Jun 13, 2025 DFPS Council Meeting

[00:00:04]

CAN YOU HEAR ME? GREAT. WELL. GOOD MORNING. I'M DOCTOR ALMEIDA, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE JUNE 13TH,

[I. ORGANIZATIONAL ITEMS]

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE HERE IN PERSON AND ALSO WATCHING ONLINE.

ALSO, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBER, TIMOTHY BELL-SMITH, TO THE COUNCIL.

TIMOTHY COMPLETED HIS TRAINING AND WILL JOIN US AS AN ACTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND NOW WE'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER SO THAT EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.

OH, AND I'M SORRY. CAN YOU TELL YOUR NAME AND WHAT CITY YOU'RE FROM? GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I AM LISA HACKETT, AND I AM FROM HUNTSVILLE, WALKER COUNTY.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TIMOTHY BELL-SMITH. I AM FROM AUSTIN, AND I WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.

AND GOOD MORNING. I'M DOCTOR ALMEIDA AND I'M FROM FORT BEND COUNTY.

GOOD MORNING. I AM JUDGE CATRINA GRIFFITH AND I'M FROM HARRIS COUNTY.

AND GOOD MORNING, I'M MICHAEL BARTON. I'M ALSO FROM FORT BEND COUNTY. THANK YOU.

ALSO, UP HERE WE HAVE AUDREY O'NEILL, WHO'S THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PROGRAMS, WHO'S FILLING IN FOR COMMISSIONER MUTH AND VICKI [INAUDIBLE]. WHO IS THE GENERAL COUNSEL. I AM SO GLAD THAT I FINALLY GOT TO PRONOUNCE THAT SEMI CORRECTLY.

SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. SO TODAY WE DO HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PRESENT.

SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO START WITH OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY REVIEWING AND ACCEPTING THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 14TH MEETING, WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES, PLEASE? I'LL MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES. AND DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU. EVERYONE AGREES WITH THAT.

GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THE MINUTES ARE ACCEPTED FROM THE MARCH 14TH MEETING.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF UPDATES IN TERMS OF OUR NEXT MEETINGS FOR AS YOU KNOW, WE MEET QUARTERLY,

[II. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS]

OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025, AND THEN THE LAST MEETING FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR WILL BE DECEMBER 12TH, 2025. SO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO NOMINATE AND ELECT A COUNCIL VICE CHAIR. SO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE YOU CAN ALSO NOMINATE YOURSELF.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A VICE CHAIR FOR THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.

YES. I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DOCTOR JUDGE KATRINA.

OKAY. VICE CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT AS WELL.

DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS. OKAY. OKAY.

WELL, WE NEED TO CALL IT FOR A VOTE ALSO, SO I ALWAYS FORGET ABOUT THE VOTING.

SO, THERE'S BEEN A NOMINATION FOR JUDGE KATRINA GRIFFITH TO AS VICE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL AND AS WELL AS A SECOND. AND CAN WE HAVE A VOTE ON THAT? ALL IN AGREEMENT? SAY AYE. AYE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL, WELCOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. SO MOVING RIGHT ALONG.

WE HAVE REPORTS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON IN THEIR COMMUNITIES,

[III. COUNCIL ACTIONS/INITIATIVES]

SO WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE FELLOW MEMBERS ON THEIR ACTIVITIES SINCE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETINGS.

AND WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING? WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE OUR LAST MEETING IN MARCH?

[00:05:02]

I, I SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN WALKER COUNTY.

OF COURSE, WORKING WITH APS HERE, I KNOW A LOT OF FOCUS IS PLACED ON CPS.

I REALLY, TRULY FOCUS ON APS AND I'M ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER KAZ AND WORK ON A FEW THINGS, AND IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL. SO WE'VE BEEN WE HAD AN EDUCATION, HEALTH AND EDUCATION FAIR IN WALKER COUNTY, AND APS WAS ABLE TO COME OUT THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, AND THEY PROVIDED SOME AMAZING INFORMATION, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL FOR OUR SENIORS. I SPOKE WITH KIDS ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING ON LIFE PLANNING FOR SENIORS.

BUT BEYOND THAT WE HAVE STARTED A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH ADULT CHILDREN FOR THEIR AGING PARENTS. SO, GIVE THEM TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR AGING PARENTS, TO HELP THEM WITH DECISIONS INSTEAD OF JUST BARGING IN, TAKING OVER, OR NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO AT ALL.

AND WE'RE CALLING THAT CONNECTING WITH CARE. SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK IN WALKER COUNTY.

WE STILL HAVE OUR YOGA FOR VETERANS AND SENIORS, WHICH IS SO VERY POSITIVE.

AND I LIKE TO SAY WHAT IT'S DOING IS JUST IMPROVING LIVES.

HI, EVERYONE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS I RUN SOMETHING CALLED THE SPARK PROGRAM.

AND IN A WORLD IN CHILD WELFARE WITH THE WORLD OF ACRONYMS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT'S NOT AN ACRONYM.

IT DOESN'T. IT'S JUST THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM.

AND WHAT WE DO THERE IS WE OVERSEE YOUNG PEOPLE'S TRANSITION FROM FOSTER CARE TO A COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M SO PROUD OF THIS PAST SEMESTER IS THAT WE HAD FOUR STUDENTS GRADUATE, AND SO FOUR STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM OUR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

AND THEY'RE GOING ON TO SOME REALLY COOL THINGS. THEY'RE GOING ON TO LAW SCHOOL, THEY'RE GOING ON TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.

AND ANOTHER ONE IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THEIR ART DEGREE.

SO A WIDE VARIETY OF OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY RIGHT NOW.

SO KUDOS TO THEM FOR FOR DOING WHAT THEY'VE DONE.

BUT SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES WE'VE BEEN UNDERTAKING AT UT AUSTIN, INCLUDING INCLUDE THINGS LIKE MODIFYING AND STREAMLINING THE PROCESS TO IDENTIFY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE LEAVING CARE AND COMING INTO UNIVERSITY CAN INDICATE BY SELF-DISCLOSURE IF THEY WANT THAT THEY WERE IN FOSTER CARE SO WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM EARLY ON.

AND SO WE HAVE FOUR STUDENTS WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO ME SO FAR BASED ON THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE.

SO, FOUR GRADUATED, FOUR COMING IN NEXT SEMESTER, WE'RE ANTICIPATING HAVING ABOUT 38 PEOPLE THAT WERE IN FOSTER CARE AT UT AUSTIN.

AND SO REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THERE OFFERING THEM NEW FINANCIAL AID PACKAGES, ROOM AND BOARD HOUSING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. IN ADDITION TO THESE ACTIVITIES, WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE STATE YOUTH CONFERENCES.

LAST WEEK WE HAD ABOUT 25 TEENAGERS OR SO AT UT AUSTIN FROM THE REGION SEVEN AREA THAT PARTICIPATED IN COLLEGE PROGRAMING.

THEY STAYED IN THE DORMS. THEY GOT TO VISIT THE FOOTBALL STADIUM.

THEY GOT TO LEARN ABOUT PROGRAMING THAT'S DESIGNATED TO OR DESIGNED TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COLLEGE ENROLLMENT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE AND HOW TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE.

AND THEY GOT TO HEAR FROM THE STUDENTS THAT WERE GRADUATING OR WHO HAD GRADUATED ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND SO THEN WE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE HAVE OUR STATEWIDE CONFERENCE.

I ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO ATTEND. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

YOU CAN HEAR FROM THESE GREAT STUDENTS. AND IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO SEE THEM SUCCEED.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN TAKING UP ALL MY TIME. BUT I'M VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING IN FORT BEND COUNTY AND ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS.

AND SO THIS WAS ACTUALLY HELD IN ARIZONA IN APRIL.

AND SO IT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING FOR ME TO REALLY LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S BEING DONE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND IN TERMS OF WORKING TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF HAVING A PARENT THAT'S INCARCERATED IN THAT LOSS OF CONTACT.

SO IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING, OF COURSE, TO KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS ARE INCARCERATED AND HOW TO LOOK AT MAINTAINING THAT CONTACT IN A SAFE AND APPROPRIATE MANNER.

AND THEN ALSO SUPPORTING THAT REUNIFICATION. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY HAS THAT REALLY BECOME A PRIORITY FOR US IS HOW

[00:10:07]

WE HAVE THE AUNT AND UNCLE IN THE STRUGGLES OF THOSE FAMILIES IN TERMS OF JUST MAINTAINING SOME STABILITY, THE ADDRESSING THE BASIC NEEDS OF THESE CHILDREN IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT.

SO DON'T HAVE MANY ANSWERS. BUT DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT FIRST OF ALL, THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE IMPACTED BY PARENTAL INCARCERATION AND ALSO THEN THE SIGNIFICANT STRESSORS THAT ARE BEING FACED BY THE CAREGIVERS TAKING CARE OF THOSE CHILDREN.

WELL, IN MY COURT SINCE THE LAST MEETING WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS.

I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT TWO OF THE BIG PROJECTS WE'VE DONE.

ONE WAS OUR MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU ADOPTION DAY.

WE HELD THAT ON MAY 2ND, FULL ON STAR WARS THEME, INCLUDING COSPLAY BEING THERE.

WE HAD FOUR JUDGES THAT PARTICIPATED. WE DID THE ADOPTIONS IN TWO DIFFERENT COURTROOMS. WE DID 26 ADOPTIONS WITH 36 CHILDREN BEING ADOPTED AND EXITING CARE ON THAT FUN DAY.

AND THEN JUST THIS LAST FRIDAY, WE HAD OUR MASSIVE GRADUATION CELEBRATION BETWEEN MY COURT, THE CHILD PROTECTION COURT AND THE GULF COAST CHILDREN'S COURT.

WE HAD 39 GRADUATES BETWEEN OUR TWO COURTS, AND THESE ARE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.

WE HAD ONE GRADUATE WITH BACHELORS OF ARTS, AND WE HAD TWO THAT COMPLETED THEIR TRADES PROGRAM TO BE AUTO MECHANIC TECHNICIANS.

WE CELEBRATE ANYBODY FROM WHATEVER THEY DO. WE HAD ABOUT 30 PARTICIPANTS THAT CAME THROUGH THAT CELEBRATION.

I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH CHRISTINA RECTOR AT THE.

SHE'S A HOUSTON DIRECTOR FOR APS AND GO OVER THE TERRIFIC PROGRESS THAT APS HAS DONE ON FINANCIAL ELDERLY FRAUD, INCLUDING GETTING SOME OF THEIR ANALYSTS CFE CERTIFIED.

SO THEY'RE MAKING REALLY GREAT PROGRESS. WE TALKED ABOUT SOME UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

AND I WAS VOLUNTEERED TO HELP PRESENT SOME OF THESE IN THE FUTURE, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO DO IN THE HOUSTON AREA.

BUT THEY'RE MAKING THEY'RE MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS.

AND BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SO MUCH WHEN SOME OF THESE CASES GO OVER TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ESPECIALLY AT SMALLER AGENCIES THAT DON'T HAVE A LARGE FINANCIAL CRIMES DETECTIVES, YOU KNOW, UNIT IT MAKES THINGS A LOT EASIER TO PRESENT AND TO BE ABLE TO GO GET A CHARGE ON THE CAREGIVERS AND FOLKS THAT ARE STEALING FROM THEM. SO SOME REALLY GREAT PROGRESS ON THERE.

PROMISING. VERY PROMISING. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

REALLY EXCITING WORK AND VERY DIVERSE. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

SO NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE AGAIN AUDREY O'NEILL WHO WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE AND ALSO SPEAK ABOUT HOUSE BILL

[IV. AGENCY UPDATE]

THANK YOU. ALWAYS A TECHNICAL ISSUE. GOOD. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT WORK GOING ON AT THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW.

BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST WELCOME TIMOTHY. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON THE COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR FOCUS ON OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AGING OUT OF CARE AND PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION.

BEFORE I DID WANT TO JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.

MAY IS A PUBLIC SERVICE MONTH AND THERE IS PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION THAT IS CELEBRATED BY THE DEPARTMENT EVERY YEAR.

AND IT'S A LITTLE LATE, BUT ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE VERY DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE OUR DPS TEAM MEMBERS, BUT ALSO THAT SERVE IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY BASED CARE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH OUR PROVIDERS AND THROUGHOUT THE CHILD PROTECTION AND ADULT PROTECTION SYSTEMS. BECAUSE IT TAKES A VILLAGE, AS WE KNOW DURING PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK, THE DFES EXECUTIVE TEAM SHARED THEIR REASONS THAT THEY CHOOSE TO PUBLICLY SERVE AND ALSO HONORED THE WORK THAT OUR TEAMS DO.

AND ONE THING THAT WE HAD THEM TO DO, AND I BROUGHT MINE TO SHARE, IS WE JUST ASKED THEM TO TELL US WHY THEY SERVE, AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO UPLOAD THESE PHOTOS TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

[00:15:05]

AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST SHARE ONE EMAIL, JUST A TIDBIT OF ONE EMAIL THAT THE COMMISSIONER RECEIVED ABOUT WHY WE SERVE.

AND THIS CAME WITH A STORY, BUT AT THE END IT SAYS TODAY, I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I SERVE BECAUSE DFS GREATLY IMPACTED MY CHILDHOOD, AND NOW I AM IN THE POSITION TO HELP OTHER CHILDREN IN NEED.

WORKERS DON'T GET TOLD OFTEN ENOUGH THAT THEY LITERALLY SAVE LIVES.

WE LEARN TO FULLY IMMERSE OURSELVES IN WHAT OUR FAMILIES AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED, AND THAT IS A SUPERPOWER.

IT WAS REALLY A HEARTWARMING EXPERIENCE TO BE REMINDED OF THE REASONS THAT THEY DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO PUBLIC SERVICE, AND WE ARE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO THEM. WE HAVE ALSO AS I THINK WE'VE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO THE COUNCIL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE NOW ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AFTER THE FUNDING AND PLANNING TO ROLL OUT TEXAS CHILD CENTERED CARE, OR T3. AND JUST AS A REMINDER T3 REALLY JUST REPRESENTS A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION IN THE, IN THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM AND IN HOW WE DELIVER SERVICES AND PAY FOR SERVICES THAT ARE REALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF EACH CHILD IN CARE. A KEY PART OF T3 IS THAT WE CREDENTIAL PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE T3 SERVICES AFTER THOSE PROVIDERS GO THROUGH A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS, WHERE THEY DEMONSTRATE TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY HAVE MET A MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN CONSERVATORSHIP.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO SHARE AN UPDATE. AS OF JUNE 6TH, APPROXIMATELY 16% OF CHILDREN IN PAID CARE SETTINGS.

SO NON KINSHIP BUT LICENSED SETTINGS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO A T3 PLACEMENT.

THIS IS REALLY EXCITING FOR THE DEPARTMENT. AND WE'RE ACTUALLY TRACKING AHEAD OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATED IN TERMS OF THE CREDENTIALING RATE AND THE RATE AT WHICH WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE CHILDREN INTO T3C PLACEMENTS. WE ANTICIPATED, WE AS EXPECTED, WE KNEW THAT THIS PROCESS WAS GOING TO TAKE A PERIOD OF TIME. AND IN FACT, WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD TO SORT OF THAT WHERE WE PLANNED TO HAVE PROVIDERS MOVE INTO AT3 SETTING. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE IT REQUIRES A LOT OF CHANGE FOR EVERY PROVIDER TO REALLY BE PREPARED TO OFFER THIS MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT IS REQUIRED. SO, WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD TO HAVE A TEAM THAT IS DOING CREDENTIALING AND AS OF JUNE 6TH, WE HAVE ISSUED 55 INTERIM CREDENTIALS. 28 OF THOSE ARE ALREADY ACTIVE.

AND THAT MEANS THAT THOSE PROVIDERS ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDING T THREE SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.

WE ALSO HAVE ISSUED EIGHT FULL CREDENTIALS, AND FOUR OF THOSE ARE ACTIVELY ACCEPTING T3C PLACEMENTS.

AND VERY IMPORTANT PART OF T3C IS REALLY THE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES THAT IS AVAILABLE.

AND SO ONE THING WE'VE BEEN WATCHING VERY, VERY CLOSELY.

EXCUSE ME, IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE SERVICES, BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT OVER TIME AND WE KNOW THIS WILL TAKE TIME, WE REALLY GET A WIDE RANGE OF PROVIDERS TO COVER ALL OF THOSE SERVICES.

SO WE HAVE CREDENTIALED CHILD PLACING AGENCIES IN ALL NINE OF THE AVAILABLE FOSTER HOME SERVICE PACKAGES, INCLUDING ALL THREE ADD-ONS. SO THAT INCLUDES ADD-ONS FOR PREGNANT AND PARENTING, YOUTH, TRANSITIONING YOUTH AND KINSHIP CAREGIVERS WHO BECOME LICENSED.

AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO CREDENTIALED GENERAL RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS AND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS IN 11 OF THE 15 SERVICE PACKAGES, INCLUDING SERVICE PACKAGES DESIGNED TO MEET HIGHER LEVEL NEEDS OF YOUTH WITH SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS, AND YOUTH WHO ARE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS.

SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL ON THE PROGRESS OF THE ROLLOUT OF T3C.

AND WE AT THIS POINT ANTICIPATE A FULLY TRANSITIONED SYSTEM TO T3C WHERE WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE OF THE SERVICE LEVEL PLACEMENTS, WHICH IS THE SYSTEM WE USED PREVIOUSLY.

AND ARE CURRENTLY WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING IN BOTH SYSTEMS. WE ANTICIPATE BEING FULLY TRANSITIONED OUT OF THAT SYSTEM AND INTO THE T3C SYSTEM COMPLETELY BY SEPTEMBER 2027.

[00:20:09]

I THINK THE COUNCIL IS AWARE THAT WE HAD SOME WE HAD SUCH SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.

WE SAW A LOW LAST SUMMER. WE GOT DOWN TO AS LOW AS FIVE YOUTH ONE NIGHT LAST SUMMER.

WE ARE FULLY FOCUSED ON GETTING THAT AS CLOSE TO ZERO AND KEEPING THAT AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE STILL IN A PLACE WHERE THERE IS A WE DO NOT YET HAVE SUFFICIENT TREATMENT SERVICES IN THIS STATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CERTAIN YOUTH PARTICULARLY, REMAINS A CHALLENGE FOR US TO MEET YOUTH WITH VERY, VERY HIGH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS. AND IN SOME SITUATIONS, CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SIGNIFICANT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY NEEDS.

SO WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEING AN AVERAGE OF AROUND 30 TO 35 CHILDREN PER NIGHT.

ONE THING WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT WE WHEN WE WHILE WE WERE ABLE TO GET YOUTH, WHILE WE ARE ABLE OFTEN TO GET YOUTH INTO PLACEMENTS AND WE ARE PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO YOUTH IN THOSE PLACEMENTS, THEIR TREATMENT NEEDS ARE STILL SO HIGH AND THOSE SERVICES ARE SO DIFFICULT IN SOME CASES TO PROVIDE THAT WE STILL SEE THE PLACEMENTS BREAK DOWN.

SO THAT REMAINS A KEY AREA OF FOCUS FOR US. SO SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS ARE ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES AND LOCAL ID PROVIDERS WITH STAR HEALTH, THE MEDICAID PROVIDER FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE AND WITH THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, OUR SISTER AGENCY, TO PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE TREATMENT SERVICES IN PLACE FOR CHILDREN WITH INTENSIVE NEEDS AND YOUTH WITH INTENSIVE NEEDS.

WE CONTINUE OUR DAILY STAFFING, WHERE VERY SPECIFIC PLACEMENT AND TREATMENT NEEDS ARE DISCUSSED.

FOR ANY YOUTH WHO IS WITHOUT PLACEMENT, OR ANY YOUTH WHO IS AT RISK OF BECOMING WITHOUT PLACEMENT.

AND WE USE THOSE DAILY STAFFING TO BRAINSTORM AND IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS, AND THEN TO LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND WITH THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION WHERE NEEDED TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS, AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED SOME ABOUT OUR YOUTH CENTERED APPROACH AND REALLY DRIVING BACK TO FOCUSING OUR WORK ON, ON THE VOICE OF YOUTH AND REALLY WORKING WITH YOUTH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEIR PLACEMENT NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. IN A HOME INCLUDING THINGS LIKE KEEPING THEM IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY, TRYING TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE A SCHOOL THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED TO.

AND WHAT KIND OF SETTING THEY ARE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AND WE'VE SEEN SOME SUCCESS WITH THAT APPROACH.

AND THEN FINALLY AND IMPORTANTLY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH PROVIDERS, WITH INDIVIDUAL PROVIDERS TO, TO TALK THROUGH SPECIFIC YOUTH AND CHILDREN WITH THOSE PROVIDERS AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING SOME SUPPORT TO THE PROVIDER TO HELP THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO HELP THAT FOSTER PARENT REALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF AN INDIVIDUAL YOUTH SO THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN A FOSTER HOME PLACEMENT FOR A YOUTH. AN EXCITING DEVELOPMENT DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

IS THAT THE RELATED TO HIGH ACUITY YOUTH IS THAT THE BUDGET ACTUALLY INCLUDES.

AND THERE WAS A AN ASSOCIATED LEGISLATION THAT DIRECTED HER TO STAND UP AND OPERATE A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER FOCUSED ON YOUTH WITH VERY, VERY HIGH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS WHO ARE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT.

THAT FACILITY WILL SERVE 30 YOUTH IN THE DEPARTMENT'S CUSTODY.

AND THERE THE TARGET POPULATION FOR THE FACILITY.

THAT FACILITY IS REALLY DESIGNED TO BE A TRUE SAFETY NEED FOR YOUTH WITH OUR HIGHEST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS AND WILL CONNECT THOSE YOUTH TO CRITICAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ON SITE.

AND OF COURSE, THE GOAL IS TO GET THOSE YOUTH THE TREATMENT SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO STABILIZE AND TO THRIVE SO THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE THEM

[00:25:01]

SO SPEAKING OF LEGISLATION, SOME OTHER LEGISLATIVE UPDATES.

OVERALL, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL ON EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS BECAUSE LEANNE BIGGAR, OUR CFO, HAS A PRESENTATION THAT SHE'S GOING TO SHARE ON THAT.

BUT I DO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR APS.

WE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THE TRAINING WHILE WORKING MODEL, WHICH HAS BEEN A REALLY SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS AT THE DEPARTMENT, IMPLEMENTED UNDER KEZ'S LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

BY THE APS TEAM. SO WE'LL BE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT TRAINING MODEL THAT ALLOWS APS CASEWORKERS TO GET HANDS ON TRAINING VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, GET THEM OUT IN THE FIELD WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING SOME MUCH, MUCH NEEDED RELIEF TO OTHER APS CASEWORKERS.

WE THE FINAL BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES SOME FUNDING FOR SPECIFIC SERVICES, INCLUDING FUNDING, TO EXPAND THE CRITERIA FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS TO ACCESS DAYCARE.

THAT'S A RECURRING CHALLENGE FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS.

AND WHAT THE WHAT THE CHANGE IN THE CRITERIA IS, IS CURRENTLY, KINSHIP CAREGIVERS HAVE TO MEET THE SAME REQUIREMENTS AS ANY OTHER FOSTER PARENT WHERE THEY WORK OUTSIDE OF THE HOME 40 HOURS A WEEK.

AND KINSHIP CAREGIVERS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES, INCLUDING IN MANY TIMES THAT THAT THEY MAY THEMSELVES BE AGING OR HAVE SOME SORT OF DISABILITY THAT THAT NEEDS SOME SUPPORT. SO THE CRITERIA WILL CHANGE WITH THIS LEGISLATION, WITH THIS FUNDING BY THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR TO ALLOW KINSHIP CAREGIVERS WHO ARE OVER 65, WHO HAVE A DIAGNOSED DISABILITY OR WHO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE HOME 20 HOURS PER WEEK TO RECEIVE KINSHIP DAYCARE SERVICES.

SO THAT'S A VERY EXCITING CHANGE. WE ALSO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR INTENSIVE PEER SUPPORT FOR OUR YOUTH WITH HIGH NEEDS, AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CHANGING FOSTER CARE POPULATION.

WE ARE VERY EXCITED THAT THE LEGISLATURE ALSO FUNDED THE FIRST PHASE OF A NEW CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE DEPARTMENT, AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE. IMPACT AS A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN USED AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND IS AN OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY.

THE RUNWAY FOR A NEW CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS PRETTY LENGTHY, BUT WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO GET STARTED ON IT.

AND IT WILL INCLUDE MOBILITY WHERE OUR CASEWORKERS WHO ARE OF COURSE, IN THE FIELD ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, CAN EASILY WORK FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE.

IT WILL LEVERAGE MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND WILL BE MUCH MORE USER, MUCH, A MUCH MORE USER FRIENDLY INTERFACE.

AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION DID A REALLY FABULOUS JOB OF WORKING OVER THE LAST INTERIM TO PLAN FOR THIS NEW CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE THEM MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION.

WE'VE ALSO EVEN ALREADY SUBMITTED OUR FEDERAL ADVANCE PLANNING DOCUMENT, AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THIS SUMMER, WHICH WOULD THEN ENABLE US TO BEGIN DRAWING 50% FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS FOR THAT PROJECT.

THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES RELATED TO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, INCLUDING LEGISLATION INCLUDING FUNDING THAT WILL ENABLE COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDERS TO RECEIVE START UP FUNDS, WILL RECEIVE CASE MANAGEMENT FUNDS EARLIER THAN THEY PREVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE CASE MANAGEMENT FUNDS, AND WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO REALLY SET NEW SCCS UP FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION BECAUSE THEY'LL ALREADY BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF THEIR OWN STAFF IN PLACE PRIOR TO THAT GO LIVE DATE WHEN DPS STAFF TRANSFER TO THE COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDER.

THERE'S ALSO LEGISLATION PASSED THAT STRENGTHENS THE DEPARTMENT'S OVERSIGHT OF CBC AND ASSISTS WITH TRANSITION PLANNING.

IN THE EVENT THAT A CBC CONTRACTOR EXITS A CONTRACT FOR ANY REASON.

FINALLY, THERE'S SENATE BILL 513 BY SENATOR SPARKS, WHICH FROM MIDLAND, WHICH ESTABLISHES A RURAL PILOT FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

WE RECOGNIZE AND THE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZED THAT THE NEEDS FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDERS IN RURAL AREAS ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE IN MORE URBAN PARTS OF THE STATE. SO OUR COMMUNITY BASED CARE TEAMS AND OUR OFFICE OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE TRANSITION ARE ALREADY UP AND RUNNING. AT A AT ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO LOOK AT HOW COMMUNITY BASED CARE MIGHT WORK IN THOSE

[00:30:06]

MOVING ON, I'M GOING TO MOVE TO ONE FINAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION WHICH WAS HOUSE BILL 140.

AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER MUTH KEPT YOU ALL ON THE COUNCIL INFORMED OF HOUSE BILL 140 THROUGHOUT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

THE LEGISLATION ESTABLISHES THE CHILD PROTECTION PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL REALLY BE TAKING A IT'S A MORE OF A DEEP DIVE APPROACH INTO LOOKING AT OUR FAMILY BASED CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS.

THAT THAT SAME BILL ALSO DOES END THE DFPS COUNCIL IN.

ONCE THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS REALLY UP AND RUNNING.

SO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL IS WE'RE WORKING ON PLANNING FOR THAT NOW AND IT WILL BE STOOD UP OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR.

AND WE'LL BEGIN MEETING, OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY, OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR, THE COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE FIRST YEAR OF MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. SO IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, AT WHICH POINT THE COUNCIL WILL NO LONGER MEET AND JUST THE ADVISORY COUNCIL WILL BE IN PLACE.

THAT COMMITTEE IS GOING TO ADVISE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT ON POLICY, ON TRAINING, ON OTHER GAPS IN PROCESS AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED RELATED TO CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS.

AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE PLANS FOR THAT COMMITTEE NOW.

I WOULD LIKE TO. I MEAN, WE STILL HAVE IMPORTANT WORK FOR THE COUNCIL TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR.

SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HEAR ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SUGGEST AS A TOPIC TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW.

BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO US WITH TOPICS THAT YOU'D REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS ON.

I KNOW DOCTOR ALMEIDA AND I HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED AN AREA OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO FOCUS ON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.

WE'RE EAGER TO HEAR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE NEXT YEAR FOCUSING ON.

BEFORE WE SUNSET THE COUNCIL AND TRANSITION FULLY TO THE INVESTIGATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND I'M WITH THAT. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE. I APPRECIATE THAT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN IS THE SWAP.

I THINK I THINK THAT THE AGENCY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AT REDUCING THOSE NUMBERS.

I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE WISE TO DO A DEEPER DIVE ON SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SAID ABOUT THE INCOMPATIBILITIES BETWEEN WHAT YOUTH WANT IN THEIR LIFE AND WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT'S OFFERING.

I THINK AS WE TRANSITION MORE INTO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, I THINK THAT SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT BE OR THERE'S A THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THESE AREAS MIGHT ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY IF THEY ARE GOING THROUGH SWAP CASES OR IF THOSE ARE RISING IN THEIR AREAS.

AND AS THEY TRANSITION OUT, I THINK THAT FINDING OUT WHAT WORKS FOR PEOPLE AND WHAT IS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR YOUTH TO ACCEPT PLACEMENTS OR FOR MODIFICATIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO WORK TO PRESERVE AND PREVENT PLACEMENT BREAKDOWN, I THINK COULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL AS WE TRANSITION FURTHER INTO COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF DEEP DIVES OVER THAT IN THE LAST YEAR.

AND IN FACT, WE ACTUALLY IN OUR AS WE TRANSITION EACH AREA, EACH COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY BASED CARE, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE PROVIDERS. IN FACT, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH BELONG TO AS YOU ARE AWARE, I'M SURE SWAP PARTICULARLY TENDS TO BE A PROBLEM IN URBAN AREAS.

SO WE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDER LEADING UP TO THAT TRANSITION.

AND I MEAN, TO BE. WE ARE FOCUSED ON THIS EVERY DAY, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDERS DO HAVE SOME ADVANTAGES.

AND ACTUALLY, THAT IS A REAL I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN A REAL REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SWAP IN COMMUNITY BASED CARE AREAS.

IT'S THEY DO HAVE SOME SWAP, BUT IT'S MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LESS COMMON FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDERS.

SO I TOTALLY AGREE THAT WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM IS REALLY CRITICAL TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THOSE YOUTH, AND TO THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

DEFINITELY. AND AS AS YOU'RE AWARE, IT'S MAINLY OR IT'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY'RE TEENAGERS AS WELL.

[00:35:05]

AND IF THERE'S EVER A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE CAN HAVE WHERE WE CAN HELP OUT TO EXPLORE THIS ISSUE AND, YOU KNOW, GET SOME GET SOME RESEARCH TOGETHER FOR TO HELP PRACTICE AND HELP INFORM OUR PRACTICE.

WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT. AUDREY, I'M AS FAR AS GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO I'M VERY FOCUSED.

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME FOCUS ON THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING.

SO YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A GOVERNMENT AGENCY WITH SOME COST SHARING WITH THE FEDS.

AND THAT'S SORT OF A HISTORICALLY A RECIPE IN ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR DELAYS AND HICCUPS AND SO FORTH.

SO AND IF I UNDERSTAND MY BRIEFINGS CORRECTLY, THIS SYSTEM IS THE BACKBONE OF WHAT MOST FOLKS OUT IN THE FIELD ARE USING.

IT'S NOT JUST SOME RANDOM AUXILIARY SYSTEM, IT'S THE MAIN ONE THAT THEY USE.

IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I WILL BE VERY INTERESTED IN ANY UPDATES OR ANY CHALLENGES THAT COME UP.

BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THESE GO OFF THE RAILS DESPITE EVERYONE'S BEST EFFORTS.

AND USUALLY, IT'S A FUNCTION OF SOME GOVERNMENT RULES AND COST SHARING WITH THE FEDS AND OTHER DELAYS THAT ARE USUALLY NOT THE AGENCY'S FAULT OR THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER.

BUT IT DOES DELAY GETTING THE SOFTWARE OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO HELP DELIVER SERVICES.

YEAH. AND I MEAN, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

I WILL JUST SAY, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, WE ARE PLANNING FOR A PHASED APPROACH WHERE WE WILL NOT IMPLEMENT.

WE WILL NOT WAIT UNTIL THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IN ITS ENTIRETY IS READY TO ROLL OUT.

IT IS STILL A LONG PROCESS WHERE THERE'S PROCUREMENT PROCESSES WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, TAKE A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR PARTICULARLY.

BUT WE DO HAVE REALLY THE ADVANTAGE OF MANY STATES HAVE GONE BEFORE US AT IMPLEMENTING WHAT IS CALLED A CWIS, CHILD WELFARE INFORMATION SYSTEM. AND SO THERE IS SOME GOOD OFF THE SHELF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS AVAILABLE NOW.

AND SO I DO THINK THE WORK OF OUR IT DEPARTMENT HAS REALLY SET US UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL BUT COMPLETELY AGREES.

VERY CRITICAL PROJECT THAT ACTUALLY HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT TENTACLES IN OTHER SYSTEMS THAT ARE USED AT THE DEPARTMENT, AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO KEEP THE COUNCIL INFORMED.

SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT WAS GREAT PROGRESS.

I MEAN, DIFFICULT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT THERE'S SOME SUPPORT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE TRAINING WHILE WORKING MODEL, WHICH WAS WE REALLY ENJOYED HAVING THAT PRESENTATION AND HEARING ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THAT MODEL AND THE INNOVATION.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. AND ALSO THE CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT CLEARLY A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT MANY OF THESE CHILDREN DO HAVE COMPLEX MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND ALSO THEN THE INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE? SO IT IS GOOD TO SEE THAT WE ARE EVENTUALLY GETTING SOME RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FOR THE CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX NEEDS THAT ARE UNDER THE CPS, CHILD WELFARE CUSTODY.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN DO WE ACTUALLY SEE THAT? WHAT ARE THE TIMELINES? I MEAN, CLEARLY, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR A LONG TIME.

AND YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A LACK OF THAT TYPE OF INTENSIVE CARE FOR CHILDREN.

AND THEN ALSO KIND OF WHAT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD THE CAPACITY ON THE OTHER END TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION THOSE CHILDREN TO, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THAT FAMILY LIKE LESS RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT? SURE. SO THE TIMELINE FOR THE THE STATE OPERATED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER IS REALLY THE IS PRETTY SHORT BY ALL STANDARDS. BY GOVERNMENT STANDARDS.

IT WILL BE STOOD UP BY SEPTEMBER 2026. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MONTHS.

AND AS I THINK THE COUNCIL IS AWARE THE OBVIOUSLY THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT OPERATE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS.

[00:40:07]

AND WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THAT NEW APPROACH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE YOUTH AND TO STABILIZE THOSE YOUTH.

SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION JOINTLY.

WE DO NOT HAVE THE BEHAVIORAL TREE TREATMENT CLINICIANS AT THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING SERVICES.

THAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT BY OUR OWN STAFF FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITHOUT PLACEMENT CURRENTLY.

BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IS A MODEL THAT IS VERY, VERY YOUTH FOCUSED.

AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT TRANSITION BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 2026.

AND THE, THE, THE LOCATION THAT WE ARE USING TO EMPLOY SOME OF THESE SORT OF MODES OF JUST CARING FOR CHILDREN IS REALLY JUST CARE. ONLY IS ONLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE BETWEEN 5 AND 7 YOUTH AND IT'S ONLY FOR BOYS RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE A FACILITY THAT COULD ACTUALLY PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT SERVICES ON SITE BY THEIR OWN CLINICIANS FOR UP TO 30 YOUTH. AND SO THAT'S THAT THAT'S THE, FIRST PART.

AND THEN I WOULD SAY IT'S REALLY WORKING THROUGH T3C AND THE EXPANSION OF HAVING ADDITIONAL PROVIDERS BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THIS. REALLY T3C IS REALLY ABOUT PROVIDING MORE ROBUST SERVICES INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT SERVICES.

AND WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT PACKAGES IN T3C, AND WE DO HAVE PROVIDER. WE ARE SEEING PROVIDERS, INCLUDING CHILD PLACING AGENCIES THAT OVERSEE FOSTER HOMES BECOME CREDENTIALED IN THOSE SERVICES. AND THAT IS REALLY THAT'S WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE.

OBVIOUSLY, THOSE CHILDREN AND YOUTH MOVE INTO A FAMILY BASED SETTING WITH FOSTER PARENTS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED AND CREDENTIALED TO MEET THEIR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS. THANK YOU.

I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT IT'S AMAZING PROGRESS IN TERMS OF YOUR TRANSITION TO THE TEXAS CHILD CENTERED SERVICES. T3C. DID I GET IT? T3C YEAH AGAIN, I THINK THAT JUST STARTED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

AND SO THE FACT THAT THERE'S BEEN SUCH SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION AND CREDENTIALING IS REALLY GREAT PROGRESS.

SO, WITH THAT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER? I JUST GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. YEAH. IN REGARDS TO THE.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE A LOCATION FOR THE NEW RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT? AND THEN HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK WITH THE CBC? AND THEN THIS BEING A. THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

I BELIEVE HHSC HAS A LOCATION IN MIND. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT YET, BECAUSE I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE THAT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SETTLED ON THAT. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THAT NEXT TIME.

I JUST WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM WITH THEM FIRST, BUT THEY DO HAVE A LOCATION IN MIND.

AND THE SSCC PROVIDERS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE BEDS IN THAT LOCATION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY, AS WE MOVE MORE AND MORE INTO T3, THERE'S GOING TO BE FEWER AND FEWER CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVED BY IN LEGACY AREAS.

SO IT ONLY I MEAN, IT ALWAYS WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE BEDS, BUT IT BECOMES REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE WE'RE REACHING A TIPPING POINT WHERE MOST CHILDREN AND YOUTH, SPECIFICALLY IN URBAN AREAS, WILL BE SERVED BY T3 PROVIDERS.

BY THE END OF THIS NEXT BIENNIUM, WE'LL HAVE ALMOST 80% OF CHILDREN IN SERVED BY COMMUNITY BASED CARE PROVIDERS.

THANK YOU. OKAY. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR A VERY DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT DID DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. GREAT. SO NEXT WE WILL HAVE HOLLY MIMS TO GIVE A COMMUNITY BASED CARE UPDATE FROM DFPS AND THEN KC ROBERTS FROM TWO ENGAGE TO SHARE WITH US ON AN UPDATE FROM THE COMMUNITY BASED

[00:45:02]

YOUR NOTES ARE OUT OF DATE. THIS IS GRACE WINBIGLER OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

NOT YOUR FAULT. SHE'S HOLLY'S BOSS. SO MY APOLOGIES.

I WAS JUST FOLLOWING MY NOTES, SO. THANK YOU.

OKAY, THAT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN COMMUNITY BASED CARE.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WE'VE COMPLETED OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, AND WE'VE AWARDED THREE CONTRACTS IN THE NEW REGIONS.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS WE'VE AWARDED A CONTRACT IN REGION 8A TO SJRC BELONG, AND THAT IS IN BEXAR COUNTY.

WE HAD OUR FIRST KICKOFF MEETING IN MID-MAY, AND THEY'VE STARTED THE READINESS REVIEW FOR STAGE ONE.

THE NEXT TWO COUNTIES THAT WE ISSUED CONTRACTS FOR WERE IN 6A, WHICH IS HARRIS COUNTY AND SIX B, WHICH IS THE BAY AREA COUNTIES. AND BOTH THOSE CONTRACTS WERE ISSUED TO DEPELCHIN CHILDREN'S CENTER.

WE'RE DOING A STAGGERED APPROACH FOR THAT READINESS, AND WE WILL START THAT AT IN ABOUT MID TO LATE AUGUST.

SO IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THEN, AUDREY HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME FUTURE PROCUREMENTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. SO WE ARE STARTING OUR PLANNING FOR THE REGION NINE RURAL PILOT.

AND ALSO WE RECEIVED LA MONEY TO GO FORWARD WITH OUR EXPANSIONS IN SEVEN A AND B AND 11 A AND B.

SO OVER THE NEXT BIENNIUM WE'RE GOING TO BE QUITE BUSY.

AND THOSE ARE THOSE ARE MY PROCUREMENT UPDATES.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A QUESTION.

WE TALKED. SO I'M FROM REGION 6A6B6B ACTUALLY.

AND SO, WHEN I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE, THE, JUST THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT THAT ARE, I MEAN, THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN THAT ARE SERVED IN THAT REGION IN THE MULTIPLE COUNTIES.

AND CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT 6A AND 6B.

SO WE GO THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS READ READINESS PROCESS WHERE WE MAKE SURE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT FOR STAGE ONE, WE MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT SUBCONTRACTS IN PLACE SO THAT THERE ARE PLACEMENT AREAS FOR THOSE YOUTH TO GO INTO.

THAT CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM SIX, 9 TO 12 MONTHS.

WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT ENTITY IS READY TO TAKE OVER.

THEY HAVE TO PASS A NUMBER OF GATES, AND WE DON'T LET THEM GO FORWARD UNTIL WE ARE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY.

SO THEN STAGE TWO, WE GO THROUGH A READINESS PROCESS SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE OVER CASE MANAGEMENT FOR ALL OF THOSE YOUTH.

THAT TYPICALLY IS A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. AND WE DO THE SAME THING, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT ENOUGH CASEWORKERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL OF THAT WORK. SO FACE TO FACE VISITS, DOING YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH EACH ONE OF THE YOUTH.

SO, IT'S A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS THAT TAKES DO IT IN, LIKE, MEASURED STEPS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT ENTITY IS READY.

GRACE, IF I CAN JUST ADD, I THINK WE'VE LEARNED WE REALLY LEARNED SOME VALUABLE LESSONS WITH OUR LAST URBAN ROLLOUT.

AND ONE THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT WE'VE ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S PROCESS IS ENHANCED REVIEWS OF OURSELVES IN ADVANCE OF, OF THAT TRANSITION WHERE WE ARE REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH EVERY CASE AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE HANDING OVER REALLY, REALLY HEALTHY CASES TO OUR SSCC PARTNER. I MEAN, WE ARE 100% COMMITTED TO THEIR SUCCESS.

AND A REALLY CRITICAL THING THAT WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HANDING OVER AS HEALTHY OF A CATCHMENT AREA AS POSSIBLE TO THAT PROVIDER.

AND THEN OF COURSE, DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE TO INFORM AND EDUCATE OUR CASEWORKERS.

IN IN COLLABORATION WITH THAT NEW SSCC PROVIDER OF WHAT THE TRANSITION PROCESS IS WITH THE HOPE THAT THE SSCC WILL HAVE AS MANY EXPERIENCED CASEWORKERS AS POSSIBLE THAT CHOOSE TO GO AND WORK FOR THEM.

QUICK QUESTION ABOUT REGION NINE. WHAT DIFFICULTIES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED TRYING TO GET ANYONE TO BID ON THOSE? I FEEL LIKE THOSE ARE. I KNOW THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT HAVING TROUBLE WITH NO ONE BIDDING ON THEM,

[00:50:02]

SO WHAT WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PROVIDERS, SO WE WERE INTERESTED IN WHY ENTITIES WERE NOT PUTTING IN RESPONSES.

THEY FELT LIKE. SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

THE CAPACITY IN THAT REGION IS NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

ABOUT 50% OF THOSE YOUTH HAVE TO BE PLACED OUTSIDE OF THE REGION.

SO IT'S LOOKING AT CAPACITY BUILDING. BUT IT'S ALSO THEY HAVE SOME UNIQUE NEEDS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH, YOU KNOW, A VERY LARGE AREA. THEY'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

SO THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING FINANCIALLY VIABLE.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE THEY CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT THEY BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.

BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY HOPING IS THAT WITH THE PILOT, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY, THEY'LL GO THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, 26 AND 20.

WELL, THE BEGINNING OF 27, THEY WILL GET TO DESIGN THE MODEL AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT.

AND THE WAY WHAT THE BILL HAS SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, GONE THROUGH IS THERE A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO COMMUNITY BASED CARE IN AN IN A RURAL REGION THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE MODEL RIGHT NOW.

AND SO THAT'S THE THING THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IS HAVING THEM LOOK AT THAT.

THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE A REVIEW OF HOW IT'S FUNDED.

SO WE'LL BE DOING A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT. WE DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A STUDY BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE CONSULTING RULE AROUND THAT.

BUT SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE AN OUTSIDE ENTITY COME IN AND LOOK AT IT TO SEE SHOULD THERE BE A CAPITATION MODEL? SHOULD THERE BE SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE WAY THAT WE DO IT RIGHT NOW? THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE RFI RESPONDENTS WAS THAT THEY DIDN'T THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH FUNDING.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO NOW, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE CASEY? OKAY. SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CASEY ROBLES WITH TWO TO ENGAGE.

YES, MA'AM. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR HAVING ME.

MY NAME IS CASEY ROBLES AND I'M FROM TWO ENGAGE.

I AM FROM THE REGION TWO AREA UP IN NORTHWEST TEXAS.

SO WE COVER A 30 COUNTY REGION FROM WICHITA FALLS TO BROWNWOOD AND THEN ALONG I-20, KIND OF THE SNYDER AREA TO EASTLAND.

AND SO I LIVE THERE IN THE ABILENE AREA, AND WE JUST RECENTLY CELEBRATED OUR FIVE YEARS OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE LAUNCH FOR STAGE TWO, WHICH TOOK PLACE JUNE 1ST. AND SO IT'S BEEN A QUICK BUT LONG FIVE YEARS ALL IN THE SAME BREATH.

AND SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TALK TO YOU GUYS.

I WANT TO OPEN UP WITH TALKING ABOUT REUNIFICATION.

SO AT TFI, OUR MISSION IS BEING DEVOTED TO THE STRENGTH OF FAMILY.

AND WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE PLAY THAT OUT EACH AND EVERY DAY.

THROUGH OUR ABILITY TO REUNIFY FAMILIES. SO IN FISCAL YEAR 24 AND THUS FAR IN 25, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE 34% OF ALL OF OUR EXITS. ARE CHILDREN BEING ABLE TO REUNIFY BACK WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES AND IN THE HOMES OF REMOVAL.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF.

THIS IS ABOUT 2% HIGHER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH OUR PRACTICE MODEL OF SOLUTION BASED CASEWORK. AND SO THROUGH SOLUTION BASED CASEWORK, WE FOCUS ON PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THEIR CHALLENGES, HOW DO WE CREATE PLANS AND CONSENSUS WITH THAT FAMILY AND THEN CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESS ALL ALONG THE WAY? YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WE HAVE HOPEFULLY WE CAN HOLD ON TO IT THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

THERE'S JUST A FEW MONTHS LEFT, BUT WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MONTHS IT TAKES US TO GET TOWARD TO REUNIFICATION.

WE HAVE AN EARLY ENGAGEMENT MODEL WHERE WE TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE CASE.

AT THE MOMENT A REMOVAL HAPPENS AND WE ARE IN THAT HOME WITHIN THREE DAYS AND MAKING CONTACT WITHIN 24 HOURS.

TO MEET THAT FAMILY IN CRISIS AND TO BEGIN PROVIDING SERVICES TO THEM IMMEDIATELY UPON REMOVAL.

AND THEN THE LAST POINT HERE ON THIS SLIDE IS JUST OVERALL SEEING A DECREASE IN TIME.

KIDS ARE IN CARE. AND THAT IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO GET KIDS TO PERMANENCY AS QUICKLY AND AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.

THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS OVERALL, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO HAVE LESS KIDS AGE OUT OF CARE.

AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MR. BELL SAID YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AS ONE OF YOUR FOCUSES IS IN THOSE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS WHEN KIDS DO AGE OUT OF CARE, SOMETHING THAT TO ENGAGE HAS REALLY WORKED HARD ON IS OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THEM IN THAT NEXT STEP.

SO THEY TURN 18. REALLY, HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM, WRAP AROUND THEM AND HELP THEM INTO THAT NEXT STEP?

[00:55:02]

AND ON THE GRAPH HERE ON YOUR SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE DOUBLED OUR NUMBER OF KIDS.

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE LESS KIDS AGING OUT, WE HAVE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF KIDS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT EXTENDED FOSTER CARE.

WE HAVE HAD TO, NOT HAD TO. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEVOTE TWO CASEWORKERS TO REALLY BECOME EXPERTS IN THIS WORKING THESE WITH THESE YOUTH, AND THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THEM AND HAVE FULL WORKLOADS OF JUST SUPPORTING THOSE KIDS WHO ARE 18 AND OLDER, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EXTENDED FOSTER CARE. CONTINUING ON ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THE POWELL YOUTH FOR FISCAL YEAR 25. TO DATE, WE HAVE REALLY PRIDED OURSELVES ON OUR ABILITY TO GET KIDS THEIR STATE IDS AND DRIVER'S LICENSE.

AND 58.7% OF ALL OF OUR YOUTH, 16 OR 17, HAVE THESE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WITH THEM AS THEY ENTER INTO ADULTHOOD.

AND SO WE HAVE REALLY LED THIS AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT OTHER REGIONS AND HOW TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THESE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS FOR OUR YOUTH. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, ONE OF OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW ABOUT IS OUR IS MAKING SURE OUR YOUTH HAVE THEIR LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, AND IN FIVE YEARS, I KNOW THE NUMBER IS 99.12%, BUT WE HAVE MISSED ONE YOUTH IN FIVE YEARS.

AND SO WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN GETTING KIDS THIS NECESSARY TRAINING.

ONE OF THE THINGS AS AN SSCC WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TRAINING IN-HOUSE.

AND SO WE HAVE OUR OWN CURRICULUM THAT WE PROVIDE TO YOUTH.

WE'RE ABLE TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, TRAVEL TO THEM AND BRING THEM TO US, REALLY BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AROUND SCHEDULES.

WE LIKE TO DO IT AROUND CHRISTMAS, SUMMER, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SPRING BREAK.

ALL THOSE TIMES WHEN KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM THIS TRAINING. AND THEN THE LAST HIGHLIGHT I WANT TO ADD HERE IS WE ARE ONE OF THE FIRST SIX TO HOLD A YOUTH ADVOCATE POSITION, AND THIS POSITION IS SOMEONE THAT HAS COME TO WORK FOR OUR AGENCY WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES.

VARIANCES. AND YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT SWAP AND THE CRISIS THERE.

OUR YOUTH ADVOCATE IS ABLE TO PARTNER WITH YOUTH IN WAYS THAT I COULD NEVER I NEVER WOULD BE ABLE TO DO.

AND SO SHE HAS BECOME SHE HAS DEVELOPED HER SKILL SET IN HELPING YOUTH STABILIZE AND PLACEMENT HELPING YOUTH UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO PLACEMENT WHEN THEY'RE DIGGING THEIR HEELS IN, REFUSING TO GO.

WE CALL HER AND SHE IS ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS.

AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN HER REALLY BE ABLE TO HELP IN AND SUPPORT YOUTH IN FINISHING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND HELPING THEM SEE THE BENEFIT OF THAT.

AND SO WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO HAVE THE YOUTH ADVOCATE AS PART OF OUR TEAM.

THE NEXT SLIDE. SOMETHING ELSE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS OUR HEART GALLERY.

SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GETTING OUT IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT THE TEXAS HEART GALLERY'S DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HAD A GOAL TO ROLL OUT A HEART GALLERY IN EVERY REGION, AND TO ENGAGE IS HONORED TO HOLD THAT FOR OUR REGION TWO AREA.

AND SO, HEART GALLERY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUTH THAT ARE KIDS OR YOUTH WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ADOPTION AND BE ABLE TO DISPLAY THESE PHOTOS ACROSS THE REGION, REALLY TO GAIN POTENTIAL INTEREST IN ADOPTION, TO BE ABLE TO FIND PERMANENCY FOR THOSE YOUTH.

BUT IT ALSO OPENS UP MANY DOORS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO GET INTO SPACES AND BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM PREVIOUSLY. AND SO ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF OUR DISPLAYS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.

WE WERE ALSO REALLY EXCITED TO HOST FIRST LADY ABBOTT IN ABILENE, TEXAS.

SHE CAME DOWN AND SPENT THE EVENING WITH US IN A REALLY NICE GALLERY.

AND THEN PART OF HEART GALLERY IS ALSO THE POST PERMANENCY FUNDING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET.

AND WE ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT COUNSELING NEEDS FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED AND BE ABLE TO ASSIST THEM IN TANGIBLE NEEDS, PROVIDING RESPITE CARE AND WHATNOT, SO THAT HOPEFULLY THOSE KIDS DO NOT ENTER BACK INTO CARE AFTER THEY'VE ALREADY HAD A SUCCESSFUL EXIT.

I COULDN'T STAND UP HERE AND TALK WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT OUR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION NEEDS, RIGHT? THAT IS COMMUNITY BASED CARE. SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF FOSTER FAMILIES WITHIN OUR REGION.

ALWAYS TRYING TO THINK OF NEW THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO GET PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T. IT TAKES THE STUDIES SHOW IT TAKES ABOUT SEVEN TIMES TO PLANT THE SEED, TO GET SOMEBODY TO ACTUALLY TAKE THAT NEXT STEP AND FILL OUT THAT FOSTERING APPLICATION.

AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO TO GET INTO THOSE SPACES IS WE ARE HOSTING SOME FOSTERING GROUNDS, WHICH IS A UNIQUE WAY TO TALK ABOUT. WE'RE MEETING AT THE COFFEE SHOP, RIGHT, AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME HANG OUT WITH US AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

WE ALSO HAVE HOSTED FOSTER FORUMS AND MANY OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET THE PEOPLE, THE THE EDUCATORS, THOSE THAT ARE IN POSITIONS THAT INTERFACE WITH OUR AGENCY AND GET THEM TO THE TABLE SO THEY CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS COMMUNITY BASED CARE AND WHY ARE WE THERE IN THEIR COMMUNITY TALKING ABOUT TO ENGAGE WITH IT SPELLED WRONG?

[01:00:02]

I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE SIGN WHERE IT SAYS, LIKE, WE BUY OLD HOUSES OR WE BUY USED HOUSES.

WE HAVE COINED THAT TERM AND WE LIKE TO SAY WE NEED MORE FOSTER PARENTS.

ALWAYS. RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE OUR OWN WEBSITE FOR THAT, REALLY TRYING TO FUNNEL ALL OF OUR INQUIRIES TO THAT ONE WEBSITE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR NUMBER OF FOSTER HOMES IN OUR REGION. AND THEN IN CLOSING, I WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AGAIN ABOUT TALKING ABOUT REUNIFICATION.

SO JUNE IS FAMILY REUNIFICATION MONTH. AND SO STATEWIDE THEY JUST HOSTED A FAMILY REUNIFICATION CONFERENCE.

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THE OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THAT CONFERENCE WAS JESSICA BILLS, WHO IS A REUNIFIED PARENT OUT OF REGION TWO. AND SO WE HAVE REBIRTH, OUR PARENT COLLABORATION GROUP.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO LIAISONS IN TAYLOR COUNTY, JESSICA BILLS AND LINDSEY WILSON, AND THEY PROVIDE SO MUCH TO US AND THEN HELP RUN OUR PARENT COLLABORATION GROUP. WE'VE HAD 23 PARENTS ATTENDED JUST SINCE OUR RELAUNCH.

ONE FATHER WHO HAS ENTERED HAS BEEN ABLE TO REUNIFY.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF HIM. AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON BEGINNING A PARENT COLLABORATION GROUP IN WICHITA COUNTY.

AND SO JUST IN CLOSING, REUNIFICATION AGAIN IS SO CLOSE TO OUR MISSION BEING DEVOTED TO THE STRENGTH OF FAMILIES.

AND WE WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITHIN OUR REGION.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS.

YES, MA'AM. I'VE GOT A QUESTION. SO OUT OF THE HANDFUL OF FOLKS THAT I'VE KNOWN IN MY LIFE WHO'VE GONE THROUGH THE SYSTEM THE ONES WHO AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER SYSTEM, WHO HAD THE BEST OUTCOMES, WERE THE ONES WHO SIGNED UP FOR THE MARINE CORPS, DID SOMETHING FOR A FEW YEARS, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY PROVIDED THEM A TERRIFIC DISCIPLINE AND A GREAT TRANSITION FOR THEM.

I'M THRILLED THAT WE'RE GETTING THEM IDS AND DRIVER'S LICENSE AND GIVING THEM THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AND WORK IN THE REAL WORLD.

IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH MILITARY RECRUITING OR GENERAL JOB RECRUITING AT THIS? FOR THE OLDER KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AGING OUT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS OR AVENUES TO GET OUR YOUTH THERE.

BUT, I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO TALK TO RECRUITERS IF MILITARY IS THE NEXT STEPS THAT THEY WANT TO DO.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SET UP. BUT THAT IS A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION. YES, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO GO OFF OF THAT.

POINT IS THERE'S A TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN REGION TWO.

CORRECT. THERE IS. YES. SO I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH FOLKS AT TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE TRYING TO REALLY PROMOTE THE TRADES FOR INDIVIDUALS.

I'M CURIOUS, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY VISITS TO THE TSTC CAMPUS IN THAT AREA.

YES, WE ACTUALLY JUST COMPLETED OUR COLLEGE TOURS IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.

AND TSTC IS ONE OF THEM THAT WE HAVE A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH.

ACTUALLY, ONE OF THEIR FOSTER CARE LIAISONS USED TO BE AN EMPLOYEE OF MINE, AND SO IT'S A GREAT RELATIONSHIP THERE.

AND WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH THAT SOMETIMES THE BIG FOUR YEAR COLLEGES MIGHT NOT BE FOR THEM. AND SO THAT RELATIONSHIP THERE IS VERY STRONG. AND TSTC IS IN ABILENE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST COMMUNITIES WITHIN REGION TWO.

YEAH. THEY'RE FANTASTIC. I AFTER JUST FIVE SEMESTERS, THEY CAN HAVE AN ENTRY INTO A CAREER THAT WITH JOB PLACEMENT, THAT CAN REALLY BE TRANSFORMATIVE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A TRADE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL COLLEGE, THE MILITARY EMPLOYMENT, AS LONG AS THERE'S A PATH FORWARD FOR FOLKS, THAT'S A PATH THAT CAN LET THEM HAVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE WHERE THEY CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR INDEPENDENCE.

WELL, SPEAKING OF INDEPENDENCE, I HEARD YOU MENTION ABOUT THOSE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EXTENDED CARE? AND I'M CURIOUS, WHAT PLACEMENT OPTIONS ARE YOU SEEING PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE REGION? SO IN REGION TWO, WE HAVE PHASED IN, WHICH IS A SEAL PROGRAM, SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM THERE IN THE WICHITA FALLS AREA, AND WE HAVE A VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.

THEY ALSO HAVE MULTIPLE CAMPUSES IN THE DFW AREA, AND I BELIEVE ARE LOOKING AT A CURRENT EXPANSION.

SO A LOT OF OUR KIDS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PLACEMENTS.

AND WE'VE ALSO HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN KEEPING KIDS IN MAYBE THEIR LONG TERM FOSTER PLACEMENTS THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN AND HAVING THEM AGREE TO EXTENDED FOSTER CARE.

AND IT'S USUALLY UNTIL THEY FINISH SCHOOL. RIGHT.

AND SO REALLY JUST TRYING TO KEEP THEM IN THOSE FOSTER HOMES, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO KEEP THEM AFTER THE AGE OF 18 AND THEN LOOKING AT OUR PLACEMENTS AND THAT'S GREAT. AND WITH THE SEAL PLACEMENTS, ARE THERE ANY SALE PLACEMENTS THAT ARE ON CAMPUS FOR ANY COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES? YES. WE'VE HAD REALLY GREAT LUCK WITH ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY AND WE'VE HAD TWO YOUTH BE ABLE TO ENTER THE DORM THERE AND BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

THEIR FOSTER CARE LIAISON AT ANGELO STATE IS INCREDIBLE.

AND SO WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO BUILD UPON THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. BUT YES, WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN GETTING KIDS INTO DORMS THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS.

[01:05:01]

I PROMISE I'LL GIVE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT WITH EXTENDED CARE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE NOTICED IN THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE WITH YOUTH AND THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE, IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EXTENDED CARE, BE IT A SILL, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS THEMSELVES, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY GOOD INDICATORS OF A QUALITY RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CAREGIVERS AND THE YOUTH. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE, IF WE WANT TO AVOID THE ISSUE OF YOUTH WHO AGE OUT OF FOSTER CARE AND ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR INCARCERATION, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT COME WITH THE INSTABILITY THERE, THAT WE LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS IN THE HOME.

AND I THINK THAT JUST SEEING THE INCREASE OF THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE DOING THAT.

I THINK THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. AND GETTING THEM TO AGREE, GETTING CAREGIVERS TO AGREE TO, TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. SO THE LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS REGARDING THE YOUTH ADVOCATE POSITION.

NOW, THIS IS JUST A BROADER POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE.

AS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PRESENTATION, THE YOUTH ADVOCATE POSITION, HAVING SOMEBODY WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO WORK AND CONNECT WITH YOUTH IN A DIFFERENT WAY IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. AND I WANT TO JUST TO TO BRING UP SOMETHING ESPECIALLY TO YOU, AUDREY, THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE POSITIONS ALSO EXIST IN DSPS.

AND THAT WAS MY FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE AT 21 YEARS OLD.

I STARTED WORKING AS A YOUTH SPECIALIST, AND I'M CONNECTED WITH THE YOUTH SPECIALISTS THEY'RE HELPING OUT WITH, WITH THE CONFERENCE THAT I'M PUTTING ON AT UT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO VACANCIES THAT EXIST ALL ACROSS THE STATE FOR THIS POSITION.

AND I WAS ASKED BY THE TRANSITIONAL LIVING SERVICES TEAM TO COME TO PRESENT AND TRAIN AND GIVE INSIGHT TO THE CURRENT BATCH.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS PRESENTATION HERE, THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS LIVED EXPERIENCE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A PRETTY TREMENDOUS IMPACT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE SYSTEM.

NAVIGATE VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN THERE, RIGHT? THEY'VE THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO EXPERIENCE REMOVAL.

THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO THROUGH INSTANCES OF MAYBE RUNNING AWAY OR REFUSING PLACEMENT OR DEALING WITH SOME OF THE HARDSHIPS THERE.

AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING I WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO.

BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE TO GET SOME OF THESE POSITIONS FILLED AROUND THE STATE, BUT AS WE'VE HEARD FROM TO ENGAGE THE YOUTH ADVOCATE POSITION IS IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT PIECE.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE YOUTH ADVOCATE THERE AND I THEY ASKED ME TO PRESENT TO THEIR YOUTH AT THEIR LIFE SKILLS TRAINING AND AND I DID, AND I'M HAPPY TO DO SO ANYTIME. BUT THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE.

AND SO SHOUT OUT TO THEM. SHE IS AMAZING. SHE'S NOT ON CALL.

BUT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, SHE IS ON CALL, RIGHT? THAT SPEED DIAL. SO WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO HAVE HER.

WELL THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH I APPRECIATE IT. OH I'M SORRY.

HOLD ON. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. THAT TSTC CAMPUS DOES THAT HAVE DORMS? IT DOES NOT. NO, IT DOES NOT HAVE DORMS THERE.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING OR ANY STANDALONE SEALS THAT ARE CLOSE TO THAT CAMPUS? IF OUR KIDS WERE TO TRY TO GO UP THERE. NO. BECAUSE THE CAMPUS, THEY HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT CAMPUSES.

THE PRIMARY ONE IS IN ABILENE, AND OUR SEAL PROGRAM IS NOT THERE.

WE DO LIKE TO PARTNER WITH TSTC, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH CISCO JUNIOR COLLEGE THAT DOES HAVE DORMS. AND SO WE ARE ALSO BUILDING THAT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL SO THAT THERE IS A PLACE TO STAY.

OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN I APPRECIATE IT. OH, NO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VERY INFORMATIVE.

AND GREAT RESULTS. SO NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM LEANNE BIGGAR OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ON EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS. YOU'VE HAD A BUSY SESSION, HAVEN'T YOU? YES, WE CERTAINLY DID.

SO FIRST I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT OUR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING BILL.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS IN THE SENSE THAT WE GET THE FUNDING STARTING AS SOON AS THE GOVERNOR SIGNS THE BILL, SO WE CAN START SOME PROJECTS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN THAT MONEY WILL TRANSFER UP INTO THE NEXT BIENNIUM.

WE GOT QUITE A FEW OF OUR IT PROJECTS FUNDED THROUGH THIS SUPPLEMENTAL BILL, INCLUDING THE NEW CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THE CE MARK, WHICH IS THE SEARCH ENGINE FOR MULTI-AGENCY REPORTABLE CONDUCT.

I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE BEFORE, BUT THIS IS WHERE, LIKE TJJD, TEA ALL CAN ACCESS BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEES. AND WE ALSO GOT OUR CYBERSECURITY ASK FUNDED THROUGH THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING BILL, SO WE CAN START ON THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL. WE GOT SOME FUNDING TO SHORE UP FY 25 SHORTFALLS FOR DAYCARE AND FOSTER CARE.

AND THEN OUR CO-OP EXPENSES. BUT WE ALSO GOT FUNDING TO DO AN OVERTIME PAY DOWN FOR OUR DIRECT DELIVERY STAFF.

[01:10:01]

AND THAT REALLY GOES A LONG WAY. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO SPEND BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR GOING INTO OUR EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS, WHERE THE FUNDING DOES START. IN FY 26, WE RECEIVED ABOUT $400 MILLION, ALL FUNDS AND 107.5 FTES.

AND I WILL SAY IT WAS KIND OF AN UPHILL BATTLE COMING INTO THE SESSION BECAUSE WHENEVER WE GOT OUR INTRODUCED BILL, THE ONLY THING FUNDED IN THE BILL WERE THINGS THAT ALREADY EXISTED.

SO IT WAS THE CONTINUATION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS. SO TO BE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF NEW THINGS ADDED DURING SESSION AND CONFERENCE IS REALLY A GREAT SUCCESS FOR OUR AGENCY.

THE FIRST ASK THAT WE HAD WAS THE SUSTAINING CLIENT SERVICES.

SO YOU'LL SEE TWO ITEMS HERE. WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRAINING WHILE WORKING THAT THAT WAS A PILOT FUNDED BY FEDERAL FUNDS THIS BIENNIUM AND THAT THAT FUNDING IS GOING AWAY.

SO WE GET TO CONTINUE THAT PROJECT. AND THEN WE ALSO GOT FULL FUNDING FOR OUR APS FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION UNITS.

THEY ALSO SUSTAINED OUR DAYCARE AND FOSTER CARE AND RELATIVE CAREGIVER PAYMENTS, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR EXPANSION.

SO THE SUPPORT FROM THE LEDGE WAS THERE AS WELL.

WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY BASED CARE A LITTLE BIT ALREADY. SO WE ARE EXPANDING INTO SEVEN, WHICH IS CENTRAL TEXAS, WACO SEVEN, BE THE CAPITAL AREA, 11, A SOUTH TEXAS CORPUS AREA, AND 11 B, WHICH IS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AREA. AND THEN WE ALSO GOT THE NETWORK SUPPORT PAYMENT INCREASES FOR SCCS.

IT HAD BEEN AT 1900 PER CHILD, FTE. AND THAT HAS BEEN WE BUMPED IT TO 2500 WITHIN OUR OWN APPROPRIATIONS THIS BIENNIUM.

BUT THEY'VE APPROVED THAT TO GO FORWARD. WE, ALSO I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THE STAGE TWO EARLY PAYMENTS TO ALLOW THE SCCS TO START BUILDING THEIR WELL OF CASEWORKERS GETTING PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE TRAINED BEFORE THEY GO LIVE.

AND THEN WE ALSO GOT THE FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR PROCESS EVALUATIONS, BECAUSE OUR BASE FUNDING ONLY WAS ONLY ENOUGH TO REALLY COVER MAYBE ONE SACK IF WE WERE LUCKY. AND NOW THAT WE'VE EXPANDED TO GOING TO BE ALMOST 80% OF THE STATE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT FUNDING FOR THE PROCESS EVALUATIONS.

MOVING ON TO OUR CLIENT SERVICES, WE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING OUR DAYCARE.

SO WE GOT THE FUNDING TO EXPAND DAYCARE AND THE ELIGIBILITY OF KINSHIP CAREGIVERS TO ACCESS THAT FUNDING.

WE ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING TO EXPAND OUR TRANSITIONAL LIVING SERVICES.

THIS THIS FUNDING REALLY ALLOWS US TO DRAW DOWN, FULLY DRAW DOWN OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.

SO WHILE I KNOW IT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT WHILE IT WAS ONLY ABOUT $500,000, IT REALLY ALLOWS US TO GET TO ABOUT 25 OR 2.5 MILLION TO EXPAND THOSE BUDGETS.

WE ALSO GOT THE FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR TEXAS FAMILY FIRST PILOT.

SO THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE AS IS IN THE AREAS WHERE THEY ARE.

THERE MIGHT BE SOME ROOM TO EXPAND UNDER A BILL THAT WAS PASSED.

BUT WE DID GET THAT FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR TEXAS FAMILY FIRST, WHERE IT PROVIDES THAT FAMILY BASED SERVICES FOR COURT ORDERED SERVICES FOR TECHNICAL. WE TALKED ABOUT THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS.

I BELIEVE AUDREY HAD THAT IN HER UPDATE. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOR KINSHIP FAMILIES THAT'S EXPANDING THE FUNDING FOR THE SCCS TO PROVIDE THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR KINSHIP FAMILIES IN THOSE CATCHMENT AREAS.

AND THEN WE ALSO GOT THE INTENSIVE PEER SUPPORT FUNDING TO CREATE THAT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE PILOTED IN THE AUSTIN AREA NOW.

SO THAT WILL CONTINUE AND EXPAND INTO THE NEXT BIENNIUM.

LET'S SEE. NOW WE HAVE THE STABILIZE AND RETAIN WORKFORCE.

SO HERE WE TARGETED. WE HAD A TARGETED SALARY ASK.

IT WAS NOT FUNDED AS WE REQUESTED. SO WHAT WE DID RECEIVE, WE ARE WORKING TO TARGET OUR PAY EQUITY ISSUES ON OUR FRONTLINE STAFF.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE WHERE WE HAVE THE ISSUE OF A CASEWORKER MOVING TO A SUPERVISOR.

THERE'S REALLY NOT THAT MUCH OF A BUMP IN PAY. WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEY LOSE THEIR TRAVEL, THEY LOSE THEIR OVERTIME. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THOSE TARGETED AREAS.

AND WE ALSO RECEIVED THE FUNDING TO PROVIDE A BUMP IN PAY FOR THOSE THAT OBTAIN THEIR MSW AFTER THEY'VE BEEN HIRED, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PROGRAM AREAS THAT PROVIDE THAT WHEN THEY START WITH THE AGENCY.

SO IF THEY IF THEY OBTAIN THE MSW AFTER THEY START, THEY DON'T GET THAT INCENTIVE.

SO THAT'S PROVIDED FOR THEM. THEN WE HAVE OUR AGENCY OPERATIONS.

SO THE REASON TO BELIEVE DISPOSITION PROCESS IS, IS KIND OF SCATTERED AS IT IS NOW.

SO THIS REALLY DEVELOPS A STATEWIDE PROCESS TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL OF OUR CATCHMENT AREA OR ALL OF OUR REGIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RTBS ARE WELL SUPPORTED AND IT KIND OF GIVES MOVES, THE MOVES THE LEVER OVER TO THE FRONT OF THE PROCESS RATHER THAN THE END WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HEARINGS TO GET YOUR, GET, GET YOURSELF REMOVED FROM THE WHAT'S IT CALLED? REGISTRY. THANK YOU. WE ALSO HAVE THE IMPROVED TIMELINES FOR DUE PROCESS.

[01:15:01]

SO WE'VE GOTTEN A ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SO THAT WE CAN SPEED UP THAT TIMELINE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE THOSE HEARINGS.

WE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE STAFF AND POLICY STAFF FOR STATEWIDE INTAKE AND APS.

SO THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THEIR CASEWORK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.

AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR BACKGROUND CHECK FUNDING.

AND THIS WAS REALLY TO ADDRESS WHERE THE FBI HAS UPDATED THEIR REQUIREMENTS.

SO THIS IS TO ADDRESS THE FBI CHECKS FOR EXISTING STAFF.

AND WE'RE ALREADY PERFORMING THOSE FBI CHECKS ON NEW STAFF.

SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THAT. OTHER FUNDING ITEMS THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS. WE HAVE $1 MILLION TO CONTINUE THE CARE PORTAL FUNDING.

THAT IS THE RESOURCE FOR FOSTER HOMES TO SAY WHERE THEY IDENTIFY NEEDS FOR THEIR FOSTER HOMES, AND THE COMMUNITY CAN PROVIDE THOSE NEEDS. WE ALSO GOT FUNDING TO CREATE A TEXAS BABY MOSES HOTLINE, AND THAT'S GOING TO LIVE WITH STATEWIDE INTAKE. AND THEN ACROSS THE ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST SPECIFIC TO DPS.

THERE WAS A FUNDING FOR 6% INCREASE FOR OUR ATTORNEY SALARIES.

SO ANYONE WHO IS IN A POSITION THAT REQUIRES A LAW DEGREE THOSE POSITIONS ARE TARGETED FOR A 6% INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD WHEN TALKING THROUGH A COUPLE OF THE BILLS THAT WE RECEIVED.

THE HOUSE BILL 451 IS THE SCREENING FOR COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, OR USING THE SEA TOOL FOR ALL OF OUR CASES COMING THROUGH.

WE ALSO GOT THE RURAL COMMUNITY BASED CARE PILOT.

WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE ALREADY. AND THEN OUR SB 1398, WHICH ADDS FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES ABILITIES IN THE SCCS, LOOKING AT OUR COST METHODOLOGY FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE AND THEN STRENGTHENING OUR OVERSIGHT FOR THE CONTRACTS.

SO BEYOND THAT, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.

SO I'M HERE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE TRANSITIONAL LIVING SERVICES, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT CHILDREN AGING OUT OF THE SYSTEM. WHERE DO THEY GO? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? AND JUST IT'S. YEAH. SO. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE WE HAVE CERTAIN CONTRACTS THAT THEY'RE UNABLE TO PERFORM THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.

SO THIS REALLY PROVIDES THAT FUNDING AND HELPS US KEEP THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED.

RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH EXPANSION ON TOP OF WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, I DON'T BELIEVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF AUDREY HAS ANY OTHER INFORMATION ON THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST SUSTAINING WHERE WE ARE AND BEING ABLE TO FULLY DRAW DOWN THAT FEDERAL FUNDS. YEAH, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT THERE IS SOME YOU KNOW, IT'S WE HAD SOME PROVIDERS THAT WERE REPORTING TO US, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THEY WERE HAVING TO GO TO VIRTUAL SERVICES BECAUSE OF FUNDING CUTS.

WE KNOW THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT BEST FOR I MEAN, HUMANS, BUT CERTAINLY TEENAGERS.

SO THERE WILL BE, WE HOPE JUST THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN SOME IN-PERSON SERVICES AND JUST ENSURE THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW FOR PART OF OUR TRANSITIONAL LIVING SERVICES CAN PROVIDE LIKE A ONE TIME HOUSING STIPEND, OR I THINK THERE'S UP TO $3,000 IN ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

BUT IF THAT MONEY RUNS OUT AND WE HAVE A CHILD, A YOUTH, A TRANSITION AGE YOUTH, WHO NEEDS THAT, THEN WE WOULD WOULD NOT POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING.

SO THIS WILL JUST ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOT RUNNING INTO THAT ISSUE.

THANK YOU. JUST ANOTHER QUESTION. HOPEFULLY WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HIGH ACUITY YOUTH AND CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX NEEDS.

AND SO AGAIN, THERE SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TO SERVE THAT POPULATION.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ARE HIGH ACUITY YOUTH AND HOW MANY CHILDREN DO WE HAVE IN OUR STATE THAT WOULD MEET THAT CRITERIA? I KNOW THAT. SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER OFFHAND.

WE'LL BE, WE'LL HAVE, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN DO THAT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE WE PROBABLY NEED A FOCUSED TOPIC AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON TRANSITION AGE YOUTH, WHICH WE ARE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO DO. BUT PARTICULARLY HIGH ACUITY.

I MEAN, THAT'S A THAT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL PORTION.

AS TIMOTHY SAID, AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

THESE YOUTH TEND TO BE ABOUT AGE 12 AND OVER.

OVER. THEY ARE MOSTLY TEENAGERS. I WILL SAY WE'RE SEEING THAT AGE GET JUST A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER.

SO CERTAINLY, THAT IS AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR US.

IT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH IN OUR IN OUR CONSERVATORSHIP.

HOWEVER, THE, THE, THE NEEDS OF THOSE YOUTH ARE VERY, VERY HIGH.

[01:20:04]

AND I WILL JUST SAY THERE'S ALSO IT'S A CHALLENGE IN SORT OF HOW YOU HOW YOU TRACK THAT? WE TRACK IT AND IMPACT THROUGH THINGS LIKE IDENTIFYING THAT THEY HAVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS.

BUT WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT HHS AND WITH STAR HEALTH WHO PROVIDES MEDICARE, WHO'S THEIR MEDICAID PROVIDER, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHERE THOSE DIAGNOSES COME INTO PLAY.

WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON SOME DATA. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON DATA TO HELP INFORM OUR UNDERSTANDING.

AND WE ARE IN ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT WORK, BUT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO A TARGETED TOPIC ON THIS NEXT TIME.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY.

LET'S SEE. SO THE NEXT GROUP OF PRESENTERS. I HOPE I GET THIS RIGHT.

RACHEL RICHER RICHTER FROM S J BELONG, CORRECT? AND MARTHA TALBOT FROM CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER.

YOU'RE GOING TO GO FIRST, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO START THERE.

SO THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR INVITING US.

MY NAME IS RACHEL RICHTER. I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT SJRC, TEXAS, AND OUR COMMUNITY BASED CARE DIVISION IS BELONG.

AND SO I WANTED TO START BY SHOWING YOU ALL OUR MAP, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE HOW LARGE OUR REGION ACTUALLY IS.

AND AS WAS NOTED EARLIER BEXAR COUNTY WAS JUST AWARDED TO US IN APRIL.

AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE STARTUP PERIOD FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

SO THE FOCUS OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS GOING TO BE ON THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, WHICH IS EIGHT B.

YOU CAN SEE OUR REGION STRETCHES FROM THE BORDER OVER TO THE WEST, ALL THE WAY TO THE GULF OVER ON THE EAST.

NEXT SLIDE. SO I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT JUST ABOUT OUR POPULATION MAKEUP.

AND THIS SLIDE IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL REALLY FEED INTO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WITH KINSHIP.

THIS DATA IS AS OF MAY 14TH. THERE WE GO. SO IT'S FAIRLY RECENT.

827 CHILDREN AND YOUTH THAT ARE IN OUR CARE IN OUR REGION.

AND SINCE INCEPTION, WHICH WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2021, WE HAVE SERVED WELL OVER 2100 YOUTH.

AND THAT NUMBER, YOU KNOW, WILL JUST CONTINUE TO RISE.

AND THEN SINCE STAGE TWO, WHICH WAS OCTOBER OF 2022 WHEN WE TOOK OVER THE CASE MANAGEMENT FUNCTION AS THE SSCC, WE'VE HAD 834 CHILDREN ACHIEVE PERMANENCY. BUT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS HOW MANY OF THOSE YOUTH HAVE BEEN REUNIFIED WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS.

308 AND 375 CHILDREN HAVE FOUND HOME WITH A RELATIVE.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE THE SMALLEST NUMBER HERE. 151 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.

THOSE ARE ALL NON-RELATIVES SO, SO NOT RELATED TO OUR CHILD ADOPTED OUT OF THEIR FAMILY OF ORIGIN.

AND THAT IS REALLY KIND OF THE CRUX OF OUR MODEL AT SJRC AND BELONG.

WE REALLY FOCUS ON FAMILY, AND WE HAVE SO MANY INITIATIVES THAT REALLY BRINGS FAMILY IN AND FOCUSES ON KEEPING KIDS WITH THEIR RELATIVES.

IF THEY CAN'T GO HOME TO THEIR PARENTS, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE DATA SAYS THAT KIDS DO BETTER WHEN THEY'RE GROWING UP AND RAISED WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES, AS OPPOSED TO BEING ADOPTED OUT BY FAMILIES THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO THEM.

WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH DFPS TO ENSURE NEW REMOVALS.

CAN BE PLACED WITH FAMILY BY THE 60TH DAY POST REMOVAL.

WE ACTUALLY WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR INVESTIGATION FRIENDS AT DSPS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE CAN, WE'RE GETTING KIDS PLACED WITH RELATIVES BEFORE THEY EVEN COME INTO OUR CARE.

AND THEN IF NOT, THEN WE COME IN BEHIND THAT AND REALLY WORK HARD TO GET KIDS TO KINSHIP.

WITHIN THOSE FIRST 60 DAYS AFTER COMING INTO OUR CARE.

THIS IS ACTUALLY A PERFORMANCE MEASURE THAT IS PART OF OUR CONTRACT WITH DPS THAT WE ARE MEASURED ON.

AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, I MEAN, JUST THE LAST SEVERAL QUARTERS AND IN GENERAL, WE'VE BEEN REALLY GOOD ABOUT SURPASSING THE BASELINE THERE.

THE STATE TARGET IS 48.7%. AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS MOST RECENT QUARTER WE WERE AT ALMOST 56%.

SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO GET THOSE KIDS WITH FAMILY ON THE FRONT END AS, AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT BY BEING GOOD PARTNERS WITH DPS.

WE WORK WITH THEM AND COMMUNICATE ALL THE TIME.

AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I'M GOING TO LET CHERYL COME IN AND TALK CHERYL HERBER IS OUR PERMANENCY DIRECTOR FOR KINSHIP, AND THIS IS REALLY HER AREA OF EXPERTISE. SO SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT HERE SOON.

[01:25:03]

THEY ARE ASSIGNING A KINSHIP WORKER TO THAT FAMILY WITHIN 48 HOURS AND GETTING IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO REALLY START WORKING WITH THOSE FAMILIES.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S REALLY BEEN WORKING FOR US.

NEXT SLIDE. AND SO RIGHT HERE I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THIS IS OVERALL CHILDREN IN CARE PLACED WITH KIN.

AND SO ON AVERAGE, YOU CAN SEE 41% OF OUR KIDS UNDER BELONGS NETWORK ARE PLACED WITH KINSHIP CAREGIVERS.

AND THAT NUMBER JUST CONTINUES TO RISE EACH MONTH RIGHT NOW OUR LATEST DATA FOR MAY IS ACTUALLY 44% OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION OF KIDS ARE PLACED WITH KINSHIP CAREGIVERS. AND THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

LIKE I SAID, WE REALLY STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ARE PLACED WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY WANT TO BE ANYWAYS. SO HOW CAN WE COME IN AND SUPPORT THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SUCCESSFUL? AND SO WITH THAT, I ACTUALLY WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO CHERYL.

SHE'S REALLY OUR KINSHIP EXPERT IN HOUSE, AND I WANT HER TO REALLY TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT SOME OF THE REALLY NEAT THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PLACEMENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. RACHEL. GOOD MORNING. I'M CHERYL HERBER, AND I AM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR.

OVER KINSHIP WITH THE JRC BELONG. AND I WANTED TO JOIN YOU ALL TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING TO PRESERVE OUR KINSHIP PLACEMENTS.

KINSHIP CAREGIVER TRAINING RECENTLY CHANGED. OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS USED TO HAVE A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO COMPLETE KINSHIP CAREGIVER TRAININGS.

WELL, NOW THEY HAVE 14 DAYS TO COMPLETE TWO OF THE TRAININGS.

AND WHEN YOU'RE GETTING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN IN YOUR HOME, NIECES, NEPHEWS, MAYBE SIBLINGS YOU'RE HAVING TO MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

YOUR GROCERY BILL IS DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, COOKING DINNER IN THE EVENING IS DIFFERENT.

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SO MANY APPOINTMENTS IS DIFFERENT.

AND HERE WE ARE SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE TO GET THESE TRAININGS DONE WITH YOU.

SO IT'S OVERWHELMED A LOT OF OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS.

AND SO WE SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU OUT ALONG THE WAY? SO AS PART OF OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO POSITIONS THAT WE CALL MCAS MOBILE CASE AIDES.

AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY ARE THERE FOR OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS JUST TO TRANSPORT TO THERAPY, EQUINE THERAPY SIBLING VISITS, BUT THEN TO TAKE IT UP A NOTCH.

THEY'RE ALSO THE PERSON THAT CAN GO IN IF THE KINSHIP WORKER DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME TO DEVOTE TO THE FAMILY TO SAY, HEY, LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT TRAINING, LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THE CAREGIVER PORTAL, BECAUSE THAT THAT ONE CAN BE CONFUSING FOR OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS.

SOME OF THEM DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS OR EVEN ACCESS TO THE INTERNET IN SOME OF OUR RURAL COUNTIES.

AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THE SUPPORT OUT THERE TO THEM TO HELP THEM WITH THAT.

SO THAT'S JUST ONE STRATEGY THAT WE'RE USING IS OFFERING THE SUPPORT WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRAININGS. BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO DOING WHAT WE CALL KINSHIP SUPPORT MEETINGS.

SO WHEN THE FAMILIES ARE COMING TOGETHER AND PARENTS ARE WORKING A CASE, KINSHIP CAREGIVERS BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH THE LINGO THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

THE EXPECTATIONS, THE THE MULTIPLE APPOINTMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO TO.

AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL CALL AND SAY, HEY, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS ANYMORE.

YOU KNOW, I IT'S JUST A LOT. WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A LOT.

SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ON OUR END? WE'RE BRINGING THAT KINSHIP FAMILY IN SIMILAR TO A FAMILY WITH AN FGC AND SAYING, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? HERE'S WHAT'S WORKING. WELL, HERE'S WHAT'S NOT.

BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET TO THE NEXT STEP TO KEEP THIS PLACEMENT, TO PRESERVE THE PLACEMENT? ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS RESOURCE NAVIGATION.

OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT HAS BEEN MADE A HUGE IMPACT TO OUR KINSHIP FAMILIES.

EQUINE THERAPY IS SOMETHING THAT OUR YOUTH HAVE JUST BEEN THRIVING WITH.

HOW OFTEN CAN YOU HEAR TWO YOUTH SAY, HEY, I WANT TO GO TO THERAPY? THE OTHER DAY I HAD ONE OF OUR MCAS CALL AND SAY, HEY, I WAS TRANSPORTING THE YOUTH TO THERAPY, AND THEY WERE ARGUING OVER WHO WOULD GO FIRST.

AND SO THAT'S JUST REALLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY POSITIVE FOR OUR YOUTH VETERAN CARE TO WANT TO GO TO THAT TYPE OF THERAPY.

IN ADDITION TO EQUINE THERAPY, THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT HAS ALLOWED US TO PURCHASE THINGS LIKE WEIGHTED BLANKETS FOR YOUTH IN CARE ART SUPPLY SETS, AND EVEN LIKE, FIDGETS. OUR YOUTH LOVE FIDGETS, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S AN OUTLET FOR THEM.

AND SO WE'RE OFFERING THE SUPPORT TO THE KINSHIP CAREGIVERS THAT WAY THROUGH THE GRANT.

SO WHY KINSHIP MATTERS? AMONG CHILDREN WHO EXITED CARE, 1 IN 4 WERE EXITED TO A RELATIVE WITH LESS THAN 2% RETURNING TO CARE WITHIN 12 MONTHS.

SO KINSHIP HOMES OFFER PRESERVATION OF VITAL FAMILY CONNECTIONS, STABILITY, AND SAFE, LASTING PERMANENCY OUTCOMES.

BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ADD IT PROVIDES THAT CONNECTION FOR OUR YOUTH.

I HAD ONE YOUTH TELL ME MY PLACEMENT WITH GRANDMA MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT IT'S PERFECT FOR ME.

AND SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR KINSHIP FAMILIES, THIS IS WHERE OUR YOUTH WANT TO BE.

[01:30:05]

FAMILIES INVOLVED WITH CASES WITH MULTIPLE PROFESSIONALS CAN AT TIMES FEEL INTIMIDATED.

OVERWHELMED. YOU HAVE A KINSHIP WORKER COMING IN.

YOU HAVE A CVS WORKER AN AD LITEM, AND MAYBE EVEN YOU'RE TALKING TO A THERAPIST WITH THE YOUTH.

AND SO IT CAN BE A LOT FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS TO, TO TAKE ON, TO UNDERSTAND.

AND SO WE'VE LEARNED THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE THOSE BABY STEPS WITH OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS, AND WE HAVE TO OFFER THAT SUPPORT TO THEM.

WE NEED TO SIT DOWN. IT'S IMPORTANT. WE MAY EVEN BE OUT AT THE HOME MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH JUST TO OFFER THAT SUPPORT.

LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE NEXT.

THIS COURT HEARING IS COMING UP. THIS IS WHAT IT ENTAILS.

AND SO REALLY BEING OPEN AND HONEST WITH OUR KINSHIP FAMILIES AND SHOWING A LOT OF EMPATHY TOWARDS THEM DURING THIS TIME.

ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED IS ADDRESSING MINOR CONCERNS EARLY ON.

AND SO, I FEEL THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE CAN WAIT FOR A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE IN A CASE TO ARISE, AND THEN WE ADDRESS IT. BUT WE'VE LEARNED THAT WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE.

ONE SMALL CONCERN CAN LEAD TO THAT BIG CONCERN.

SO WE NEED TO GET IN THERE EARLY ON AND ADDRESS THE SMALL WORRIES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN PRESERVE THE PLACEMENT.

AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, KINSHIP CAREGIVER TRAININGS, WHILE VALUABLE, AS I SAID EARLIER, IT CAN FEEL OVERWHELMING.

AND SO THAT THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT WE'VE LEARNED. WE HAVE TO OFFER THAT SUPPORT AND WE HAVE TO TAILOR IT TO EACH FAMILY.

JUST BECAUSE MY FAMILY IN SAN ANTONIO HAS THIS ISSUE MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS THE FAMILY IN VICTORIA, SO WE REALLY HAVE TO TAILOR WHAT WE'RE OFFERING THE FAMILY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEIR PLACEMENT IN PROVIDING CARE FOR THE YOUTH.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? I DO. FIRST, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.

I THINK THAT 20 YEARS AGO, IF YOU WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT YOU KNOW, REENTRY INTO FOSTER CARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN IMAGINE THAT WE WOULD HAVE RATES AS LOW AS THE ONES Y'ALL ARE REPORTING.

I THINK WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE, LET'S DO THAT IMMEDIATELY. I'M CURIOUS, WITH THE PRESERVATION OF KINSHIP PLACEMENTS AS A PRIORITY AND TRAININGS BEING A BARRIER, ESPECIALLY TO OLDER CAREGIVERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GRANDMA AND GRANDPA MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER OR A SMARTPHONE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT CAPABLE OF PROVIDING A NURTURING, STABLE, SAFE HOME FOR THE CHILD TO GROW UP IN.

DO YOUR. I'LL CALL THEM NAVIGATORS. DO THEY HELP PEOPLE GO THROUGH THIS TRAINING IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

I CAN ANSWER THAT. ABSOLUTELY. AND I'LL EVEN TAKE THAT ONE STEP FURTHER.

RECENTLY WE HAD A DONATION OF LAPTOPS BECAUSE SOME OF OUR CAREGIVERS DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM. SO WE TEAMED UP WITH A DONOR THAT PROVIDED LAPTOPS TO US.

AND NOW OUR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS CAN EVEN CHECK OUT A LAPTOP LIKE YOU WOULD A LIBRARY BOOK TO COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING.

AND THEN ALSO WE CAN ASSESS THE SITUATION WITH THE KINSHIP CAREGIVER.

THEY MAY NEED A LAPTOP IN THEIR HOME FULL TIME, AND IF SO, WE WILL REACH OUT TO ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SEE IF THEY COULD PROVIDE THAT FOR THE CAREGIVER. SO WE DO TRY TO MEET THEM IN THE MIDDLE FOR TECHNOLOGY.

IF WE CAN'T OFFER IT ONE WAY, WE TRY TO LOOK FOR A PLAN B, SO THAT WAY WE CAN MEET THEM THERE.

THAT'S GREAT. AND HOW LONG WOULD IT SAY OR HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE.

WOULD YOU SAY FOR FOR PEOPLE TO COMPLETE THIS TRAINING.

SO THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE TWO TRAININGS WITHIN 14 DAYS.

AND THEN THERE'S A SERIES OF OTHER TRAININGS. IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON YOUR FAMILY. WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE REALLY EAGER TO GET IN AND GET IT DONE, AND WE HAVE SOME THAT CAN KIND OF PLANT THEIR FEET AND BE KIND OF SLOW.

BUT WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE JUST SCARED.

THEY'RE SCARED. THEY'RE INTIMIDATED, I THINK IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT WORD. BY BY COMPLETING ALL THAT.

AND I THINK SOMETIMES THEY EVEN LOOK AT IT AS LIKE, OH, AM I GOING TO TAKE A TEST? NO, WE JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU'RE EDUCATED AND HAVE THE RESOURCES AND KNOWLEDGE TO PROVIDE THE CARE TO TO THE KIDS THAT ARE IN YOUR HOME.

GOTCHA. VERY GOOD. ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOU BROKE DOWN.

RACHEL BROKE DOWN THE PLACEMENT. EXITS TO PERMANENCY.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS 151 CHILDREN WHO WERE ADOPTED THAT WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, RELATIVES.

BUT DOES THIS INCLUDE FICTIVE KIN? NO, WE INCLUDED RELATIVES ADOPTION AND FICTIVE KIN ADOPTION UNDER THAT RELATIVE NUMBER.

IT'S IT GETS REALLY COMPLICATED WHEN YOU TRY TO BREAK IT OUT THAT WAY.

SO TO BE EASIER, WE THE 151 IS ONLY UNRELATED AND ALSO NOT FICTIVE KIN.

OKAY. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. YOU KNOW, REASON BEING IS THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE FAMILIAR ARE GOING TO BE PERCEIVED AS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE.

AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU BROKE THAT DOWN.

THANK YOU. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CAREGIVER TRAININGS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING, IS THIS THE CAREGIVERS TRAINING TOWARDS LICENSING?

[01:35:03]

WE DO ENCOUNTER THAT. IT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE DELINQUENT.

BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE KEEP WORKING WITH THEM ON TO GET THEM IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TRAINING.

OKAY. SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING TOWARDS REMOVAL IF THEY DON'T COMPLETE THEIR TWO. CORRECT. IT'S WE'VE HAD SOME THAT TAKE US A WHILE, BUT WE CONTINUOUSLY WORK WITH THE FAMILY. OKAY.

AND THEN IN THIS NUMBER OF THE 375 EXIT TO RELATIVE, DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN.

AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT. BUT DO YOU JUST HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY OF THAT IS PMC? PMC WITH PCA OR ADOPTION? I CAN GET THAT, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT OFF THE TOP RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU. THIS TRAINING, IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO DO IT, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE THEM TO COMPLETE IT? ARE WE TALKING LIKE A DAY OF TRAINING OR, LIKE, THREE DAYS? NO.

WE COULD ABSOLUTELY GET THOSE FIRST TWO DONE WITHIN THE DAY.

BUT WE COULDN'T GET ALL OF THEM DONE IN THE DAY, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A FEW TRIPS OUT THERE FOR GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE TRAININGS WITH THE CAREGIVER. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

SURE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS DATA. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY KINSHIP PLACEMENTS ON THE AVERAGE A CHILD GOES THROUGH BEFORE THEY'RE REUNITED WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL FAMILY? NOW, I KNOW YOU PLACE THEM IN KINSHIP, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO EXPLORE OTHER KINSHIP PLACEMENTS.

SO I WAS I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF THAT IN TERMS OF STABILITY OF PLACEMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO KINSHIP PLACEMENTS.

HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU HAVING TO MOVE CHILDREN? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER, BUT I DO TRACK HOW OFTEN.

EVERY TIME. EACH MONTH WE DO HAVE A DISRUPTION.

AND WE DO. WE PROBABLY HAVE LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF KINSHIP DISRUPTIONS EACH MONTH.

BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TYPE OF DISRUPTION THAT IT IS.

IT COULD BE ONE WHERE WE HAD TO MOVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CHILD WAS NOT SAFE, OR IT COULD BE ONE WHERE WE MOVED BECAUSE GRANDMA JUST WASN'T READY TO DO THAT COMMITMENT. SHE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE CARE.

BUT AUNT LINDA OVER HERE IS READY TO PROVIDE THAT LONG TERM COMMITMENT.

SO IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF DISRUPTION.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY. THE NEXT TWO PRESENTERS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE FOCUS ON KINSHIP AND KINSHIP PLACEMENTS IN OUR SO WE HAVE MARK MARTIN, MARTHA TALBOT ALBERT WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER AND ERIKA BANUELOS WITH ALSO WITH CPS ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER. SO THANK YOU.

HI. GOOD MORNING. I'M MARTA TALBOT, I'M THE CPS ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER.

SO I COVER INVESTIGATIONS THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS.

TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KINSHIP CARE AND SPECIFICALLY KINSHIP CARE.

LIKE, AS FIRST PLACEMENT WITHIN THE INVESTIGATION STAGE.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, ALL OF US KNOW THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME BENEFITS WITH KINSHIP CARE TO INCLUDE TO INCLUDE LESS LIKELY TO ENTER FOSTER CARE OR TO REENTER CARE.

OFTENTIMES, FEWER PLACEMENTS IS MORE LIKELY TO BE PLACED WITH SIBLINGS AND MAINTAIN THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH BIRTH PARENTS.

AND OF COURSE, MORE LIKELY TO REMAIN IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND LESS TRAUMA TO THAT CHILD PLACE WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW.

THIS IS JUST DATA OF WHAT WE LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW OR OVER TIME FOR OUR CPI KINSHIP FIRST PLACEMENTS WERE ABOUT 35%.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR GOALS AND STRATEGIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS I SAY ABOUT OUR GOALS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 35% OVERALL, WE'RE ABOUT 40, 45%. I THINK IT'LL BE IN LATER SLIDES, ABOUT 43% OVERALL WITH A PLAN PLACING WITH KINSHIP FOR FIRST PLACEMENTS.

WE'RE ABOUT 35%. SO YOU CAN SEE WE WANT TO GET THAT 43% OR EVEN HIGHER AT THE FIRST PLACEMENT, NOT THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THAT CASE OR THAT CHILD.

SO, IT'S GOAL FOR US RIGHT NOW TO BE AT 40% AND BY JANUARY OF 2026 WE WANT TO ALSO INCREASE PERCENTAGE OF KINSHIP PLACEMENTS BEFORE THE ADVERSARY HEARING.

SO MY CHALLENGE TO MY STAFF HAS BEEN, IF WE CAN'T DO IT AT FIRST PLACEMENT, CAN WE DO IT BEFORE WE HAVE THAT FIRST HEARING? TO REALLY, REALLY SEARCH AND LOCATE KINSHIP PLACEMENTS AND THEN AS WELL, WE WANT TO START PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THOSE KINSHIP PROVIDERS FROM DAY ONE.

IF WE PLACE, WHAT DO THEY NEED? WHAT ARE THE WORRIES? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THOSE KINSHIP.

SO HERE'S A FEW STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE USING OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SPECIALISTS TO REALLY PAIR WITH OUR CASEWORKERS WHERE THEY CAN HELP AT FAMILY TEAM

[01:40:02]

WHAT DO THEY NEED? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU? THEY'RE LOOKING AT CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND REALLY TRYING TO HELP THOSE KINSHIP PROVIDERS NAVIGATE THOSE SYSTEMS. FROM COUNSELING TO MAYBE THE CHILD HAS BEEN DISCHARGED FROM A PSYCH HOSPITAL.

WHAT ARE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? AND TRYING TO HELP MANEUVER, SET UP THOSE APPOINTMENTS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, CONNECTING THEM WITH ANY AND ALL COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

WE'VE ALSO ARE USING OUR SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS.

THEIR PREVIOUS THEY HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUNDS.

THAT IS SOME OF MY INVESTIGATORS AND WE'RE USING THEM.

ACTUALLY, IF WE DO NOT HAVE A RELATIVE, WE'RE USING THEM TO GO FIND THE RELATIVE.

SO IF WE HAVE AN ADDRESS, NAMES, INFORMATION, WE HAVE THEM DO SEARCHES AND ACTUALLY MAKE HOME VISITS AND TRY TO LOCATE THOSE RELATIVES FOR US. WE'VE ALSO STREAMLINED OUR FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCE STAFF.

SO THEY ARE STAFF THAT BASICALLY FACILITATE MEETINGS WITH FAMILIES.

AND SO WE'VE STREAMLINED THEM. WE'VE MOVED THEM TO STATE OFFICE.

WE'VE KIND OF REINVIGORATED THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO AT THE TIME OF REMOVAL OR BEFORE REMOVAL, THEY GATHER ALL FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT THE FAMILY CAN THINK OF.

AND WE START AT THAT POINT TALKING ABOUT RELATIVE PLACEMENT, ESTIMATE AND WE CALL IT OUR KIND OF THAT FAMILY FOCUSED MEETING TO REALLY HONE IN OF WHAT THAT FAMILY NEEDS AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THAT RELATIVE RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING.

WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED A LOT OF TRAININGS THEY'RE MANDATORY TRAININGS FOR OUR STAFF.

AND IT'S WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE LIKE ONE TIME, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LIKE KIND OF THAT ONGOING TRAINING TO TEACH OUR STAFF, NOT JUST THE IMPORTANCE OF KINSHIP PLACEMENT, BUT ALSO KIND OF TALKING ABOUT MYTHS AND BIASES AND RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN GIVE THE FAMILIES. WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL RESOURCE WEB PAGE.

SO BASICALLY, IF I'M A CASEWORKER, I CAN GET ON THIS SITE AND PULL ALL RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES.

SO IT'S KIND OF A11 STOP SHOP FOR OUR WORKERS THAT THEY CAN ACCESS RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES.

AND THEN RIGHT NOW, OUR NEXT KIND OF BIG THING WE'RE WORKING ON IS WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP A RESOURCE PACKET FOR OUR KINSHIP FAMILIES THAT IS ABOUT TRAUMA INFORMED. SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR NEXT STEP TO REALLY HELPING OUR KINSHIP FAMILIES.

AND THAT IS FOR INVESTIGATIONS. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ERIKA FOR CPS.

THANK YOU, MARTA. SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AFTER MARTA'S TEAM REMOVES THE CHILDREN AND THEY COME INTO FOSTER CARE WHAT HAPPENS AND WHY IS OUR FOCUS CONTINUE TO BE WITH KINSHIP.

SO WE HAVE BUILT A PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE SEE AN INCREASE IN KINSHIP PLACEMENTS.

SO SOME OF OUR PROJECTED GOALS IS TO IDENTIFY KINSHIP CONNECTIONS FOR KIDS WHO ARE NOT IN KINSHIP PLACEMENTS.

SO SOMETIMES WHEN THEY REMOVE, THEY CANNOT SECURE A KINSHIP PLACEMENT FOR WHATEVER REASON.

SO AS IT TRANSFERS OVER TO CONSERVATORSHIP, WE HAVE ADDED SOME RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT DILIGENCE SEARCH, BUT ALSO ASSIGNING A KINSHIP CASEWORKER, EVEN WHEN THERE'S NOT A KINSHIP WORKER YET TO START REACHING OUT TO FAMILY, GOING OUT TO THE HOME INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING THEM A LETTER THAT THERE'S THIS CHILD IN FOSTER CARE THAT'S RELATED TO THEM.

SO REALLY DOING SOME CONCRETE FOLLOW UPS TO SEE IF WE CAN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, IDENTIFY KINSHIP CAREGIVER AND PLACE THEM IN THE HOME.

WHICH GOES TO NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS FACILITATE IMMEDIATE PLACEMENTS.

THAT IS WHAT WE WANT. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO ALONG THE WAY TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENS.

AND OF COURSE, REFRAME FROM KINSHIP DISRUPTIONS.

WE HAVE PUT IN SOME VARIOUS EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT IF MARTA'S TEAM DID THE FIRST PLACEMENT, OR EVEN IF WE DID THE PLACEMENT AND THE KINSHIP CAREGIVER IS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME THAT WE GO IN AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THEM? DO WE NEED TO SEND CASEWORKERS OUT THERE EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO HELP SUPPORT? WHAT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DO THEY NEED? WHAT DO THEY NEED FROM SA HEALTH? SO OUR GOAL IS TO GO IN THERE, BE HANDS ON AND HELP THE RELATIVES MAINTAIN THESE PLACEMENTS.

SO HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE DISRUPTIONS? IN THE, IN THE EXISTING KINSHIP PLACEMENTS? AGAIN, WE REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT IS THE NEED? HOW CAN WE HELP THEM AND HOW CAN WE BE HANDS ON,

[01:45:02]

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OVERWHELMING FEELING FOR THE CAREGIVER TO CARE FOR THESE OLDER YOUTH THAT HAVE HIGHER NEEDS. AND SO WE ACTUALLY PUT A TEAM TOGETHER THAT IS COMPOSED OF OUR PARTNERS AT HHC WHO HAVE MANY OF THE SERVICES THAT CAN BENEFIT KINSHIP.

WE'LL BRING IN OUR OWN CLINICAL COORDINATORS, OUR OWN YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH STAFF TO REALLY DEVELOP A GOOD, CLEAR PLAN FOR THAT KINSHIP CAREGIVER IN CASE THEY ARE FACING SOME, SOME ISSUES ALONG THE WAY.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY CAN CALL IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS LIKE MARTA ALONG THE WAY, WE ALSO PUT TOGETHER A FAMILY GROUP MEETING.

AND THAT IS NOT TO TALK ABOUT DEVELOPING A SERVICE PLAN OR WHERE THE PARENTS GOING.

THIS MEETING IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO TALK TO THE KINSHIP CAREGIVERS IN THE HOME OR OUTSIDE THE HOME.

BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE KINSHIP GIVER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS.

SO MAYBE AUNT CAN'T TAKE THEM, BUT MAYBE AUNT CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION.

OR I HAVE A COWORKER WHO SAYS HE WOULD PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE HE WOULD NEVER TAKE, BUT HE CAN PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, RIGHT. HELPING THEM TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL. SOMETIMES THEIR KINSHIP GIVERS, THEY NEED A BREAK.

AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO SURROUND THEM BY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, OTHER CONNECTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, IT CAN ALLOW THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE RESPITE CARE WITHIN THEIR OWN HOME.

AND SO WE ENSURE THAT THOSE PLANS, WE HAVE VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INVOLVED.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO ENSURE IS THAT THE FOLLOW UP STEPS ARE NOT JUST BY THE CASEWORKER, BUT THAT THEY ARE WITH ALL THE TEAM TO NOT OVERWHELM THE WORKER.

THE NEXT THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE REVIEWING POLICY AND PROCESSES.

SO WE'VE STREAMLINED THE PRELIMINARY HOME ASSESSMENT, WHICH FOCUSES WHENEVER WE'RE GOING TO DO AN INITIAL PLACEMENT, WE HAVE TO DO A PRELIMINARY HOME ASSESSMENT. IT USED TO BE EXTREMELY LENGTHY.

AND WE HAVE BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO THE VERY IMPORTANT POINTS THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE FOR JUST FOCUSED ON SAFETY.

RIGHT. RUNNING BACKGROUND CHECKS, DOING A WALKTHROUGH OF THE HOME SPACING.

WHO'S IN THE HOME, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS VERSUS WRITING OUT AN ENTIRE HOME STUDY.

WE DEFINITELY REQUEST A HOME STUDY. AFTER THAT.

BUT IF WE FIND A RELATIVE, WE WANT TO GO OUT THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, ASSESS AND BE ABLE TO PLACE THE CHILD WITH THEM.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS WE FORMED THE PARENTS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE SUBCOMMITTEE GROUPS, AND THEIR FOCUS WILL BE ON KINSHIP.

WE DO HAVE A KINSHIP STATEWIDE GROUP ALREADY THAT PROVIDES US WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, THAT PROVIDES US, THAT PROVIDES US A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY TO SUPPORT KINSHIP CAREGIVERS AND WHERE OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE.

AND THEN, LIKE MARTA WE SHARE WITH STAFF THE MONTHLY KINSHIP CORNER, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE POLICY AND RESOURCES.

AND OF COURSE THIS ALLOWS US TO PUT ANY NEW INFORMATION, ANY NEW RESOURCES OUT TO THEM EVERY MONTH SO THAT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY CAN OFFER TO THE KINSHIP CAREGIVER.

SO THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST SOME DATA. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR PERCENTAGE OVERALL FOR KINSHIP PLACEMENTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE 40S. ALTHOUGH WE DID SEE A DECLINE IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WHICH IS UP TO 43%. OUR GOAL IS TO BE AT 45% BY THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WILL END AT THE END OF AUGUST, AND HOPEFULLY FOR NEXT YEAR, OUR GOAL WILL BE TO HAVE AT LEAST 50%, IF NOT MORE, OF OUR KINSHIP CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE PLACED WITH A FICTIVE KIN OR KINSHIP CAREGIVER.

ANY QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. WHEN YOU REMOVE A CHILD FROM A HOME AND IT IS GOING TO HAVE A KINSHIP PLACEMENT, THIS IMMEDIATE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AWAY, WHICH IS TERRIFIC. YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WHAT IS UNCLE PETER GOING TO DO WITH THE KID AS FAR AS PICKING HIM UP FROM SCHOOL, TAKING HIM TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, JUST SORT OF THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT I'VE INTERACTED WITH IN THOSE SITUATIONS, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GO GET COURT DOCUMENTS OR GET ALL THAT STUFF.

[01:50:05]

OKAY. SO THEY HAVE PLACEMENT PAPERWORK TO DO ALL THAT.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE THOSE KIND OF DISCUSSIONS, RIGHT.

LIKE CAN YOU DO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING? IF NOT, WE'LL HELP OUT.

WE MIGHT SEND SOMEONE TO DO THAT FOR THEM. OR IF SCHOOLS HAVE QUESTIONS, WE MAY BE THERE THAT NEXT DAY WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE GETTING TO SCHOOL, THAT FIRST DAY TO HELP OUT. SO, WE HAVE TO KIND OF PAIR AND HELP THEM FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS TO GET ACCLIMATED OF WHAT WHAT'S NEXT? OKAY, GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. HELP THEM. THANK YOU.

I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. IN ONE OF THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, THERE WAS THIS MENTION OF THIS CARE PORTAL THAT'S USED FOR FOSTER FAMILIES AND WHICH I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE A VERY GOOD RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES TO, I GUESS, CAN IDENTIFY NEEDS AND THEN POSSIBLY HAVE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. IS THERE SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR THE KINSHIP PROVIDERS.

YES. OH, OKAY. SORRY. YES. WHEN WE HAVE WHEN KINSHIP CAREGIVERS HAVE NEEDS, WE DEFINITELY CAN ACCESS THAT CARE PORTAL.

CARE PORTAL. JUST LIKE A FOSTER FAMILY. JUST A COMMENT AND A QUESTION IN A QUESTION.

FIRST, I THINK THAT THE PRESENTATION FROM YOU ALL AND FROM BELONG IS FANTASTIC.

I THINK THAT GETTING IT RIGHT AT, AT INVESTIGATIONS AND PLACING PEOPLE AND PRIORITIZING KINSHIP IS REALLY GOING TO ALTER PEOPLE'S TRAJECTORY, NOT JUST INVOLVED WITH THE SYSTEM, BUT BEYOND THAT, THROUGH LIFE. I THINK THAT IF THEY'RE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE FAMILIAR AND COMFORTABLE, I THINK THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A FAR BETTER EXPERIENCE.

PRESERVING KINSHIP PROVIDERS AND FAMILIES IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF CONSIDERATION IN, AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY REALLY QUICK. I KNOW THERE WAS A MENTION OF RESPITE.

OUR KINSHIP PROVIDERS ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO TAP INTO RESPITE NETWORKS THAT MAY EXIST OUTSIDE OF.

THAT FAMILY. YES, THEY ARE. AND SOMETIMES WHEN THEY GET LICENSED THE AGENCY THAT THEY GET LICENSED BY.

WILL HAVE SOMETIMES THEY HAVE RESPITE CARE FOR THEM THAT THEY CAN ACCESS.

AND THERE IS ALSO. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE AGENCY THAT DOES AND CAN PROVIDE RESPITE FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS AS WELL.

BUT AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY FIND OTHER RELATIVES THAT CAN ALSO STEP IN.

BUT THERE IS COMMUNITY RESOURCES OUT THERE THAT WE CURRENTLY USE.

I JUST CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME RIGHT NOW I GOT YOU.

AND ARE THEY ARE SOME AND NOT TO PRESS ON THE NAME OF THEM BUT ARE THESE COMMUNITY RESOURCES? ARE THEY LOCATED WITHIN THE LIKE THE CBC REGIONS OR WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE SOME SERVE IN VARIOUS REGIONS.

IT WILL BE MAYBE IN A LEGACY OR REGION OR A REGION.

SO IT KIND OF DEPENDS. BUT THERE ARE SOME I CAN SHARE THOSE WITH YOU, TIMOTHY, AND I CAN EMAIL THEM TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, AND WE WILL BE BACK IN FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE BREAK. OKAY.

OUR NEXT PRESENTER IS YESENIA RODRIGUEZ WITH CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DIRECTOR, TO GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF AND MAYBE SOME INFORMATION ON THE SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS AND HOW IT MAY IMPACT ALL OF YOU.

SO WE'LL START WITH WHAT IT IS. THE SUNSET PROCESS IS A KEY TOOL THAT THE LEGISLATURE USES TO ASSESS WHETHER STATE AGENCIES ARE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND NECESSARY.

THE HEART OF THE REVIEW ANSWERS THE CORE QUESTION IF THE AGENCY IS STILL NEEDED.

IF THE ANSWER IS YES, IT DOESN'T STOP THERE. THERE'S ADDITIONAL FOCUSES AT THE SUNSET REVIEW COVERS, AND THAT INCLUDES ENHANCING OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, ELIMINATING INEFFICIENCIES OR DUPLICATION, AND ULTIMATELY ENSURING THAT THE AGENCY IS BETTER SERVING TEXANS.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME AGENCIES AGENCIES DON'T AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE BY LAW THEY SUNSET OR CEASE TO EXIST UNLESS THE LEGISLATURE TAKES

[01:55:03]

SO THERE'S MUCH TO DO BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS.

THE SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS FOLLOWS A STRUCTURED SERIES OF STEPS AND IT STARTS WITH US.

THERE IS A SELF-EVALUATION REPORT THAT BEGINS THE PROCESS.

EACH AGENCY SUBMITS THIS REPORT AND IT OUTLINES THE AGENCY'S MISSION, PROGRAMS, FUNCTIONS, AND PERFORMANCE. AND THIS IS THE AGENCY'S OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE BACKGROUND AND HIGHLIGHT KEY ISSUES OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY.

NEXT, WE HAVE THE SUNSET STAFF REVIEW. SO ACTUAL STAFF FROM SUNSET ADVISORY COMMISSION WILL COME AND CONDUCT AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE AGENCY'S OPERATIONS, STATUTORY AUTHORITY, AND OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS.

AND THE REVIEW INCLUDES DATA ANALYSIS, INTERVIEWS, BENCHMARKING TO ASSESS WHETHER THE AGENCY IS FULFILLING ITS MISSION.

THERE'S ALSO PUBLIC INPUT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THAT INCLUDES STAKEHOLDERS, ADVOCACY GROUPS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT CAN SUBMIT COMMENTS, SHARE CONCERNS OR OFFER SUGGESTIONS RELATED TO THE AGENCY UNDER REVIEW.

AND SINCE IT WILL SPEAK WITH STAKEHOLDERS DIRECTLY TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION.

AND THEN WE HAVE SUNSET COMMISSION HEARINGS. THE COMMISSION HOLDS PUBLIC HEARINGS TO PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS, HEAR TESTIMONY AND ASK QUESTIONS. NEXT COMES THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.

BASED ON ALL OF THE INPUT AND ANALYSIS, THE SUNSET COMMISSION DEVELOPS FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THESE MAY INCLUDE STATUTORY CHANGES, OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER REFORMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO INCREASE THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AGENCY. LASTLY, WE HAVE LEGISLATIVE ACTION, AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO ACT ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND LAWMAKERS CAN CHOOSE TO CONTINUE THE AGENCY, OFTEN WITH SOME CHANGES OR SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE CONSOLIDATED.

IF WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANOTHER ENTITY, OR A STATE AGENCY COULD BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANOTHER ENTITY OR THE LEGISLATURE COULD ALLOW IT TO SUNSET AND CEASE OPERATIONS. SO LET'S DISCUSS WHO OVERSEES THE PROCESS.

IT'S CARRIED OUT BY THE SUNSET ADVISORY COMMISSION. IT'S MADE UP OF BOTH LEGISLATORS AND PUBLIC MEMBERS.

THE FIVE SENATORS AND ONE PUBLIC MEMBER ARE ALL APPOINTED BY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THEN FIVE REPRESENTATIVES, AND ONE PUBLIC MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

SO IT'S A BIPARTISAN GROUP THAT PROVIDES STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND FINALIZES THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT GO TO THE FULL LEGISLATURE.

THE COMMISSION ALSO APPOINTS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO LEADS A TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF.

AND IT'S THAT STAFF THAT CONDUCTS THE AGENCY, REVIEWS, PREPARES REPORTS, SUPPORTS PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SERVES AS KEY RESOURCE TO LEGISLATORS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SUNSET TYPICALLY THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY TYPICALLY FALL UNDER. FIRST, WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED ALREADY IS TO DECIDE WHETHER THE AGENCY OR PROGRAM SHOULD BE CONTINUED, ABOLISHED, OR CONSOLIDATED. NEXT IS THAT SUNSET COMMISSION MAY PROPOSE STATUTORY CHANGES.

AND THEN THIRD THEY CAN ISSUE MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVES. AND THESE DON'T REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE ACTION BUT ADDRESS INTERNAL, OPERATIONAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES THAT CAN BE RESOLVED ADMINISTRATIVELY.

IN TERMS OF WHAT GUIDES A SUNSET REVIEW, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST A FOUR OF THE 14 DIFFERENT FOCUSES THAT ARE LISTED ON THE SUNSET WEBSITE, WHICH IS WHERE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM TODAY.

SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO VISIT AND READ THE ENTIRE LIST.

BUT I PULLED A FEW OF THEM FROM THAT LIST. AND SO ULTIMATELY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IF THE AGENCY'S EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT IN FULFILLING ITS MISSION.

ARE THE PROGRAMS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES NECESSARY, AND ARE THEY OPERATING AS INTENDED? IS THE AGENCY PERFORMING ANY FUNCTIONS THAT GO BEYOND WHAT'S AUTHORIZED IN STATE LAW, AND IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO CONSOLIDATE SERVICES OR DELIVER THEM MORE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH ANOTHER METHOD? OKAY. NOW HOW CAN THE PUBLIC GET INVOLVED? PUBLIC INPUT IS A VITAL PROCESS OF THE ENTIRE SUNSET REVIEW.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT SUNSET ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES AND RECOMMENDS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TAKE PART.

SO BEFORE THE STAFF REPORT IS RELEASED, THE PUBLIC CAN SUBMIT CONFIDENTIAL COMMENTS ONLINE OR REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO SUNSET STAFF.

AND THAT INPUT HELPS SHAPE THE STAFF'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGENCY PERFORMANCE AND STAKEHOLDER CONCERNS.

WE ACTUALLY MET WITH SUNSET STAFF THIS WEEK, AND THEY THEY SAID THAT THEY'LL BE ASKING US TO PUT INFORMATION ON OUR PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHO TO GO TO DIRECTLY IF THEY WANT TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF INPUT.

DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS, STAKEHOLDERS CAN ATTEND IN PERSON, TESTIFY OR SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS.

AND THESE HEARINGS ARE OPEN FORUMS, JUST LIKE A REGULAR PUBLIC HEARING THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND THEN DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE SUNSET BILL FOR EACH AGENCY IS TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER BILL SO YOU CAN TRACK ITS PROGRESS.

CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS. SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVES, JUST LIKE YOU NORMALLY WOULD BE ABLE TO.

AND THERE ON THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE THE SUNSET WEBSITE TO ACCESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS MENTIONED.

[02:00:05]

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO HELP. JUST A BRIEF QUESTION.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'M CURIOUS, WITH THE EXPANSION OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE, HOW AND ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS OCCURRING IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, HOW WILL WHAT ROLE WILL PLAY IN THE SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE SUBMITTING TO SUNSET? AND THE SELF-EVALUATION REPORT IS THE LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE VITAL TO THE AGENCY OPERATIONS.

AND SO THEY'RE PART OF THAT LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT WILL BE SHARING WITH SUNSET, SO THAT THEY CAN DETERMINE HOW NEXT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND AND SEE WHAT IMPACT THEY CAN MAKE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANKS, TIM.

ALSO, ME AND TIM WORKED TOGETHER YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS FIRST AT DPS.

SO IT'S GREAT TO BE IN THIS FORUM TOGETHER WITH YOU AND SEE YOUR SUPPORT OF DPS. YEAH IT WAS, IT WAS. I'VE BEEN CONNECTED WITH YOU SINCE THEN.

AND SO IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN NICE TO SEE OUR CAREERS GO THE WAY THEY'VE GONE.

SO IT'S AWESOME. ROUGHLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT THE TEXAS SUNSET COMMISSION? I'M SORRY. ROUGHLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT THE COMMISSION? IS IT LIKE ABOUT 13, 15 OR 500 OR. NO, IT'S ABOUT 30.

ABOUT 30. OKAY. AND ON SLIDE 50, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US AN ESTIMATE HERE ON TIMING FOR THE FIRST, LIKE FOUR STEPS. LIKE WHAT? MONTH OR YEAR WE'RE TALKING.

I CAN GIVE YOU A ROUGH TIMING. SO THE STEP TWO, THE SUNSET STAFF REVIEW.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY SUNSET IS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE UNDER REVIEW DURING THIS NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND PUT A SCHEDULE TOGETHER.

SO WE'RE UNDER REVIEW AT THE SAME TIME AS THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, A FEW OTHER STATE AGENCIES THAT ARE UNDER LIMITED SCOPE REVIEW.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT SCHEDULE YET, BUT WE EXPECT IT TO COME IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

SO WE'LL HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE AT THAT TIME. BUT IT IS THAT STEP TWO TAKES PLACE FROM SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR UNTIL THE FOLLOWING.

OKAY. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO YES. AND CORRECT ME IF I GET THIS WRONG, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR REPORT COMPLETE IN ADVANCE OF NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE THEY, THE SUNSET COMMISSION HAS TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ULTIMATELY TO PASS A BILL THAT WOULD THEN BE EFFECTIVE.

SO IN THE NEXT YEAR, THE REVIEW WILL HAPPEN, THE DRAFT REPORTS WILL HAPPEN, AND THEN THERE WILL BE DISCUSSION, SELF-EVALUATION REPORT THAT IS DUE SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR.

THAT IS DUE SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR FROM THE AGENCY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU CAN BE VERY BUSY. THE NEXT PRESENTER IS ROBERT SCHULLER, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING GROUP.

[V. COMMUNITY RECOGNITION]

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AS CHAIR JUST SAID, MY NAME IS ROBERT SCHULLER.

I DIRECT THE DFS MANAGEMENT CONSULTING GROUP.

FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, IT'S BEEN MY PRIVILEGE TO MANAGE THE LOGISTICS OF THE AGENCY WIDE AWARDS PROGRAM.

THERE ARE THREE AWARDS UNDER THIS PROGRAM, THE ACME OF WHICH, IF YOU WILL, IS THE COMMISSIONER'S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, WHICH WAS FIRST PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY 2017. IT RECOGNIZES STAFF MEMBERS AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS WHO HAVE GONE TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO PROTECT THE UNPROTECTED AND TO SERVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS. TODAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. PIERRE CARDENAS, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CAPITAL CREDIT UNION HERE IN AUSTIN.

PLEASE I'D LIKE TO READ FROM THE TEXT OF THE AWARD THAT PIERRE IS RECEIVING RIGHT NOW. PIERRE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS A CHAMPION OF INNOVATION AND SERVICE TO FOSTER YOUTH.

HE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE IN PARTNERING WITH DFS AND SSHRC TO PROVIDE YOUTH AND FOSTER CARE WITH BANK ACCOUNTS.

HE COLLABORATED WITH NUMEROUS STAFF, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND YOUTH TO PILOT A FINANCIAL SERVICES BANKING APPLICATION.

HE HAS BRIDGED GAPS WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE THAT YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE HAVE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL READINESS TRAINING.

HIS INSPIRED THINKING EXPANDED TO POTENTIAL MENTORSHIP AND PROGRAMS PROVIDING YOUTH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY.

PIERRE'S CONTRIBUTIONS FURTHERED ACCESS TO YOUTH BANKING SERVICES, MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION INTO ADULTHOOD.

PIERRE, YOUR DEDICATION TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION IS A BEACON OF EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, PIERRE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[02:05:03]

AND, I MEAN, NOT ONLY DID HE GO TO ABOVE AND BEYOND TRULY EXCEPTIONAL LINKS.

WE ACTUALLY MET IN HIS CHURCH, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.

HIS WIFE WAS PRESENT, AND WE HE VOLUNTEERED HIS ENTIRE SATURDAY, COORDINATED A WHOLE EVENT FOR OUR YOUTH TO REALLY KICK THIS OFF.

IT'S BEEN SUCH A GREAT SUCH A GREAT JOURNEY. I MEAN, AS A PARENT OF TEENAGERS, I, AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU CAN, CAN RELATE TO THIS. JUST GETTING YOUR OWN TEENAGER FINANCIALLY LITERATE IS SUCH A CHALLENGE.

SO ENSURING THAT YOUTH WHO EXIT FOSTER CARE HAVE BASIC FINANCIAL LITERACY IS JUST SO CRITICAL TO THEIR TO THEIR FUTURE.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT ON THEIR CREDIT, UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO LIKE. HOW DO YOU EVEN OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT? SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU, PIERRE, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO TO CHILDREN, TO YOUTH AND FOSTER CARE.

WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO YOU AND VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS PROGRAM ROLLING OUT STATEWIDE AND REALLY MAKING A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE FOR OUR YOUTH.

MAY I JUST ADD, PIERRE AND MARTIN WENT TO OUR CONFERENCE LAST YEAR AND IT SHOWS TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAKS TO PIERRE'S CHARACTER THAT HE COULD CAPTIVATE AND KEEP A BUNCH OF TEENAGERS ENGAGED AND OFF THEIR PHONES AND EARBUDS OUT OF THEIR EARS THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSION ON FINANCIAL LITERACY. AND HE SOUGHT WAYS TO BETTER ENGAGE THE POPULATION AND WAS THERE AT BOTH OUR CONFERENCES, THE SMALL ONE AND THE LARGE ONE. AND SO THANK YOU, PIERRE.

AND I KNOW WE'LL SEE YOU THERE AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. OUR NEXT PRESENTER.

[VI. FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT AND ACTIVITIES OPPORTUNITIES UPDATE]

GOOD MORNING. SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT OUR VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS.

WE HAD VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK THE WEEK OF APRIL 20TH THROUGH 26TH.

DFP HAS REMARKABLE VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE STATE.

WE HAVE AROUND 1500 DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO HELP US MEET OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES EVERY DAY.

AND THEY DO THIS IN A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS. AND SO I WANT TO CALL OUT THE AWARD WINNERS FOR THIS YEAR.

THESE AWARD WINNERS, THEY ARE NOMINATED BY STAFF AND FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND HOW THEY HELP.

AND THEN THEY COME UP TO STATE OFFICE AND THEN PROVIDED THEIR AWARD.

SO THIS YEAR, FOR OUR BIGGEST HEART AWARD WINNERS FOR OUR YOUTH, WE HAVE TWO.

SARAH MOALIM IS A PASSIONATE VOLUNTEER WHO IS IN REGION THREE.

SHE CREATED HER CARE BEARS IN CRISIS CLUB AT HER SCHOOL, WHICH PROVIDED WHICH PROVIDED BOOKMARKS AND WORDS OF AFFIRMATION AND OTHER WONDERFUL WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, ENCOURAGEMENT TO FOSTER YOUTH THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED AT A DENTON APPRECIATION EVENT.

AND THEN SARAH GARZA IN REGION NINE IS A WONDERFUL YOUTH VOLUNTEER FOR OUR SAN ANGELO RAINBOW ROOM.

SHE VOLUNTEERS HER TIME TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE DEDICATED RESOURCES WE NEED FOR OUR CLIENTS AND FAMILIES, AND SHE ALSO TAKES TIME DURING HER CHRISTMAS BREAK TO COME WITH OUR CHRISTMAS DRIVE.

SO SHE REALLY DEDICATES HERSELF TO THE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE IN REGION NINE, THEN WE ALSO HAVE BIGGEST HEART AWARD WINNERS FOR ADULTS.

AND OUR FIRST WINNER WAS DAVID BULLOCK, WHO IS IN REGION THREE WITH CENTER POINTE CHURCH.

HE DEVELOPED A BED MINISTRY THAT THAT HELPS WITH OUR FAMILIES WHO MIGHT NEED BEDS, WHICH IN MANY CASES WILL HELP THEM STAY WITH THEIR FAMILY IF THEY HAVE A BED OR WITH A KINSHIP PLACEMENT. AND SO HE HAS BUILT THAT BED MINISTRY AND THEN ALSO HAS MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO SPONSORS A HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE. GLENDA RITCHEY IN REGION THREE.

SHE IS WITH OUR DALLAS APS BOARD. AND SHE IS AS I'VE HEARD, IS A FIRECRACKER ON THAT BOARD AND IS VERY INVOLVED AND ALSO HOSTS THE SENIOR SANTA'S DRIVE FOR OUR SENIORS IN THAT REGION AND THEN REGION SIX.

RAYMOND SANDERS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHILD WELFARE BOARD IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

AND IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK ON THE COUNTY, THE CHILD WELFARE BOARD.

HE THIS YEAR HELPED HOST WHAT WE HAD A FAITH SUMMIT WHERE THEY BROUGHT FAITH PARTNERS TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN CARE. AND THEY PLAN TO DO THAT ANNUALLY NOW. SO THIS YEAR WAS THEIR FIRST YEAR THAT THEY DID THAT.

AND THE NEXT GROUP IS OUR WHAT WE CALL OUR HELPING HANDS AWARD.

SO WE HAVE WE WANT TO IDENTIFY OUR INDIVIDUAL WINNERS, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO IDENTIFY THOSE GROUPS THAT REALLY HELP US AS WELL.

[02:10:06]

LOVE THEM MORE MINISTRIES, WHICH IS OUT OF REGION FOUR IN LONGVIEW.

THIS STARTED AS A NONPROFIT TO DO DUFFEL BAGS WITH CARE ITEMS FOR YOUTH THAT WERE TAKEN, REMOVED FROM THEIR HOME.

AND IT HAS GROWN TO BECOME THIS VERY VALUABLE NONPROFIT THAT, IN ADDITION TO OUR CHILD WELFARE BOARD, WILL HELP OUR STAFF WITH RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED PRIMARILY THROUGHOUT THAT REGION.

AND THEN IN REGION NINE, WE HAVE THE PHI THETA KAPPA ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS OUR APPS.

AND INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT THEM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VIDEO THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU.

THETA KAPPA IS THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS.

AND THE FOUR HALLMARKS OF THE PILLARS OF PHI THETA KAPPA ARE SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, AND SERVICE. WELL, WE'RE ALL TIME LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THERE'S LOTS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT GETS A LOT OF HELP.

SO WE REALLY TRIED TO REACH OUT AND LOOK FOR AREAS WHERE MAYBE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AREN'T REALLY YOU KNOW, AWARE OF. AND WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO COME ALONG AND GET IN CONTACT WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES THIS YEAR.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS LIKE THIS TO HELP US PULL OFF SOME OF OUR BIGGER EVENTS, LIKE OUR JUNE ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH SENIOR CELEBRATION.

SOME OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS I HAVE WITH WORKING WITH APS, ACTUALLY, I KIND OF ENJOYED EVERYTHING WE'VE GOTTEN TO DO, EVEN FROM STOCKING THE PANTRY TO SETTING UP TREES AND PICKING UP TRASH TO JUST SERVING FOOD AND JUST HELPING, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES UP.

AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO, LIKE, WAS LIKE ME, THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT WAS JUST IT WAS REALLY OVERWHELMING. JUST THE AMOUNT OF JOY THAT CAN BE PUT UPON A PERSON'S FACE JUST BY SEEING SOMETHING THAT'S JUST BY NATURE, YOU KNOW, MEANT TO REPRESENT THE BEST OF HUMANITY.

AND THEY WERE JUST REALLY THERE TO SHOW THAT THIS GENERATION IS THERE AND WILLING TO HELP WITH THIS AGING GENERATION OF TEXANS THAT WE HAVE.

AND IT ALSO KIND OF HELPED GIVE A GOOD VIBE OUT THERE THAT APS IS, IS THERE TO ASSIST PEOPLE TO SAY STAY SAFE AND SECURE IN THEIR HOMES AS THEY AGE? SO ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT I THINK I CAN CALL OUT, AND THAT WAS SAID IN THE VIDEO, IS THAT WE FIND THAT OBVIOUSLY OUR VOLUNTEERS HELP SUPPORT US AND OUR AGENCY, BUT THEY ALSO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR US BECAUSE THEY LEARN ABOUT OUR AGENCY, THEY LEARN ABOUT THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS AN AGENCY AND THE CHALLENGES, AND THEN THEY ARE IN TURN ABLE TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELP US AND BE PARTNERS WITH US. SO IT'S WE REALLY ENCOURAGE THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT THESE VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE THEY SERVE US IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT JUST THE WAYS THAT THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING FOR US.

AND THEN THE LAST AWARD WE HAVE IS WHAT WE CALL THE WORLD CHANGER AWARD.

AND THIS IDENTIFIES OUR AWARDS, OUR INTERNS THAT WE HAVE.

AND THIS LAST YEAR, EDNA HERSHBERGER, WHO COMPLETED HER INTERNSHIP WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES SHE DID A LOT OF WORK TO PROVIDE RESEARCH AND FIND RESOURCES FOR OUR CLIENTS. AND SHE WAS AN INTERN OUT IN REGION TWO.

AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD SEVERAL APS INTERNS THAT HAVE GONE ON TO WORK FOR THE AGENCY.

SO WE ARE FINDING THAT OUR INTERNSHIPS ARE BECOMING PATHWAYS TO PLACEMENT FOR US.

AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT OUR INTERNS DO FOR US AS WELL.

SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, AND THESE ARE JUST A VERY FEW HIGH LEVEL ACTIVITIES OF WHAT IS BEING PLANNED. THERE'S ALREADY BEEN SEVERAL THAT HAVE HAPPENED, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR DURING THIS MONTH.

AND I KNOW WE HAVE SENT THOSE TO YOU. AND AS MORE BECOME AVAILABLE, WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEND THOSE TO YOU, BECAUSE EVENTS WILL HAPPEN WITH PARTNERS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT AHEAD OF TIME.

BUT THESE ARE JUST A FEW MORE THAT ARE THAT ARE UPCOMING.

AND AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU'RE IF IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND YOUR REGION TO ATTEND, IF YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AT THOSE EVENTS.

AND THEN I KNOW SCHOOL JUST ENDED, BUT WE ARE IN BACK TO SCHOOL MODE.

AND BECAUSE WE SPEND THE SUMMER WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUTH HAVE THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED TO BE A SUCCESS IN THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. JULY IS A LITTLE QUIET FOR OUR TEAM, SO WE'LL SPEND JUNE, SOME OF JULY AND AUGUST, THOUGH RAMPING UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE SUPPLIES

[02:15:09]

I BELIEVE THAT IS IT. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE NEXT SECTION ON OUR AGENDA IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER ITEMS, WE CAN ADJOURN.

OKAY. DO I HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NO, WE JUST ADJOURN.

THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.