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SET OF PRESENTATIONS WILL COME FROM THE TWO SINGLE SOURCE CONTINUUM CONTRACTORS.

SEES JUDGE HELLUMS. YES. CAN WE HAVE A TEN MINUTE BREAK? SURE, EVERYBODY.

OKAY, WE'RE BACK IN SESSION.

OUR NEXT SET OF PRESENTATIONS WILL COME FROM TWO SOURCES.

REPRESENTING TWO DIFFERENT STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION.

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE RACHEL RICHTER.

I THINK IF I'M SAYING THAT CORRECTLY, AND RACHEL, IF I MAY, JUST BEFORE YOU START, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ON THIS AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WITH THE TRANSITION TO COMMUNITY BASED

[01:25:07]

SO. GREAT.

THANK YOU, RACHEL, FOR BEING HERE, AND GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND SO AS COMMISSIONER STATED, MY NAME IS RACHEL RICHTER.

I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT TEXAS AND BELONG IS OUR COMMUNITY BASED CARE DIVISION.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHO WE ARE.

WE ARE A NONPROFIT BASED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND HILL COUNTRY REGION OF TEXAS.

WE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 40 YEARS AND WE ARE A PROVIDER AT HEART, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY BASED CARE, TO MENTION OUR BACKGROUND AS A PROVIDER, WE HAVE A GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATION IN COMAL COUNTY.

WE HAVE A FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER IN COMAL COUNTY.

WE HAVE A CHILD PLACING AGENCY BASED IN SAN ANTONIO THAT SERVES THE ENTIRE REGION.

WE HAVE A PREVENTION DEPARTMENT, AND THEN OF COURSE, COMMUNITY BASED CARE IS OUR MOST RECENT ENDEAVOR, AND SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS AS WE GO ON.

WE ARE ACCREDITED I KNOW THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, AND WE ARE A TRAUMA INFORMED AGENCY.

WE UTILIZE TBRI TRUST BASED RELATIONAL INTERVENTION.

I'M A TBI EDUCATOR ON STAFF AND WE HAVE, I WANT TO SAY PROBABLY ABOUT 10 OR 12 EDUCATORS ON STAFF RIGHT NOW THAT ARE FORMAL, FORMALLY CERTIFIED TO TEACH TBRI, AND SO, AS I MENTIONED, BELONG IS A DIVISION OF GRC TEXAS.

WE ARE THE LEAD CDC PROVIDER IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND HILL COUNTRY REGION OF THE STATE COVERING 27 COUNTIES, AND RIGHT HERE YOU CAN SEE JUST A LITTLE MAP OF WHAT OUR COUNTIES ARE.

AND WE COLOR CODED THIS ON PURPOSE.

WE SUBDIVIDED THE REGION JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE EASY TO MANAGE BECAUSE IT IS SO LARGE GEOGRAPHICALLY.

YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP, WE GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BORDER WITH MEXICO IN ONE DIRECTION AND WE GO ALL THE WAY TO THE COAST IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, AND SO WE HAVE SUBDIVIDED THE REGION TO JUST KIND OF MAKE IT NATURALLY FIT COMMUNITIES THAT EXIST THERE, AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE A LITTLE WHITE COUNTY IN THE MIDDLE. THAT'S THE DONUT HOLE LIKE WE LIKE TO CALL IT, AND THAT IS BEAR COUNTY AND WHERE THE DONUT WITH SPRINKLES AROUND THERE.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR IMPLEMENTATION SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE STARTED AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

WE STARTED OUR CONTRACT FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE IN APRIL OF 2021.

WE DID SIX MONTHS OF READINESS AND THEN WE WENT LIVE INTO STAGE ONE IN OCTOBER OF 21, AND THEN WE WENT LIVE INTO STAGE TWO.

IN OCTOBER OF 22.

WE WERE THE FIRST SCC TO DO THAT.

REDUCE TIME FRAME OF THE TRANSITION FROM STAGE ONE TO STAGE TWO, WHICH IS GOING FROM MAINLY PLACEMENT FUNCTIONALITY TO FULL CASE MANAGEMENT, AND WE ARE NOW ALMOST A YEAR INTO STAGE TWO.

WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR ANNIVERSARY HERE NEXT MONTH.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

IT'S NOT JUST HIRING STAFF TO DO THE JOB RIGHT.

THERE IS A LOT THAT GOES INTO PREPARING FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE, AND SO THIS JUST GIVES YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE TASKS THAT WE HAD. SO WE CREATED A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN AS PART OF OUR READINESS ACTIVITIES AND WE MET WITH STAKEHOLDERS.

THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PIECE.

WE DID A LOT OF VIRTUAL BUT A LOT OF FACE TO FACE AS WELL BECAUSE THIS WAS KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, RIGHT? AND SO WE WERE OUT HITTING THE GROUND, MEETING WITH OUR PROVIDERS, MEETING WITH OUR JUDICIARY PARTNERS, OUR JUDGES, OUR ATTORNEYS.

CASA WE MET WITH SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, LEGISLATORS, OF COURSE, THE DEPARTMENT.

WE PROBABLY TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS WAS A VERY LARGE PART OF THAT.

PHILANTHROPISTS, OUR CHILD WELFARE BOARDS AROUND THE REGION, THE OTHER [INAUDIBLE] THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE WANTED TO LEARN FROM THEM AND SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THEY HAD AND SOME OF THEIR LESSONS LEARNED TO INFLUENCE SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE MADE CORPORATE

[01:30:08]

BRANDING RIGHT.

WE CREATED THIS NEW ENTITY CALLED BELONG, RIGHT? IT'S A NEW PROGRAM UNDER [INAUDIBLE] TEXAS, AND WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT PICKING A NAME THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT AND IT MEANT SOMETHING AND CREATED A LOGO.

AND THEN THERE WAS A LOT OF MEDIA COVERAGE THAT WENT WITH THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT OUR NAME OUT THERE AND THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WHAT THIS WAS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THIS IS VERY NEW FOR THE REGION, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HIRED A LOT OF NEW STAFF, BUT I WANT TO REALLY FOCUS ON OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND OUR COMMUNITY LIAISONS BECAUSE PART OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE IS OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO WE WANTED TO HAVE A REALLY KEEN FOCUS ON MAKING SURE WE ENGAGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

SO OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN DFPS REGIONAL DIRECTORS.

THESE ARE MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES IN OUR 27 COUNTIES WHO ARE AT THE CHILD WELFARE BOARD MEETINGS, WHO ARE AT THE CASA OFFICES THAT ARE GOING OUT AND MAKING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE BRING THE COMMUNITY IN TO HELP SERVE AND TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE FAMILIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.

SO STAGE ONE INITIATIVES AND STAGE ONE.

WE DID A LOT, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO HIT ON OUR INTERNAL PREVENTION DEPARTMENT AND HOW THEY WERE VERY INTEGRAL IN HELPING TO SERVE THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH.

SO OUR INTERNAL PREVENTION DEPARTMENT IS THE KIND OF CORE PROGRAM IS OUR PARENTS AS TEACHERS MODEL, WHICH IS AN EVIDENCE BASED MODEL THAT WE ALREADY HAD IN EXISTENCE.

WE DIDN'T MAKE IT UP AND DEVELOP IT JUST BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

WE ALREADY HAD THIS, AND SO IT JUST KIND OF ALIGNS REALLY PERFECTLY, AND SO THEY CAN GO DO IN-HOME SERVICES WITH FAMILIES REALLY ON THE FRONT END, PREVENTING KIDS FROM COMING INTO CARE TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT? THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, AND THEN THEY DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WITH VARIOUS SUPPORT GROUPS AND PARENTING CLASSES THAT THEY HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE ARE WORKING WITH CASEY FAMILY PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP A PRACTICE MODEL OR PROGRAM MODEL THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND THEN COMMUNITY BASED CARE AS A WHOLE.

CHOSEN IS AN ORGANIZATION YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY BASED IN OUR REGION, BUT THEY DO SERVE OTHER REGIONS IN THE STATE AND THEY GO IN AND DO A LOT OF IN-HOME SERVICES WITH THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL.

IT COULD BE WITH BIRTH FAMILIES, IT COULD BE WITH FOSTER FAMILIES, ADOPTIVE FAMILIES, BUT REALLY JUST WORKING TOWARDS PERMANENCY FOR THAT YOUTH, AND SO WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE'RE A TRAUMA INFORMED CARE AGENCY, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER AND GETTING FORMALLY CERTIFIED THROUGH THE SOUTH TEXAS TRAUMA INFORMED CARE CONSORTIUM AND THE ECUMENICAL CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO TO GET OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED AGENCY WIDE AS A TRAUMA INFORMED AGENCY.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY STILL WORKING TOWARDS.

IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS, AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH THE OTHER SSCCS, WE WORKED ON VARIOUS CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE AND WE ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH MANY OF THESE PROJECTS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE WORK WELL WITH THE OTHER SSCCS BECAUSE WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND WE BUILD EACH OTHER UP AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY JUST PHENOMENAL TO WORK WITH AND TO LEARN FROM.

SO GOING FURTHER INTO STAGE ONE, WE DEVELOPED A DEPARTMENT CALLED CASE CARE, AND CASE CARE IS REALLY UNIQUE BECAUSE REALLY WHAT THEIR ROLE, IS WE LIKE TO SAY THEY'RE LIKE A CUSTOMER SERVICE LIAISON BETWEEN US AND THE PROVIDERS.

IT GIVES THE PROVIDER A POINT OF CONTACT, SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO FOR WHATEVER SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.

OUR CASE CARE TEAM REALLY FOCUSES ON MAINTAINING PLACEMENT FOR OUR YOUTH.

WE DON'T WANT OUR YOUTH TO BOUNCE AROUND FROM PLACEMENT TO PLACEMENT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, AND SO OUR CASE CARE TEAM REALLY LEADS WHAT WE CALL OUR DISRUPTION MITIGATION STAFFING, AND SO THIS IS WHEN A PROVIDER IS STRUGGLING, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A YOUTH WITH VERY CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS AND THEY JUST NEED HELP, AND SO THEY'RE RAISING THE YELLOW FLAG.

RIGHT. WE'RE NOT WAITING TILL THE RED FLAG AND THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE BRINGING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE, INCLUDING THE YOUTH.

WE WANT THEIR VOICE AND CHOICE IN THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? AND WE CAN BE VERY CREATIVE AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND REALLY COME UP WITH INNOVATIVE WAYS TO MAINTAIN THAT PLACEMENT SO THAT, LIKE I SAID, THAT YOUTH DOESN'T HAVE TO DISRUPT, MOVE SOMEWHERE NEW, START ALL OVER AGAIN AND SO THEY'RE VERY FOCUSED ON THAT PROCESS, AND IN THAT PROCESS, THEY DO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR YOUTH, RIGHT? THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUTH HAS THEIR VOICE HEARD ALL THE WAY THROUGHOUT THEIR TIME IN FOSTER CARE, AND SO THEY REALLY FOCUS ON, LIKE I

[01:35:08]

WE ALSO HAVE OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS, WHICH I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, AND THEIR ROLE IN THE 27 COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE.

WE HAVE OUR TOUCHSTONE CAMPUS.

THIS IS IN COMAL COUNTY AND THAT'S OUR GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATION, AND THEY ARE VERY FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH YOUTH WHO HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS, AND THIS CAMPUS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR BELONG BECAUSE THEY REALLY HELP TAKE THOSE KIDS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE WITHOUT PLACEMENT, AND SO WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR PROVIDER NETWORK AND HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH OUR PROVIDERS SAYING YES TO OUR YOUTH, BUT SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST EXCEPTIONALLY HARD KIDS, RIGHT? AND SO OUR CAMPUS IS DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A PAID PLACEMENT AND WE DON'T HAVE KIDS SITTING WITHOUT A PLACEMENT.

WE DON'T EVEN LIKE TO USE THE WORD SWAP.

IF I'M BEING HONEST. IT JUST HAS KIND OF DEVELOPED SUCH A DIRTY CONNOTATION OVER OVER TIME.

SO WE SAY SSCC SUPERVISION INTERNALLY AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTRACTS IN STAGE ONE THAT WAS DEVELOPED TO CONTRACT WITH OUR ENTIRE PROVIDER NETWORK. YOU CAN SEE HERE WE HAVE OVER 170 PROVIDERS WITH OVER 200 PROGRAMS. THAT IS A LOT AND OUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE THAT OVER TIME.

RIGHT? BUT WE HAD TO START WITH WHERE OUR KIDS WERE WHEN WE TOOK OVER THE REGION, RIGHT, AND SO WE CONTRACTED WITH THE PROVIDERS WHERE OUR KIDS WERE ALREADY LIVING, BUT WE WANT TO BRING OUR KIDS BACK HOME.

WE WANT THEM IN REGION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT MAKES SENSE, AND SO WE ULTIMATELY WANT TO SEE SOME OF THESE NUMBERS GO DOWN BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE'RE WORKING ON BRINGING OUR KIDS BACK AND WE'RE JUST CONTRACTING WITH LOCAL PROVIDERS IN OUR REGION.

AS WE STARTED PREPARING THEN FOR STAGE TWO.

SO EVERYTHING IN STAGE ONE KEEPS GOING, RIGHT? BUT THEN WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR STAGE TWO, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES MOVING INTO STAGE TWO WAS THIS TRANSITION OF STAFF OVER TO THE SSCC.

IT'S VERY SCARY, RIGHT, FOR DFPS STAFF TO GO FROM A STATE EMPLOYEE TO A NON-PROFIT EMPLOYEE.

SO WE PUT A LOT OF WORK ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE MEETING WITH STAFF, COMMUNICATING, ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM DAY ONE, JUST CONSTANTLY, AND SO WE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT MEETINGS.

WE DID VIRTUAL, WE WENT IN PERSON, WE WENT TO UNIT MEETINGS ALL AROUND THE REGION, MET WITH PEOPLE, GAVE OUT OUR PHONE NUMBERS, TOOK PHONE CALLS ALL THE TIME AND REALLY TALKED PEOPLE THROUGH. THEY HAD VERY SPECIFIC, INDIVIDUALIZED SITUATIONS.

RIGHT, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MADE, WHETHER THEY TRANSITIONED OVER TO US OR NOT, THAT THEY GOT ALL THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND MADE THE BEST DECISION FOR THEM.

SO WE DID A LOT OF WORK ON THE FRONT END, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, INCLUDING WHEN WE DID MAKE THE TRANSITION.

I MEAN, IT'S LITERALLY LIKE FLIPPING A LIGHT SWITCH, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY THEY'RE A DFPS EMPLOYEE; TODAY THEY'RE OURS, AND SO WE DEVELOPED THIS VERY EXTENSIVE WELCOME HANDBOOK FOR OUR NEW EMPLOYEES TO TRY TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS ON THE FRONT END AND GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL SO THAT THEY JUST CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD, THAT THERE'S NO LAPSE IN SERVICES BECAUSE THE JOB DOESN'T STOP. THEY DON'T GET A BREAK TO ORIENT THEMSELVES TO US.

RIGHT, AND SO THAT WAS DESIGNED TO REALLY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND KIND OF INSTILL A SENSE OF CALM THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.

SO AFTER WE TRANSITION TO STAGE TWO, WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT KEEPING THAT MOMENTUM GOING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY ENGAGING THESE NEW STAFF INTO OUR CULTURE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM A STATE ENTITY LIKE DFPS.

SO WE WENT AROUND THE REGION AND WE HAD WELCOME LUNCHES FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF.

WE GOT TO INTERACT AND JUST KIND OF SPEND SOME TIME BREAKING BREAD WITH THEM FACE TO FACE.

WE DO LOTS OF REGULAR SORT OF MEETINGS WITH OUR TEAMS TO JUST KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED AND UPDATE.

ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT I THINK WE DID, WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH SAINT FRANCIS, ONE OF THE SSCC THAT WENT LIVE PRIOR TO US INTO STAGE TWO, AND WE SET UP A PANEL DISCUSSION BETWEEN THEIR STAFF AND OUR STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEIR PEERS THEY WERE ABOUT, I WANT TO SAY ABOUT 6 TO 9 MONTHS AHEAD OF US, AND SO WHAT'S COMING? WHAT CAN THEY LOOK FORWARD TO? YOU KNOW, THIS TRANSITION IS VERY CRAZY AND IT'S VERY CHAOTIC AT TIMES, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT COMING DOWN THE ROAD, AND SO I THINK OUR STAFF REALLY APPRECIATED THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING IT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE SAME JOB AS THEM.

CONTINUED FOCUS ON RECRUITING AND RETAINING QUALITY EMPLOYEES.

THIS IS VERY HUGE FOR US, AND SO WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY WITHIN THOSE CASELOAD GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO, WHICH IS 14 TO 17, AND WE'VE BEEN SITTING RIGHT AROUND 100% FOR A WHILE NOW AND WE'RE VERY, VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT.

I WANT TO INVITE ANNA FORD UP.

SHE'S GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT OUR LEGAL EFFORTS.

[01:40:02]

WE HAVE MANY, MANY, MANY DISTRICT JUDGES WHO HEAR OUR CASES, AND SO WE TRIED TO MEET WITH THEM, INCLUDING THE AD LITEMS WHO HANDLE OUR CASES AND CASA, AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATED IT BECAUSE AND JUST TO LET THEM KNOW THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR, THIS IS KIND OF HOW WE'RE DOING IT.

THESE ARE OUR ULTIMATE PLANS AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATED IT, AND SOME OF THEM EVEN COMMENTED THAT THEY ALWAYS FELT LIKE THEY'RE SO INTEGRAL TO THE CASES, YET THEY WERE THE LAST TO KNOW.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

SO THAT WAS HELPFUL, AND THEN WE DID A LOT OF LEGAL TRAININGS FOR OUR INTERNAL STAFF BECAUSE WE HAD STAFF WHO WHO WERE REAL FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY CAME OVER FROM DFPS, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF STAFF WHO JUST DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND SO WE KIND OF LET THEM KNOW KIND OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS AND THESE ARE THE LAWS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STAY WITHIN, AND SO WE DID THAT.

WE CREATED AN INTERNAL STRUCTURE TO KIND OF SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WAS GOING TO BE GOING ON IN COURT SO THAT OUR STAFF COULD HELP THE ATTORNEYS WHO WERE ACTUALLY REPRESENTING DFPS, AND SO THOSE ARE REGIONAL ATTORNEYS WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY DFPS AND COMAL COUNTY, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

SO WE KIND OF TRIED TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS CONTINUE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAD, AND THEN WE MOVED FORWARD TO STAGE TWO AND IN STAGE TWO, WE I ENDED UP KIND OF BUILDING A LEGAL SUPPORT TEAM OF ANOTHER ATTORNEY W E'RE BOTH BOARD CERTIFIED IN CHILD WELFARE LAW.

WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME.

SO IT WAS HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE OUR STAFF SO THAT THEY'RE READY FOR WHEN THEY'RE IN COURT AND WE HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE ATTORNEYS WHO REPRESENT THE AGENCY.

WE DO E-FILING.

WE CREATED A PROCESS FOR BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOSTER CARE LITIGATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TRACK A LOT FOR THAT, AND SO WE'VE JUST BEEN AND WE ALSO HAVE CONSUMER AFFAIRS.

SO THAT IS AN EMPLOYEE, A DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND SHE'S NOW UNDER A LEGAL AND SHE RESPONDS TO OR HELPS TO COORDINATE TO RESPOND TO ANY COMPLAINTS AND STUFF.

SO STAGE TWO, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, AND I WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON SOME OF THE INITIATIVES BECAUSE WE ARE BUSY PEOPLE AND WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON.

SO WITHIN OUR PERMANENCY AND OUR ADOPTION UNITS, WE'RE ROLLING OUT THE SIGNS OF SAFETY MODEL.

THIS IS A HUGE INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO OUR TEAMS TO GIVE THEM SOME ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO DO THEIR JOBS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, AND SO THE SIGNS OF SAFETY MODEL REALLY ALIGNS WELL WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE USING, SUCH AS COLLABORATIVE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, SUCH AS TBRI.

IT ALL REALLY ALIGNS VERY WELL TOGETHER, AND SO WE ARE IN YEAR ONE OF THAT AND WE ARE INVESTING INTO A SECOND YEAR OF FORMAL ROLLOUT OF SIGNS OF SAFETY WITH OUR TEAMS. WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING A RE-ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR THE COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION, BUT WE ARE ALSO ADDING TWO NEW PROGRAMS UNDER ACCREDITATION BELONG BEING ONE OF THEM AND OUR PREVENTION DEPARTMENT AS WELL, BECAUSE THESE ARE NEW PROGRAMS AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ACCREDITED BEFORE AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT AND WE SHOULD BE RE-ACCREDITED AND NEWLY ACCREDITED FOR THOSE TWO NEW PROGRAMS BY NEXT SPRING.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE OTHER SSCCS ON THE SUPERVISOR CREDENTIALING AND GETTING THEM THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE GOOD SUPERVISORS HAVE STRONG STAFF IN THEIR UNITS AND THEN REALLY INFLUENCE PERMANENCY LONG TERM.

SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON.

WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS BEING ONE OF THEM, AND I WON'T GO INTO EVERYTHING HERE.

[01:45:05]

HERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON.

I HEARD SOMEBODY MENTION EARLIER ABOUT 17 YEAR-OLDS AGING OUT AT 18 AND GOING TO A HOMELESS SHELTER.

WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.

WE DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

SO WE HAVE A REAL FOCUS ON ON KIDS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THEIR POSSIBLY AGING OUT OF CARE AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE EFFORTS TO FIND THEM PERMANENCY SHOULD THAT NOT HAPPEN, WE DON'T WANT TO RELEASE THEM INTO A HOMELESS SHELTER, RIGHT? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLACE TO GO.

YOU HAVE A PLAN. ARE YOU GOING TO SCHOOL? ARE YOU GOING TO GET A JOB? DO YOU HAVE YOUR DOCUMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO LEAVE CARE? THAT'S A HUGE ONE. A LOT OF OUR KIDS DON'T HAVE WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO GO OUT AND APPLY FOR JOBS OR SCHOOL, AND SO THAT IS A REAL FOCUS THAT WE'RE THAT WE HAVE THERE.

OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT UNIT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE FGDM AT DFPS, AND SO THEY ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON THOSE INITIAL COORDINATION MEETINGS.

THEY ARE THE OWNERS OF THOSE AND THOSE HAVE REALLY HELPED US GET AHEAD OF A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED FOR OUR KIDS.

OUR IT AND DATA TEAM.

WE'RE THE FIRST SSCC THAT HAS BEEN TASKED WITH GOING PAPERLESS, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF EFFORTS THERE TO MAKE OUR STAFF'S JOBS EASIER, HONESTLY, WHILE THEY'RE OUT IN THE FIELD SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO FIND A PRINTER FOR EVERY LITTLE THING, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO REALLY FOCUSING ON THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS HAVING SHARED OFFICE SPACE AROUND THE REGION.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN AND JUST BUILD NEW BUILDINGS.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST HAVE OUR OWN KIND OF STOREFRONT.

WE WANT TO GO IN WITH EXISTING AGENCIES AND SHARE SPACE AND HAVE THOSE CONTINUE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.

THIS IS JUST SOME INFORMATION.

WE OPENED OUR FIRST FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER IN NEW BRAUNFELS RECENTLY, AND THIS REALLY JUST KIND OF LISTS OUT A LOT OF THE REALLY NEAT THINGS THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON THERE, BUT THE ONE PIECE THAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH UT HEALTH.

UT HEALTH HAS OPENED A CLINIC IN THAT LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN SERVE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS UP TO AGE 21 FOR ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN FOSTER CARE, AND THEN ALSO IN THAT PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE ANOTHER CLINIC AT OUR OWN LOCATION IN BULVERDE THAT OUR OWN YOUTH THAT LIVE OUT THERE CAN ACCESS, AND THEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION, THEY OPENED A FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER OUT IN CRYSTAL CITY AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION.

SO UT HEALTH ALSO HAS A CLINIC IN THAT AREA, AND THEN THERE ARE MORE PLANS FOR THEM TO CONTINUE OPENING NEW CLINICS AROUND OUR PART OF THE REGION, AND THEN, ANNA, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ONE MORE TIME REALLY QUICK ABOUT THE FAMILY FIRST PILOT? WE, ALONG WITH THE OTHER SSCCS, ARE PART OF A PILOT BY DFPS, WHICH IS A TEXAS FAMILY FIRST PILOT, AND WE'RE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 17 COUNTIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING, AN WHAT WE ARE DOING IS IS OFFERING EVIDENCE BASED SERVICES TO FAMILIES WHO ARE AT RISK OF REMOVAL.

I MEAN, THEY'RE ALMOST THERE AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME REALLY GOOD SUCCESS.

WE PARTNERED WITH DEPELCHIN CHILDREN'S CENTER TO OFFER THOSE SERVICES.

WE'VE KIND OF NARROWED IT DOWN TO TWO MODELS NOW THAT SEEM TO BE WORKING VERY WELL FOR FAMILIES AS BSFT BRIEF STRATEGIC FAMILY THERAPY AND PARENTS AS TEACHERS, WHICH WE HAVE HIRED STAFF AS A PART OF THIS PILOT TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.

WE HAVE 30 FAMILIES RIGHT NOW WHO ARE ACTIVE.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DISCHARGE FAMILIES SUCCESSFULLY FROM THE PROGRAM.

IT'S A COURT PILOT.

SO THE JUDGES REALLY ARE LIKING IT.

WE SERVE FAMILIES WITHIN THE HOME ALSO VIRTUALLY, BUT THEY GO IN THE HOME.

THEY WORK WITH THE PARENTS, THE CHILDREN, AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING SUCCESS, AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO CONTINUE IN OCTOBER.

SO WE'LL BE GETTING READY TO GO INTO YEAR TWO, AND THEN JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES WE WANT TO REALLY END ON ON JUST SOME OF OUR PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING.

SO YOU CAN SEE HERE 76% OF PLACEMENTS THAT WE HAVE ARE MADE IN A FOSTER HOME, RESIDENTIAL OPERATION, KINSHIP OR

[01:50:09]

I MEAN, IT'S VERY HARD TO NOT COUNT BEXAR COUNTY, AND SO BUT WITHIN THE ENTIRE REGION, THAT IS 76% OF OUR KIDS ARE WITHIN REGION.

75% OF PAID PLACEMENT DAYS ARE IN A FAMILY SETTING.

SO THAT MEANS A FOSTER HOME, ADOPTIVE HOME OR A KINSHIP HOME.

WE HAVE 57% OF OUR SIBLING GROUPS PLACED TOGETHER.

WE REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS NUMBER INCREASE.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF LARGE SIBLING GROUPS IN OUR REGION AND THAT HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND FOSTER HOMES THAT WILL TAKE SIBLING GROUPS OF FIVE, SIX, SEVEN KIDS, AND SO A LOT OF THE TIME, IN ORDER TO KEEP KIDS TOGETHER, SIBLINGS TOGETHER YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION TO PLACE THEM IN AN EMERGENCY SHELTER OR A GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATION FOR THE SAKE OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP THEM WITH THEIR FAMILY, AND THEN 44% OF OUR CHILDREN RIGHT NOW ARE PLACED WITH KIN, AND 53% OF THOSE NEW REMOVALS IN THE LAST QUARTER WERE PLACED WITH KIN WITHIN 60 DAYS, AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO SEE JUST SOME OF THE EFFORTS.

EVERYTHING THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY HAS REALLY INFLUENCED CWOP RIGHT? SSCC SUPERVISION.

SO YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THIS CHART THAT PRIOR TO US TAKING OVER THE REGION AS A COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDER, THERE WERE 83 TOTAL YOUTH IN CWOP IN THAT PART OF THE REGION UNDER THE LEGACY SYSTEM AFTER WE CAME ON BOARD, YOU CAN SEE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAD ONLY HAD EIGHT YOUTH TOTAL WITHOUT PLACEMENT AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE HAPPENED IN THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN WE FIRST WENT LIVE.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE YOUTH WITHOUT PLACEMENT SINCE JULY OF 2022.

SO OVER A YEAR WE HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO KIDS WITHOUT PLACEMENT, AND SO WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT, AND SO WE WANTED TO DEFINITELY END WITH THAT TO SHOW YOU GUYS ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE ALWAYS IN A PAID PLACEMENT.

SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.

I KNOW IT WAS FAST AND FURIOUS AND THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE THREW AT YOU, BUT WE WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.

HOPEFULLY WE DID SUCH A GREAT JOB THAT YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS.

AWESOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU BOTH.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.

OH, YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION.

I'M SORRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.

I HEARD THAT THE TRANSITION FROM THE LEGACY SYSTEM TO THE COMMUNITY WAS MORE ROBUST AND THAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO DO MORE, AND SO THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION, I WAS ABLE TO REALLY HEAR HOW MUCH YOU ALL ARE DOING.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT TRANSITIONING FROM THE LEGACY SYSTEM TO YOU ALL, THAT YOU ALL ARE STILL DOING THE AGING OUT SEMINAR.

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, MY RESEARCH CLASS, I DEVELOPED THE AGING SEMINAR AND SO FOR IT TO STILL BE GOING ON SINCE 2014, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY, WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY TO YOU? BECAUSE FROM THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT I HEARD, IT SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE ANYONE THAT IS ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, THE PARTNERS, THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND I SAW THE LIST, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT I DIDN'T SEE ON THAT LIST AND I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S NOT THE END ALL BE ALL LIST, BUT I DID NOT SEE THE COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENT, AND THAT'S CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND SO I WAS WONDERING, WERE THEY INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STAGE ONE, STAGE TWO, OR JUST YOU ALL COMING UP WITH HOW IT WAS GOING TO LOOK? NO, ABSOLUTELY. YOU'RE RIGHT, AND ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION THAT I SHOULD HAVE IS OUR YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.

THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WENT INTO OUR IMPLEMENTATION.

SO WE WORK WITH THE BUILDING BRIDGES INITIATIVE AND WE HAVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW AND WE HAVE THIS YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THAT EXACT REASON SO THAT THEY HAVE INFLUENCE AND THEY GET TO HELP LEAD THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING.

SO YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT.

IT'S FUNNY, ANNA AND I JUST TALKED ABOUT IT AND I DIDN'T EVEN SAY IT BUT YES, WE DO HAVE A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.

THEY DO HAVE A VOICE IN THE WHOLE PROCESS.

WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT I THINK I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY IT EARLIER, WE DON'T WANT I THINK IT WAS YOU ACTUALLY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO JUST MAKE THINGS UP AND TELL PEOPLE THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE.

WE WANT THEM TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS, AND SO WE DO REGULARLY REACH OUT TO OUR FAMILIES, OUR KINSHIP HOMES, OUR YOUTH AND GET THEIR INPUT.

[01:55:04]

ANYBODY CAN SAY, I WANT TO SUPPORT THIS FAMILY, AND IT'S A MINIMUM OF A YEAR LONG COMMITMENT.

THEY COME IN AND THEY WORK WITH THAT FAMILY ON WHATEVER IT IS THEY NEED.

IT COULD JUST BE SUPPORT AS FAR AS LIKE THEY NEED HELP WITH BABYSITTING.

THEY NEED HELP WITH MY WATER HEATER JUST WENT OUT.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT CAN HELP ME GET THAT FIXED? THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY NEAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES OUTSIDE OF PHILANTHROPISTS OR CHILD WELFARE BOARDS.

I MEAN, THESE ARE JUST REGULAR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE STEPPING UP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY EARLIER THAT YOU ALL WERE ALLOWING YOUR STAFF TO GET THAT PEER SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT DID THE FIRST ROLLOUT OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT PEER SUPPORT. IN REGARDS TO YOUTH IN YOUR REGION, WHAT SUPPORT DID YOU ALL PROVIDE TO THEM IN THIS TRANSITION? BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WHEN KIDS ARE IN CARE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DFPS AND CHILD PROTECTIVE, I MEAN, AND CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND ALSO A CHILD PLACING AGENCY.

THEY'RE OBLIVIOUS TO IT, AND SO MOVING INTO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, WHAT DID YOU ALL DO TO PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH KNOWING WHAT THAT IS? YEAH, WE DID HOST SOME MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUTH TO ATTEND.

WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO TAILOR THE MESSAGING IN A WAY THAT THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND, AND SO WE DID THAT, AND THEN ALSO WITH OUR CASE CARE TEAM, AFTER GOING INTO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, THAT IS ALSO PART OF THEIR ROLE IS THEY HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PROVIDERS AND THEREFORE THE YOUTH, AND THEY ALSO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE WITH OUR YOUTH AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CHANGE IS AFFECTING THEM, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS MOST PEOPLE, THEY THEY LOVE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY GET FROM WORKING FOR A STATE AGENCY, AND THAT'S WHY MANY PEOPLE GO AND WORK FOR A STATE AGENCY, AND SO WITH THE TRANSITION, WHAT IS THE NONPROFIT DOING IN REGARDS TO MATCHING WHAT THEY WERE GETTING BENEFIT WISE OR RETIREMENT WISE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, AND THAT WAS A HUGE PIECE OF THE TRANSITION THAT WE HAD TO FOCUS ON, AND SO THE REALITY IS, IS WE JUST CAN'T MATCH STATE BENEFITS, RIGHT? WE'RE A NONPROFIT.

WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN THINGS THAT THE STATE CAN DO THAT WE JUST CAN'T DO AS A NONPROFIT, BUT WE DO HAVE A 401K PROGRAM.

WE DO, AND SO WE DID LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT WAS FIRST OF ALL, IT'S OPTIONAL, RIGHT? WITH THE STATE, I THINK YOU AUTOMATICALLY HAD TO PUT IN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OUT OF YOUR PAYCHECK EVERY MONTH AND SO FOR US, IT'S AN OPTIONAL 401K.

YOU CAN CHOOSE OR NOT CHOOSE TO INVEST IN THAT, AND SO I THINK PEOPLE REALLY LIKED THAT FLEXIBILITY.

WE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES SUCH AS PAID TIME OFF, THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND THEN REALLY JUST WORKED TO INSTILL OUR CULTURE AND THE WORK LIFE BALANCE.

IT'S JUST DIFFERENT ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE.

THEY'VE REPORTED FEELING LIKE THEY GET A LOT MORE SUPPORT, AND SO THAT I THINK HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, AND WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T TRANSITION RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE EXACT REASON THAT YOU SAID, WELL, I WANT TO WORK FOR THE STATE AND GET THOSE STATE BENEFITS, BUT THEN TALKING TO THEIR FRIENDS THAT DID COME OVER, THEY'VE SINCE MADE THE CHOICE TO COME AND WORK FOR US, AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DO THAT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN'T MATCH, BUT WE DID. WE WORKED REALLY HARD, ESPECIALLY ON HEALTH BENEFITS AS WELL.

WE CAN'T DO 100% COVERED, RIGHT? BUT WE DO 75% COVERED AND THEN REALLY BREAKING IT DOWN.

THEY HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE HEALTH PLANS TO PICK THE ONE THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEIR THEIR FAMILIES, AND I THINK PEOPLE WERE PRETTY SURPRISED AT THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD AND PLEASED WITH THE COST INVOLVED, AND IT WAS IT'S MINIMAL

[02:00:02]

THIS ISN'T GOING TO BREAK MY BANK ACCOUNT, RIGHT, AND HAVING MORE FLEXIBILITY AROUND THAT I THINK THEY WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

THIS IS A TALL ORDER AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE TORCH AND DOING WHAT YOU ALL CAN DO IN YOUR REGION.

I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? RUN WHILE YOU CAN.

[CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SSCC IS ROCKY HENSARLING.

PARDON? THAT'S IT.

THAT'S PERFECT. OKAY.

WITH THE TEXAS FAMILY CARE NETWORK.

YES. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL, FOR HAVING US.

VERY DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

I'M ROCKY HENSARLING. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE FOR TEXAS FAMILY CARE NETWORK.

I WANT TO START WITH A FEW LEVEL SETS THIS MORNING, AND ONE IS JUST THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD REALLY THROUGH JUST THIS MORNING'S CONVERSATION HAVE BEEN VERY INSPIRING FOR US. I THINK WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IS THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT STAGE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO INTO STAGE ONE.

SO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT OUR PARTNERS AT BELONG HAVE BEEN DOING ARE DEFINITELY THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT AS INSPIRATION, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT AS KIND OF FURTHER EARLIER ON INTO THAT PROCESS.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.

SO I WAS PREVIOUSLY WITH DFPS FOR 13 YEARS.

I STARTED AS A CONSERVATORSHIP CASEWORKER IN REGION 6B; I DID THAT FOR A FEW YEARS, THEN I WENT TO BECOME A CHILD FATALITY INVESTIGATOR IN HARRIS COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.

I WAS AFTERWARD PLEASED TO JOIN A NEW OPPORTUNITY WITH WHAT WAS CALLED THE MASTER CONSERVATORSHIP TEAM, AND THAT WAS A TEAM OF TRAVELING CASEWORKERS, AND WE WORKED ALL ACROSS THE STATE HELPING AREAS THAT WERE EXPERIENCING HIGH TURNOVER, HIGH CASELOADS, AND WE WORKED WITH THEM TO GET THEIR SYSTEMS BACK ON PLACE.

WE WOULD TRAIN NEW STAFF, GET THEM READY TO GO, AND WE WOULD ALWAYS LEAVE A PLACE BETTER THAN WHAT WE FOUND IT.

THAT PROGRAM WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WE ACTUALLY EXPANDED IT OUT.

SO I BECAME THE SUPERVISOR OF THE SECOND UNIT THAT WAS IN THAT PROGRAM AND DID THAT FOR A FEW YEARS.

THEN I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE MASTER INVESTIGATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR WHERE OUR PARTNERS IN CPI DID THE SAME PROCESS, BUT ONLY FOR INVESTIGATIONS.

A FEW YEARS INTO THAT ROLE, I WAS AGAIN FACED WITH A VERY GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND BLESSING TO BECOME THE CPS DIRECTOR OF PERMANENCY AND FAMILY BASED SAFETY SERVICES HERE AT STATE OFFICE, AND SO I WALKED THESE HALLS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE JUNE OF THIS SUMMER WHEN I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WHAT LED TO THAT DECISION WAS COMMUNITY BASED CARE WAS VERY INSPIRING.

I WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND IT WAS DEFINITELY HARD TO LEAVE UNDER COMMISSIONER MUTH'S LEADERSHIP.

WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER HERE, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HER IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY AND TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE PARTNERS BOTH AT DFPS AND THEN FOR THEM AT THE SSCCS, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME MAYBE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL IS THAT WHILE WE ARE THE SINGLE SOURCE CONTINUUM CONTRACTOR FOR REGION FIVE, I GREW UP IN REGION FIVE, I HAVE FOUR BEAUTIFUL NIECES, THREE OF WHICH ARE THE PRODUCT OF DFPS. SO THIS SYSTEM IS VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.

SO AND I TEXTED MY MOM, I'M NOT GOING TO CRY, MOM.

[CHUCKLING] MY PARENTS ARE WATCHING.

SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.

I THINK I'M VERY REAL AND WHAT I DO.

SO YOU KNOW, AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNITY BASED CARE, RIGHT? LIKE WE KNOW THE DEFINITION OF OF IT, BUT IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY NEEDS, RIGHT? AND IT'S ABOUT LISTENING, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'VE TAKEN FROM YOU THIS MORNING COUNCILWOMAN JONES IT'S ABOUT LISTENING, RIGHT, AND HEARING AND IT'S ABOUT LISTENING TO OUR FAMILIES, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.

RIGHT? LIKE WE DON'T NEED TO GO IN AND SAY, WE KNOW WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE.

YOU TELL US WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE, AND THEN WE WANT TO HELP WORK WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, AND THAT'S TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TOGETHER AND CONNECTED TO THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES.

SO IT'S FUNNY, I MENTIONED MY PARENTS, ALBERT AND CRYSTAL HENSARLING.

THEY'RE WATCHING YOU PROBABLY YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE.

YOU MIGHT. THAT'S GREAT, BUT I ALWAYS FEEL IT'S A VERY EAST TEXAS THING, RIGHT? IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU PROBABLY KNOW MY MOM AND DAD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS, AND SO I'M VERY DELIGHTED THIS MORNING TO ALSO HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION FROM OUR PARENT COMPANY, WHICH IS SUZANNE COLE, OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR PRESSLEY RIDGE.

GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE I'M NOT THE STAR OF THE SHOW.

ROCKY CLEARLY IS.

I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON MY BACKGROUND.

SO I HAVE BEEN WITH PRESSLEY RIDGE FOR ABOUT 33 YEARS.

I ACTUALLY STARTED IN A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM AS A DIRECT CARE WORKER AND THEN WORKED MY WAY UP TO CEO DOING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT JOBS IN BETWEEN FROM FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION TO RUNNING SOME PRIVATE LICENSED ACADEMIC SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN THAT HAD MORE SIGNIFICANT NEEDS THAN A PUBLIC SCHOOL COULD PROVIDE FOR THEM, EVEN IN A SPECIAL EDUCATION

[02:05:01]

SO FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT PERMANENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT CHILDREN END UP WITH A FAMILY AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE A HEALTHY, HAPPY PLACEMENT WITH FAMILY THAT CAN LEAD TO THEIR SUCCESS FOR THE FUTURE.

SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.

HAPPY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRESSLEY RIDGE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK BACKGROUND, AND THEN ROCKY IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR INITIATIVE AS THE SSCC IN REGION FIVE.

SO AS YOU HEARD FROM BELONG AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM US, WE ARE ALSO ACCREDITED ON THE COUNCIL OF ACCREDITATION, NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS, AND THESE ARE SOME AFFILIATIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT JUST ALLOW US TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHILD WELFARE ACROSS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STATES, AND IT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF PARTNER WITH OTHER FOLKS TO BRING IN CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE PRACTICES AND SERVICES IN OUR REGION WHERE WE MAY HAVE UNMET NEEDS.

OUR MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHATEVER IT TAKES TO CREATE SUCCESS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, AND WE WANT TO SEE ALL KIDS THRIVE AS OUR VISION, AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OUR MODEL OF CARE FOR BEING THE SSCC IN REGION FIVE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE IN PLACE, AND YOU HEARD BELONG TALKING ABOUT QUALITY SERVICES AND BEING A PROVIDER.

PRESSLEY RIDGE HAS BEEN A PROVIDER OF SERVICES FOR OVER 180 YEARS AND WE OFFER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ACROSS SEVEN STATES AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE FEEL LIKE ARE SIGNIFICANT AROUND BUILDING A MODEL OF CARE FOR ANY COMMUNITY, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VERY STRONG CONTINUUM OF CARE.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVIDENCE BASED TRAUMA, INFORMED TRAINING.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE REALLY STRONG ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES, AND THEN THINGS HAVE TO BE DRIVEN BY DATA AND BE RESEARCH BASED.

THE KEY THING THAT IS IN GREEN, THE INNOVATION AND QUALITY PIECE IS REALLY WHAT MAKES COMMUNITY BASED CARE UNIQUE AND SUCCESSFUL, AND WE'VE TALKED AND YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WORKING IN A SYSTEM, WORKING IN INSTITUTIONS I JUST SAID TO THE ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER EARLIER, I THINK ALL OF US ARE HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN HELPING OTHERS, AND WHETHER THAT'S KIDS AND FAMILIES, WE JUST BELIEVE IN HELPING PEOPLE, BUT WHEN YOU OPERATE WITHIN A LARGE INSTITUTION OR A SYSTEM LIKE GOVERNMENT, THERE HAS TO BE SOME STANDARDIZATION, AND WE ALL KNOW SOMETIMES STANDARDIZATION KILLS CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE SSCCS COME IN BECAUSE WE CAN BUILD SOME OF THESE THINGS AND BE QUICKER AT DOING THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SUCH A BIG KIND OF SYSTEM TO WORK IN AND WE CAN FOCUS REGIONALLY ON UNMET NEEDS.

WE DO HAVE SOME PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE TEXAS PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS.

OUR TRAUMA INFORMED CARE APPROACH IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH DR.

BRUCE PERRY. HE USED TO RUN THE CHILD TRAUMA ACADEMY HERE IN TEXAS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HIM AND SO PRESSLEY RIDGE HAS WORKED ITS WAY UP TO BE A FLAGSHIP SITE, AND WE'VE GOT FOLKS TRAINED IN HIS NEUROSEQUENTIAL MODEL OF THERAPEUTICS AT THE ORGANIZATION, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH STAFF HERE IN THIS AREA.

WE ALSO SUPPORT TBRI THAT WAS MENTIONED BY BELONG AND WE WANT TO SEE HOW THINGS WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER, AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF THE TBRI TRAINERS AND FOLKS TO PROVIDE CONSULTATION.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH DR.

JOYCE JAMES AND HER CONSULTING FIRM, AND REALLY, THIS IS ABOUT LIKE A LOT OF THINGS THAT DR.

JAMES SAYS AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT SHE'S TAUGHT US AS AN ORGANIZATION, PARTICULARLY AROUND HOW EQUAL TREATMENT DOES NOT EQUATE TO EQUITY.

AS ONE OF HER QUOTES THAT I ALWAYS KIND OF HAVE IN MY HEAD AND THAT WE BUILD SYSTEMS TO FOCUS ON BROKEN PEOPLE, AND REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS FIX THE BROKEN SYSTEM TO HELP PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS DOING THINGS WITH PEOPLE, NOT TO PEOPLE, AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN STAFF IN THE FUTURE AND TO REALLY BUILD THIS MODEL THAT IS TRAUMA INFORMED, THAT IS RESPECTFUL OF THE COMMUNITY AND ITS CULTURE, AND THAT IS REALLY INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO ROCKY.

LET HIM TAKE YOU THROUGH. WE'RE IN STAGE ONE.

I WAS JUST TEASING EARLIER WHEN BELONG WAS TALKING THAT WE WANT TO BE THEM WHEN WE GROW UP.

WE'RE IN THE INFANCY STAGE.

SO WE THINK OF US AS JUST STARTING AND WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO IS WHERE BELONG IS.

ABSOLUTELY, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS A TIMELINE OF OUR PROCESS SO FAR, AND WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED THERE IS WE'RE CURRENTLY IN STAGE ONE STARTUP, AND SO THIS IS PROBABLY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME THIS MORNING.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SLIDES IN OUR SHOW AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO SET UP SOME ONE ON ONE TIME TO GO THROUGH MAYBE MORE IN DEPTH, BUT IN HEARING THE CONVERSATION TODAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE AS EXPRESSED AS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO LIKELY WHAT OUR GENERAL PUBLIC WANTS TO HEAR AS WELL, AND

[02:10:04]

IT IS A SEND THIS EMAIL WITH THIS HEADING TO THIS MAILBOX.

RIGHT, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT GETS SENT AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT AT WHICH POINT? IT'S A VERY VALUABLE TOOL THAT OUR PARTNERS AT DFPS WILL BE TRAINING THEIR STAFF ON AS THEY GET READY FOR STAGE ONE, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER OPERATIONS MANUAL DEVELOPED AS PART OF STAGE TWO READINESS, WHICH WILL OUTLINE THOSE THINGS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT STAGE ONE.

SO THAT IS WHERE WE TAKE OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE REFERRALS FOR PAID PLACEMENTS.

SO IF A YOUTH OR CHILD IS NOT ABLE TO BE PLACED WITH A RELATIVE OR FICTIVE KIN, A REFERRAL IS GOING TO BE SENT TO TEXAS FAMILY CARE NETWORK, AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING THAT PAID PLACEMENT.

THERE'S ALSO SOME OTHER SUPPORTS THAT WE TAKE ON.

SO WE TAKE ON THE DAYCARE REQUESTS.

WE WORK WITH SOME OF THE I'M GOING TO SAY ICPC.

IT'S INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN WE WORK WITH THOSE RELATIVES AND GETTING THOSE RELATIVES THROUGH THE VERIFICATION PROCESS BY MEANS OF CONNECTING THEM TO A CPA THAT'S WITHIN OUR NETWORK AND THEN WE ALSO WILL BE ASSISTING WITH OR THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE ADOPTION RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, AND SO FOR US, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS THROUGH THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION.

SO THEY'VE PROVIDED US WITH THREE RECRUITERS OVER A CONTRACT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND HOW THOSE WILL REALLY WORK WITH THOSE OLDER YOUTH, AND AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON WHAT SEEMS AND FEELS SOME DAYS LIKE COUNTLESS WRITTEN PLANS, AND THESE PLANS REALLY ARE HOW WE ARE GOING TO EXECUTE THE THINGS THAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO AS PART OF OUR CONTRACT, AND SO SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE LIKE AN ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, A MANAGEMENT PLAN, A CHILD WATCH PLAN, CAPACITY BUILDING PLANS, AND SO SOME OF THOSE AND ONE OF THEM AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN JONES I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT OUR VOICE OF LIVED EXPERIENCE IS INCORPORATED IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN, THAT WE ARE HEARING BACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT SENSE, BOTH AT THE YOUTH LEVEL, AT THE PARENT LEVEL, CAREGIVER LEVEL AT ANY POINT.

SO WE VERY MUCH NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT VOICE, AND SO I WANTED TO ASSURE YOU THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN OUR IN OUR WRITTEN PLANS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THAT I ALSO MENTIONED WAS A PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT.

SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF TWOFOLD.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE YOUTH WHO ARE NEW TO HAVING A CHILD WATCH EPISODE WOULD BE IF WHEN THEY REFERRED TO US AS A NEW REFERRAL AND THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND THAT PLACEMENT.

SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HAVE THEM HELP DEVELOP ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.

I THINK DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SIMS SAID EARLIER, LIKE IT'S NOT JUST BUILDING CAPACITY, IT'S BUILDING THE RIGHT CAPACITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN AND THE YOUTH, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL IN BUILDING THAT CAPACITY.

PART OF THAT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THE $300,000 OF CAPACITY BUILDING FUNDS THAT WE WERE AWARDED FROM SOME GRANTS EARLIER FROM DFPS . AS WE START TRANSITIONING OVER, RIGHT, SO WE GO LIVE ON OCTOBER 1ST AND SUBSEQUENTLY WE ALSO START STAGE TWO READINESS AND AS BELONG OUTLINED FOR YOU ALL, THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE OVER ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING ELSE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE CASE MANAGEMENT WHERE THAT PROCESS COMES OVER, AND SO WE'LL ACTUALLY START THAT READINESS PERIOD ON THE SAME DAY AS WE GO LIVE ON OCTOBER 1ST, AND WITH THAT WILL ALSO COME ADDITIONAL PLANS, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE JOINT OPERATIONS MANUAL AND ADDITIONAL PLANS FOR ADDRESSING CHILDREN OR YOUTH WHO MIGHT BE WITHOUT PLACEMENT AT THAT POINT.

WHAT I CAN PUBLICLY DO IS I WANT TO PUBLICLY COMMIT THAT WE WILL WORK WITH DFPS TO HELP SOLVE THOSE THOSE CHILDREN YOUTH WHO DON'T HAVE A PLACEMENT IN STAGE ONE.

WHILE WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THE SUPERVISION COMPONENTS OF IT DUE TO OUR LIMITED STAFF, WE WILL WORK WITH THEM.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE MIGHT BE TIMES WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE FRESH EYES ON CASES AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO COLLABORATING ON YET ANOTHER LEVEL WITH DFPS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY BEEN KEY IS ENGAGEMENT, AND YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT KIND OF IN THREE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, RIGHT?

[02:15:04]

THAT'S ONE THING BELONG POINTED OUT, RIGHT? THERE IS A VERY MUCH REALITY THAT ONE DAY I'M GOING TO GET PAID BY DFPS, THE NEXT DAY I'M PAID BY A NONPROFIT AND THAT'S A VERY BIG DEAL, AND SO WE'VE REALLY CONTINUED TO SEE A LOT OF SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH OUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRETY OF OUR START UP PERIOD.

WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETUPS, WHETHER THEY BE VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON WITH EACH OF THOSE RESPECTIVE GROUPS, AND SO WE'VE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

WE REALLY HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF GOOD ATTENDANCE AT TOWN HALLS.

IT IS ONE WHERE I THINK ONE WE HAVE WITH OUR LEGAL PARTNERS WHERE IT'S KIND OF LIKE A NO HOLDS BARRED, RIGHT? LIKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU GOT, WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE RUMORS THAT YOU'RE HEARING, WHATEVER IT IS, AND SO WE'RE HAVING REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT FOLKS WALK OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS FEELING MORE EASY ABOUT THE TRANSITION TO COMMUNITY BASED CARE THAN WHAT THEY DID WALKING IN.

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US, AND SO ONE OF THE ONES TOO ESPECIALLY WITH OUR PROVIDER NETWORK, WE'VE BEEN REALLY ENGAGING WITH THEM.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE REGULATORY SENSE THAT WE ARE WITH OUR PROVIDER NETWORK, THAT SOMETIMES BUILDING CAPACITY IS CHALLENGING, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO CONTINUE TO COMMIT WITH THEM A STRONG AND CLEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH DFPS AND HHSC, WHERE IF WE'VE GOT QUESTIONS, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO COME HERE, IS BECAUSE I KNOW THE FOLKS WHO WE NEED TO CALL. SO LET'S JUST PICK UP THE PHONE, LET'S CALL, LET'S GET SOME CLARIFICATION, AND SO WE'RE COMMITTING TO THAT WITH OUR PROVIDER NETWORK AS WELL.

OUR AFFECTED STAFF THAT'S REALLY PROBABLY A BIG COMPONENT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IF WE DON'T ALSO HAVE SUCCESSFUL TALENT WITH US, AND SO WE YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN TELLING US THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE EXCITED.

THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO BE A PART OF THAT CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO WHAT WE DO.

YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE TRANSITION HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AS WELL.

IF I'VE NOT MENTIONED THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND HOW GREAT THAT IS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID WAS THEY HELPED US WITH WHAT'S CALLED AN AFFECTED STAFF SURVEY, AND SO THIS IS ONE WHERE THEY REALLY ARE SURVEYING THE STAFF WHO ARE AFFECTED BY COMMUNITY BASED CARE AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, AND SO WE STILL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT THERE'S ABOUT 42% OF THE STAFF WHO ARE JUST UNDECIDED RIGHT? THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE VERY CLOSE TO RETIREMENT AND RESPECTABLY, THEY DON'T WANT TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY PERSON'S WHERE THEY ARE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE, AND SO WE'VE ALSO BEEN CONTINUING TO COMMIT TO STAFF THAT YOU WILL NOT TAKE A PAY CUT JUST TO COME DO THE SAME JOB FOR US, AND IN SOME SENSES WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE BENEFITS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE FORTUNATE ABOUT IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MATCH TO MOST PART THEIR BENEFITS, INCLUDING A FULL PAID INSURANCE, OUR 403B, OUR RETIREMENT IS VERY COMPARABLE AND IN SOME SENSES OUR BENEFITS ARE JUST A HAIR BETTER THAN THE DEPARTMENT'S IN THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE PAY FOR AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE ANNUAL LEAVE THAT THEY GET IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER OF AN ACCRUAL FOR FOR STAFF AND THEN I THINK ALSO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS JUST THE POLICIES AROUND OUR TIME IS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE TIME OFF.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS TIME OFF OR THAT'S JUST THE BIGGEST THING, AND SO WE REALLY HAVE A PRETTY STRICT POLICY ABOUT USE YOUR LEAVE, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILIES, GO TO THE FOOTBALL GAMES, GO TO THE BARBECUES.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

ONE OF OUR ONE OF OUR NEXT BIG THINGS IS THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING LETTERS OF INTENT OUT TO STAFF.

SO AS WE'VE BEEN SPENDING TIME WITH WITH AFFECTED STAFF, WE'VE WE'VE LET THEM KNOW, LIKE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE READY TO GO FOR, LET'S GO AND GET YOU COMMITTED.

BECAUSE THERE'S TIMES WHERE IF I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME ON THAT GO LIVE DATE, I'LL FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT, AND SO WE THINK THAT REALLY ON A TWOFOLD APPROACH THAT ONE, FOLKS WILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER EASE FEELING ABOUT TRANSITIONING, BUT THEN ALSO THAT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MY PEERS, RIGHT? IF I SEE MY PEERS ARE DOING IT AND IT'S SAFE, THEN I'M ALSO LIKELY TO DO IT TOO.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO DID AS PART OF GOING THROUGH THIS WAS THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM OUR PARTNERS IN REGION FIVE, AND SO WE DID SEND OUT OUR REGION FIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

WE DID RECEIVE BACK 104 RESULTS AND IT REALLY WAS A BLEND OF NOT ONLY DFPS STAFF BUT ALSO OUR COURT AND LEGAL PARTNERS, SOME FOLKS FROM OUR CHILD PLACING AGENCY PARTNERS AND ALSO COMMUNITY GROUPS AND MEMBERS.

SO WE DID INCLUDE THAT IN THE SLIDE SHOW THIS MORNING.

I WON'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH ALL THE SLIDES WITH YOU, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE DIVERSITY OF THE GROUP THAT MADE THE RESPONSES UP AND REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHO RESPONDED TO IT, MOST OF THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHIN REGION FIVE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM FOR OVER 16 YEARS. SO THESE AREN'T JUST BRAND NEW FOLKS.

I MEAN, THESE ARE FOLKS WHO HAVE TRULY BEEN INVESTED AND TRULY HAVE A GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.

[02:20:01]

WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING OUR YOUNG ADULTS READY FOR ADULTHOOD, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT DID POP UP WERE HOME BASED MENTAL HEALTH, PSYCHIATRIC SUPPORT AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS OR GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS.

SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED WERE THE TOP ONES AT LEAST, WERE THAT OFTENTIMES SERVICES ARE MET WITH LONG WAIT TIMES, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS A LACK OF FOSTER HOMES, THEN HIGH TURNOVER OF STAFF.

ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW.

WHAT I THINK IS THAT HOPEFULLY THAT'S VALIDATION TO SOME EXTENT THAT THOSE AREN'T JUST I MEAN THAT'S WIDE.

IT'S STATEWIDE. IT'S ALMOST IN EVERY INDUSTRY, BUT FOR US WHEN YOU HEAR FOLKS ESPECIALLY IN THESE CONVERSATIONS SAY THAT IT'S AN ISSUE FOR DFPS, IT'S TRUE, RIGHT? THIS VALIDATES THOSE THINGS THAT EVEN ON A SMALL SCALE, THOSE ARE STILL COMPONENTS TO BE NOTICED.

WE DID ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT STRENGTHS AND CONCERNS IN MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, AND SO THESE WERE THIS WAS JUST WHAT FOLKS WROTE OUT FOR US, AND SO REALLY THE TOP ONES ABOUT STRENGTHS WERE THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS A VERY STRONG WILLINGNESS TO HELP.

THERE IS A LOT OF PREEXISTING COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION.

THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF SERVICES THAT ALREADY EXIST THAT WE GET TO HELP BUILD OUT ON, AND ONE OF THEM WAS ACTUALLY NAMED [INAUDIBLE] TIME WAS THE BURKE CENTER, AND IT WAS, IT WAS NOTED AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE READ EARLIER ABOUT THE CONCERNS IN MEETING THAT ONE WAS THE LACK OF SERVICES, LACK OF PLACEMENTS, ACCEPTING YOUTH TRANSPORTATION AND THEN LONG WAITLISTS.

SO THOSE REPLICATED WHAT WE HAD ALREADY TALKED THROUGH.

WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE INITIAL PROMISE, BUT SO SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH AS WE GO INTO STAGE ONE, THE FIRST ONE IS WITH FIVE POINTS.

SO FIVE POINTS IS OUR CHILD RECORD SYSTEM.

THEY'RE DEVELOPING WHAT'S CALLED CO-BRIEFS, AND A LOT OF THE OTHER SIX USE CO-BRIEFS.

IT IS WHERE WE'LL DO OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH IMPACT, AND ONE OF THE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WAS THE WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS WITH THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION, AND SO THESE WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITERS, WHICH AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THREE THEY'LL HAVE 12 TO 15 ACTIVE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS ON THEIR CASELOAD, SERVING AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 17 CHILDREN ON ANY GIVEN DAY.

THEY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP, AND THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO GROW SO THAT THESE CHILDREN HAVE VERY SPECIFIC ACCESS TO CHILD FOCUSED RECRUITMENT, AND IT DRAMATICALLY INCREASES THEIR CHANCES OF OBTAINING LEGAL PERMANENCY.

THERE'S A REALLY COOL VIDEO.

HAPPY SEND IT TO YOU. IF I PLAYED IT FOR YOU ALL, I WOULD LITERALLY CRY BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD ONE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE JOINED THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION IS BELIEVING IS THAT EVERY CHILD IS ADOPTABLE.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD KIND OF CONTINUOUSLY TODAY AND WE'VE REALLY STRESSED IT EARLIER, IS THAT INNOVATION, RIGHT, HAS TO BE OUR KEY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT IF WE KEEP DOING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

SO OUR INNOVATIONS THAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, RIGHT, IS THAT CAPACITY BUILDING, AND THAT'S THE EMERGENCY FOSTER CARE, KINSHIP SUPPORT SERVICES, SPECIALIZED RESIDENTIAL CARE, IN-HOME FAMILY SUPPORTS AND TREATMENT, FOSTER CARE PART OF OUR PLANS FOR CHILD WATCH AND WE'VE NOT REALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING THROUGH IT INTENTLY THIS MORNING BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS STILL OF FINALIZING THOSE.

SO I DON'T WANT TO REVEAL ALL THE CARDS YET, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE EXISTING NETWORK THAT'S THERE TO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO HOLD SPECIFIC BEDS SO THAT WE HAVE SOMEPLACE SAFE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH TO GO TO.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT AS WE'VE BEEN VISITING WITH THE CPAS IN THE AREA WE SEE LIKE, OH, MISS SMITH OR OH, MISS JONES OR THESE VERY STRONG FOSTER PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, AND SO WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS PARTNER THEM ON WHAT WOULD BE AN EMERGENCY FOSTER CARE SITUATION, AND THAT'S WHERE THESE VERY HIGHLY SKILLED FOSTER PARENTS CAN HANDLE THESE HIGH ACUTE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, AND SO IT JUST OPENS THE DOOR FOR MORE OPTIONS AND SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO BUILD IT OUT, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS TREATMENT FOSTER CARE IS ANOTHER WAY THAT I THINK WE CAN REALLY WORK TO SOLVE AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WITH CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT.

YOU KNOW WHAT THIS TREATMENT FOSTER CARE IS REALLY GOOD AT IS IT BETTER PREPARES OUR CAREGIVERS TO HANDLE THESE HIGH COMPLEX NEEDS, AND I THINK WHAT'S EVEN SWEETER ABOUT IT IS THAT IT CAN BE TAILORED TO KINSHIP CAREGIVERS, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO RUN TOO MUCH INTO IT, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK SUZANNE TO COME BACK UP AND HELP US.

WE DID BRING WITH US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TREATMENT FOSTER CARE MODEL, AND THIS WOULD BE ONE WHERE WE'LL PROBABLY COMMIT TO IF WE NEED TO SPEND SOME MORE TIME INDIVIDUALLY. WE CERTAINLY CAN.

[02:25:01]

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT AND ENGAGE OUR PARTNERS IN THIS PROCESS.

PART OF OUR ROLE AS KIND OF THE PARENT COMPANY TO TEXAS FAMILY CARE NETWORK IS TO HELP FIND RESOURCES, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH GRANTS OR FOUNDATIONS OR OTHER CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THAT AND TO BRING IN INNOVATIVE PROGRAMING, AND SO WHAT ROCKY MENTIONED IS THIS TREATMENT.

PRESSLEY RIDGE'S ACTUAL TREATMENT, FOSTER CARE PRE-SERVICE TRAINING, AND I'M JUST GOING TO DO TWO SLIDES SO YOU CAN READ THE REST OF THIS FOR YOURSELF, BUT THE IMPORTANT ONES IS THAT THIS IS AN EVIDENCE BASED PRE-SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM AND IT'S THE FIRST ONE, AND IN MAY 2020, THE CALIFORNIA EVIDENCE-BASED CLEARINGHOUSE RATED US IN THE AREAS OF RESOURCE, PARENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, AND SO THE RESULTS OF THAT WERE THAT IF PARENTS RECEIVE THIS CURRICULUM, THEY ARE MORE SKILLED TO WORK WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE HIGHER NEEDS, HIGHER ACUITY, AND THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY A PARENT EVEN WHEN THE TRAUMA THAT WE KNOW THAT THE KIDS HAVE EXPERIENCED SHOWS ITSELF IN THE FORM OF REALLY CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS, AND SO WE'VE DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH AROUND THIS. IT TAKES IT TOOK 11 YEARS TO GET THIS THING EVIDENCE BASED.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY PRESENT YOUR DATA ON WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH YOUR OWN PARENTS, BUT COMPARE IT OUT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

SO WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS IN OTHER STATES COMPARING OUR TRAINING TO OTHERS THAT RESULTED IN THIS.

IT IS USED BY OVER 200 ORGANIZATIONS.

WE DO A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL, AND WE TRAIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

WE HAVE DONE IT IN 35 STATES, CANADA, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GUAM.

IT IS THE MANDATED STATEWIDE TRAINING IN COLORADO AND ALASKA.

IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE TREATMENT, FOSTER CARE.

THE STATE HAS MANDATED THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE A PROVIDER OF THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE TRAINED IN PRESSLEY RIDGE'S CURRICULUM, AND IT'S LISTED AS AN APPROVED TRAINING PRACTICE IN NORTH CAROLINA AND CALIFORNIA, AND SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THAT, AND EVEN HERE IN TEXAS, THERE ARE PROBABLY SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS THAT USE THIS CURRICULUM.

SO IT'S ONE OF THE INNOVATIONS THAT WE HOPE TO BRING IN.

IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THAT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO CREATIVELY TO HELP SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE REST OF THIS, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO WRAP US UP SO WE CAN END THIS, BUT THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.

ABSOLUTELY, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED THIS.

ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZE AND IT GOES BACK TO DR.

JOYCE JAMES'S MODELS, RIGHT, IS THAT NOT EVERYBODY CAN LOOK LIKE ME AND HAVE A SOLID TEAM AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO SEE IS IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEM, JUST PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY NAME THAT YOU SEE ON THE LIST COMES WITH THEY'RE VERY MUCH EXPERTS IN THEIR INDUSTRY AND IN THEIR FIELD. THEY DON'T ALL COME FROM DFPS.

SOME DO, BUT SOME DON'T, AND THAT WAS VERY INTENTIONAL.

SO WITH THAT, I ALSO WANTED TO LEAVE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THIS MORNING, BUT ALSO SHERRY PULLIAM IS OUR SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN MY EMAIL IS ALSO THERE AS WELL.

I HAVE A QUESTION COMMENT.

SO I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO SEE PRESSLEY RIDGE HAVING THIS PRESENCE IN TEXAS.

SO 35 YEARS AGO I CAME TO TEXAS AND BEFORE THAT I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND TRAINING FOR PRESSLEY RIDGE.

SO, GOSH, THIS IS KIND OF A DEJA VU.

SO A COUPLE OF THINGS IS THE EMPHASIS ON THE DATA AND THE QUALITY AND THE OUTCOMES, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY.

THE TRAINING OF THE FOSTER PARENTS, THE EXCELLENCE IN THE PROGRAMS. I MEAN, DURING MY TIME THERE, WE DID THE FIRST EVALUATION OF TREATMENT FOSTER CARE COMPARED TO RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS. SO BASICALLY TRACKED 500 KIDS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.

WE DEVELOPED A RESTRICTIVENESS OF LIVING ENVIRONMENT SCALE, BUT I THINK WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT PRESSLEY RIDGE IS THE VALUES AND ONE OF THEM WAS IN THIS: WE DON'T GIVE UP ON KIDS AND TEACHING IS FUN.

SO I'M DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU HERE AND I'M SURE I'LL BE REACHING OUT.

THANK YOU. WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET THE MODEL EVIDENCE BASED, SO LOTS MORE WORK, BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.

[02:30:05]

[CHUCKLING] I THINK THAT WAS INTENTIONAL TO THROW ME OFF MY GAME, BUT I THINK FROM BOTH OF THE PRESENTATIONS, WHAT YOU CAN REALLY SEE AS WE MOVE THE STATE TO THIS COMMUNITY BASED CARE MODEL IS THAT THERE IS A LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY AND INTEGRATION WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THAT JUST CANNOT BE DONE AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL.

SO IT'S SORT OF THE MAGIC OF THE COMMUNITY BASED CARE MODEL, AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THE ENTITIES FOR COMING IN TODAY AND SHARING HOW THEY'RE APPROACHING THAT IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES.

I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.

SO I WAS WONDERING, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT ADOPTION AND I WAS WONDERING, WILL THE HEART GALLERY GO AWAY OR WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH THE WEBSITE IN REGARDS TO ADOPTION? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SURE. SHORT ANSWER, NO.

THEY WILL NOT BE GOING AWAY VERY MUCH.

GOING TO STILL BE A PART OF OUR OF OUR RESOURCES.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU, RANDY.

THANK BOTH OF YOU. APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING DOWN.

OKAY. OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS RACHEL DUER.

SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND I'M GOING TO JUMP IN RIGHT BEFORE RACHEL STARTS HER PRESENTATION.

JUST BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHARE.

RACHEL AND HER TEAM ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND WORKING IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH YOU ALL LIVE, AND SO I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT THERE WAS THIS CONNECTION SO THAT YOU COULD SEE AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN LOCAL EVENTS, AND SO THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH EACH OF YOU ALL TO, TO HELP STRENGTHEN THAT CONNECTION, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE THINGS YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF AND THERE MIGHT BE THINGS WE'RE NOT AWARE OF THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF.

SO THANK YOU, RACHEL.

MUCH BETTER.

THANK YOU. YES, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.

I AM THE DIRECTOR OF FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND WE DO HAVE A STAFF OF ABOUT 65 AROUND THE STATE WHOSE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PARTNER WITH OUR FAITH AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAM STAFF AND TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES AND CLIENTS THAT WE SERVE.

SO WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS, THROUGH PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND THROUGH WORKING IN OUR RESOURCE ROOMS. YOU MIGHT KNOW THEM AS RAINBOW ROOMS OR SILVER STAR ROOMS, AND THEN WE AGAIN, JUST MAKE SURE THAT THOSE COLLABORATIONS ARE WORKING SO THAT NOT ONLY WE ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THEN WE ARE ALSO GETTING SERVICES FROM THE PUBLIC TO HELP WITH OUR CLIENTS.

SO THAT IS THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE DIVISION, AND THEN IN WHAT YOU ALL SHARED WITH US THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFICIALLY INVITE YOU AND WELCOME YOU TO MANY OF THESE EVENTS THAT I KNOW ARE IN YOUR BINDER.

I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY TEAMS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LIST OF EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR LOCAL LEVEL.

WHILE WE DO HAVE THOSE STATEWIDE CONFERENCES, SUCH AS THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE, THE APS AND THE PIP, AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORK IS HAPPENING IN THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND SO YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HAVE SOME AWARENESS MONTH EVENTS THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THOSE EVENTS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN APRIL AROUND CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH AND THEN ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES AROUND OUR ADULT POPULATION.

SO OLDER AMERICANS MONTH AND OF COURSE, COMING UP IN OCTOBER IS FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION MONTH, AND ACTUALLY, WE JUST CONNECTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HACKETT THIS WEEK.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE REPRESENTATION AT HER EVENT THAT SHE IS PLANNING.

SO I WELCOME IF THERE'S AN EVENT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAN OR PARTICIPATE IN IN YOUR COMMUNITY TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO US SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INVITATION.

I KNOW I BELIEVE CHERYL WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU DO ATTEND THESE EVENTS SO THAT WE CAN, OF COURSE, BE PREPARED AND HAVE AND HAVE

[02:35:03]

WE HAVE STAFF THAT SUPPORT, AGAIN, BOTH INVESTIGATIONS AND CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

SO THEY'RE LISTED HERE, THOSE ADMINISTRATORS AROUND THE STATE, AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU IF YOU WANT TO COME IN TO OUR OFFICE AND VISIT A RAINBOW ROOM OR VISIT A SILVER STAR ROOM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN EL PASO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE OF OUR RAINBOW ROOM T HAT'S COMING UP, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE LIST OF EVENTS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A REFURBISHING OF ONE OF OUR RAINBOW ROOMS THAT A GIRL SCOUT TROOP IS DOING.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER EVENT THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ATTEND JUST TO SEE HOW WE WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL, IT WAS VERY BRIEF AND TO THE POINT, BUT WE WILL BE SHARING AS WE GET INTO DECEMBER. THAT'S A BIG TIME FOR US, OBVIOUSLY FOR HOLIDAYS, FOR OUR YOUTH AND OUR FAMILIES.

THERE WILL BE EVENTS THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

THEY'RE JUST NOT QUITE FLESHED OUT YET.

SO WE WILL BE SHARING UPDATES WITH YOU AHEAD OF THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, AND THEN I THINK THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PART OF THIS IS THAT WE WILL BE SHARING THESE EVENTS WITH YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE WITH US.

ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING, AND DO KEEP US UP TO DATE.

WE WILL. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC TESTIMONY, WHERE WE WELCOME

[V. Public Comment]

WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC AND WE VALUE YOUR INPUT.

PLEASE KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL COMMISSIONER MUTH, VICKY, OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, ARE UNABLE TO COMMENT OR RESPOND TO STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS DURING THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH US.

IF YOU PLAN TO TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC CASE AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS CALL.

PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE REGISTRATION TABLE.

WE OBSERVE A TWO MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS.

OUR TIMEKEEPER WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME FOR YOU AND INDICATE WHEN YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT BY A FLASHING YELLOW LIGHT ON THE PODIUM.

WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, THE RED LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE TIMER WILL BEEP.

PLEASE, RESPECTFULLY STOP SPEAKING THEN.

IF NOT, I CAN GAVEL YOU.

THIS FEELS VERY COMFORTABLE IN MY HAND FOR A REASON ANYWAY.

PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND THE AGENDA ITEM ON WHICH YOU WILL BE PRESENTING.

NOW LET'S GET STARTED AND I'LL GET MY LIST, AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER IS MANDY GILES.

OH, THANK YOU. SPECIFICALLY, THE PARTNERS IN PREVENTION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY THE PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF DFPS.

THE PEI PROGRAM FOCUSES ON PREVENTING BAD OUTCOMES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.

HOWEVER, DSPS HAS CHOSEN TO FOLLOW GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S NON-BINDING DIRECTIVE BASED ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S NON-BINDING LEGAL OPINION TO INVESTIGATE FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE LIFE SAVING HEALTH CARE TO THEIR TRANSGENDER CHILDREN, BUT SUPPORTING TRANSGENDER CHILDREN THROUGH MEDICALLY NECESSARY HEALTH CARE IS PREVENTING BAD OUTCOMES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN BECAUSE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL TREATMENT, WHICH IS ENDORSED BY EVERY MAJOR MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR TRANSGENDER KIDS AND DECREASES THE RATES OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE, AND THAT IS PREVENTING BAD OUTCOMES.

SO I WONDER WHERE THE SUBJECT OF TEXAS USING TRANS KIDS AS POLITICAL PAWNS FITS INTO THE CONFERENCE AGENDA? WILL PEI BE ADDRESSING THAT FACT THAT DFPS IS CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS POLITICALLY DRIVEN, INCREDIBLY CRUEL DIRECTIVE WILL BE

[02:40:03]

WILL THE FACT THAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN ARE STILL HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES BEING TORN APART BE INCLUDED IN THE SAFE SLEEP PRACTICES WORKSHOP? OR MAYBE WHY ARE WE INVESTIGATING? THESE LOVING FAMILIES WILL BE A TABLE TOPIC AT THE NETWORKING LUNCHEON.

SHAME ON DFPS AND ITS HYPOCRISY.

PLEASE DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S DIRECTIVE TO INVESTIGATE FAMILIES OF TRANSGENDER KIDS.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SOFIA SEPULVEDA.

GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.

MY NAME IS SOFIA WITH EQUALITY TEXAS I'M THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY MANAGER, AND TODAY I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM 2/C SPECIFICALLY THE PARTNERS IN PREVENTION CONFERENCE BEING HELD HERE IN AUSTIN IN NOVEMBER 14TH THROUGH THE 16TH.

EQUALITY TEXAS HAS SIGNED UP TO BE AN EXHIBITOR AT THAT CONFERENCE.

AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN COMING HERE EVERY MEETING TO PROVIDE YOU INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THAT ARE VALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY AND PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS.

OUR RESOURCES WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SB 14 BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT WE SPEAK UP ON THE RIGHTS THAT CURRENTLY PARENTS HAVE PER TEXAS LAW.

AS YOU KNOW, SB 14 PENALIZES PROVIDERS WITH FINES AND STRIPPING THEIR LICENSE AWAY.

THIS LAW DOES NOT TARGET PARENTS, AND IN FACT, THE TEXAS COURT HAS ASKED THE DFPS TO STOP INVESTIGATING FAMILIES OF GRANDCHILDREN AND CALL FOR THOSE INVESTIGATIONS TO STOP.

YET WE CONTINUE HEARING FROM FAMILIES TARGETED BY YOU ALL.

[INAUDIBLE] DOES NOT DO IS TARGET OR PENALIZE PARENTS, AND YET YOU CONTINUE TO DO SO.

LOVING OUR CHILDREN IS NOT A CRIME.

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN BY ENSURING THAT THEY THRIVE AS WHO THEY ARE AND NOT WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE IS NOT A CRIME.

I KNEW MY TRUTH SINCE I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, AND BECAUSE OF THAT I WAS TRULY PHYSICALLY ABUSED AND BULLIED.

YET ANOTHER FORM OF ABUSE, WHICH YOU ALL ARE DOING.

THEREFORE, WE BELIEVE WE CAN BE A GREAT RESOURCE INFORMATION IN THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE.

WE NEED TO LEAD WITH THE LAW, NOT WITH OUR FEELINGS.

THE LAW SAYS LEAVE THE PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS ALONE.

THANK YOU. CHLOE GOODMAN IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.

HI THERE. GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS CHLOE GOODMAN.

I'M CONSTITUENT SERVICES MANAGER WITH EQUALITY TEXAS, AND I'M ALSO AN LMSW, AND I'M HERE FOR AGENDA ITEM 2/C BECAUSE EQUALITY TEXAS, LIKE SOPHIA MENTIONED, HAS SIGNED UP TO BE AN EXHIBITOR AT THE PARTNERS IN PREVENTION CONFERENCE.

WE HAVE OFFERED OURSELVES AS A RESOURCE FOR DFPS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, ACTUALLY OVER HALF A YEAR NOW, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD STILL BE A USEFUL RESOURCE.

FOR EXAMPLE, I'D LIKE TO OFFER ANALYSIS OF ONE LAW THAT JUST WENT INTO EFFECT ON THE FIRST OF THIS MONTH.

THAT WAS HB 63, WHICH WAS PRESENTED BY REPRESENTATIVE SWANSON, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH ANONYMOUS REPORTS OF ABUSE BECAUSE IN 2022 ALONE, THERE WERE OVER 12,000 ANONYMOUS REPORTS, WHICH ONLY RESULTED IN 1000 CASES OF SUBSTANTIATED FINDINGS OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT. OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS AT THE TIME ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PEOPLE WEAPONIZE THESE ANONYMOUS REPORTS, AND I'VE SEEN A REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE WEAPONIZED AGAINST QUEER AND TRANS PARENTS, AND IT IS A HORRIBLE AND TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE BUT I WANT TO DRAW THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO ITS CURRENT PREDICAMENT.

THE PROVISION OF LIFESAVING MEDICAL CARE, EVEN FOR TRANS KIDS, IS NOT CLASSIFIED AS CHILD ABUSE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND SO DESPITE THE OPINIONS OF OUR GOVERNOR AND NOW IMPEACHED ATTORNEY GENERAL, IT IS NOT ABUSE LEGALLY.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THIS BODY WILL HANDLE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE WHEN THEY'RE ONLY BASED ON THE PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TRANS KIDS TO EXIST WILL SEE THIS BODY SILENCE AS AN INVITATION TO CONTINUE MAKING FALSE ACCUSATIONS, AND THIS BODY CONTINUES OPENING INVESTIGATIONS BASED ON THESE ALLEGATIONS. SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO REEVALUATE DFPS'S POLICY ON THIS MATTER AND HAVING A POLICY WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START.

THANK YOU. ETHAN [INAUDIBLE].

[02:45:15]

MY NAME IS ETHAN, [INAUDIBLE], AND I'M FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND I'M GOING TO COMMENT ON 3/A.

SO FIRST OF ALL, COMMISSIONER JONES, I WAS VERY TOUCHED BY THE THINGS YOU HAD TO SAY.

I THINK THAT WAS REALLY GREAT.

I TOO BELIEVE IN LIVED EXPERIENCES AND HOW THEY AFFECT HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO UNDERSTAND LISTEN TO. I ALSO HEARD YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT TRAUMA, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THAT.

I'M A TRANS PERSON.

I'M A TRANS ADULT, BUT I WAS A CHILD ONCE.

I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE THINGS THE CHILDREN NOWADAYS DID HAVE ACCESS TO UNTIL RECENTLY BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAUMA.

EVEN AS AN ADULT, AS A TRANS ADULT, THE STATE FILED 140 BILLS AGAINST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY THIS YEAR.

140 BILLS.

IT'S VERY TRAUMATIC AS AN ADULT EVEN TO KNOW THAT THE RHETORIC AND THE GOVERNMENT IS TARGETING US.

NOW IMAGINE BEING A CHILD OR A CHILD THAT IS AFRAID TO BE TAKEN FROM THEIR PARENTS OR A FAMILY THAT HAS CHILDREN THAT DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEIR CHILDREN, AND BEING TRAUMATIZED EVERY DAY BASED ON THE GOVERNMENT TARGETING YOU, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO THESE LIVED EXPERIENCES AND WE CONSIDER THEM BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE TRANS.

NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE QUEER, AND WE NEED TO LEAD OUR IDEAS OF HOW WE ADDRESS THESE THINGS THROUGH HEARING PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCES AND UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE.

BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE AND MORE AND MORE TRAUMA ON THESE CHILDREN.

YOU CANNOT FORCE A CHILD TO BE SOMETHING IT IS NOT.

WE ARE WHAT WE ARE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

BRAD PRITCHETT.

HOW ABOUT NOW? THERE WE GO.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS BRAD PRITCHETT.

I'M THE FIELD DIRECTOR AT EQUALITY TEXAS, AND I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM TO SEE THE PARTNERS IN PREVENTION CONFERENCE BEING HELD IN AUSTIN.

AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, WE ARE SIGNED UP AS AN EXHIBITOR AT THAT CONFERENCE AND WE WANTED TO PREVIEW SOME OF THE RESOURCES WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AVAILABLE AT THAT CONFERENCE.

SO WE'VE BEEN SHOWING UP HERE AT DFPS MEETINGS SINCE 2022 AND THE HOPES THAT THE AGENCY WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR HOW YOU CAN INTERACT WITH THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. THE REASON WE'VE SIGNED UP TO BE AN EXHIBITOR IS BECAUSE DFPS HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO INVESTIGATE FAMILIES WITH TRANSGENDER CHILDREN WHO'VE DONE NOTHING BUT PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN WITH HEALTH CARE THAT'S MEDICALLY NECESSARY AND CONSISTENT WITH STANDARDS THAT ARE APPLIED BY EVERY MAJOR MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IN THE COUNTRY.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE'VE DEVELOPED A WEBSITE CALLED TRANSKIDS.ORG, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RESOURCES WE'LL BE HIGHLIGHTING AT THE CONFERENCE.

TRANSKIDS.ORG HAS SOME ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR CASEWORKERS WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY DFPS, FOR EXAMPLE IT HIGHLIGHTS THAT THERE'S CURRENTLY A COURT ORDER IN PLACE PROTECTING P-FLAG MEMBERS ACROSS TEXAS FROM DFPS INVESTIGATIONS INTO HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH.

SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF CASEWORKERS ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW.

WE HAVE ONE FAMILY THAT WE WORK WITH WHO HAD MORE THAN 20 ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CHILD WHO'S TRANSGENDER, AND THE FIRST QUESTION THEIR CASEWORKER ASKED WAS ABOUT HEALTH CARE FOR THEIR TRANS CHILD, WHICH THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO DO, AND SUDDENLY THOSE 20 COMPLAINTS WERE ALL FOUND TO BE UNWARRANTED AND PROBABLY TOOK DFPS AWAY FROM CASES THAT ACTUALLY DESERVED SOME REALLY IMPORTANT ATTENTION BECAUSE THAT ONE DID NOT.

ANOTHER RESOURCE WE WANT TO UNVEIL AT THE CONFERENCE IS A REPORT THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THAT DETAILS THE NUMBER OF HOURS, THE AMOUNT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT DFPS HAS INVESTED IN INVESTIGATING THESE FAMILIES WITH TRANSGENDER KIDS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE IMPACT ON THOSE FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY AS A RESULT.

SO EQUALITY TEXAS CONTINUES TO BE A RESOURCE TO THIS AGENCY, AND WILL CONTINUE SHOWING UP IN AS MANY SPACES AS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SPEAK OUT FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN TARGETED BY DFPS WRONGFULLY.

THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.

PEOPLE THAT HAD SIGNED UP.

ONE MORE. DID I GET ANOTHER SHEET? HERE'S THE TOTALITY.

[02:50:10]

MY BAD.

I MISSED IT.

MEGAN FAIRBANKS.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE HELLUMS AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON REMARKS MADE DURING AGENDA ITEM 3A.

COUNCIL MEMBER JONES MENTIONED LIVED EXPERIENCE.

I HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE THIS COUNCIL BEFORE ABOUT MY OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE AS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN AND I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE COUNCIL OF THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES THAT TRANSITION HAS BROUGHT ME AND THAT I WANT THESE SAME POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR TRANS YOUTH THAT COME BEHIND ME.

JUDGE HELMS I'VE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE HEARD YOU MENTION TRAUMA WHILE SPEAKING TODAY DURING THIS ITEM AND OTHERS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO IMAGINE THE TRAUMA OF BEING THE PARENT OF A TRANS CHILD OR THE TRAUMA OF THAT CHILD LIVING IN FEAR OF A GOVERNMENT THAT WANTS TO COME AFTER THEM FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY EVERY MAJOR MEDICAL ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.

FEAR TO THE POINT THAT MOVING AWAY FROM THIS STATE SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY OPTION.

JUDGE, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT FROM SECTION 551.007 OF THE ACT.

THE ACT PERMITS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC OR A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY TO RAISE A SUBJECT THAT HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN A NOTICE FOR THE MEETING.

I, AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT CHILD INVESTIGATION, CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS BE RETURNED TO THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE MEETINGS. SECTION 551.007 ALSO PROVIDES THAT A GOVERNMENTAL BODY MAY NOT PROHIBIT PUBLIC CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY, INCLUDING CRITICISM OF ANY ACT, OMISSION, POLICY PROCEDURE, PROGRAM OR SERVICE.

BUILDING OFF OF THAT SAME AGENDA, ITEM 3/A, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IN MY OPINION, I FEEL LIKE THE REMOVAL OF CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS FROM THE AGENDA VIOLATES THIS PROVISION OF THE ACT AND IS AN ATTEMPT TO SILENCE THE VOICES OF A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY, NAMELY THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.

I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE OF US THAT HAVE SHOWN UP TODAY AND REPEATEDLY IN THE PAST WOULD SERVE AS A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR OWN DETERMINATION AND STRENGTH, AND THAT SAME DETERMINATION AND IT IS THAT SAME DETERMINATION AND STRENGTH THAT WE WANT TO INSTILL IN TRANSGENDER YOUTH.

THANK YOU.

NOW WE HAVE COMPLETED THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

I'M SO SORRY, AND WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN THE MEETING UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.