meeting notebooktexassupremecourtcommission.gov/media/84504/february-21...10:50 presentation on...
TRANSCRIPT
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February 21, 2020
Meeting Notebook
State Bar of Texas
1414 Colorado Street
Austin, Texas 78701
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Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families
February 21, 2020 Meeting Notebook
Table of Contents
Meeting Agenda
Commission, Committee, and Collaborative Council Member List ...... 1
Minutes from September 27, 2019 Commission Meeting ................... 2
February 21, 2020 Report to Commission .......................................... 3
Financial Report ................................................................................ 4
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State Bar of Texas Austin, Texas
February 21, 2020 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Agenda
9:30 Commencement / Opening Remarks – The Honorable Eva Guzman
First Order of Business – The Honorable Eva Guzman • Adopt Minutes from September 27, 2019, Tab 2
9:45 Remarks by Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner, Children’s Bureau and Mr. David Kelly,
Special Assistant, Office of the Associate Commissioner, Children’s Bureau 10:15 Executive Director Report and Committee Updates – Children’s Commission Staff
10:50 Presentation on Family Reunification by Ms. Karla Baker, Parent Collaboration Group and
Ms. Danna Mayhall, Attorney at Law
11:10 Break 11:30 Commissioner Updates
12:15 Lunch 12:45 Commissioner Updates, continued 1:30 Presentation by Félix Herrera, Office of the Consulate General of Mexico, Austin 1:45 Collaborative Council Member Input
2:00 DFPS / CPS Update 2:15 Office of Court Administration Update 2:30 Jurist in Residence Report 2:45 New Business / Adjourn
Meeting Schedule: May 22, 2020, State Bar of Texas
September 18, 2020, Supreme Court of Texas
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PERMANENT JUDICIAL COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES MINUTES OF MEETING
September 27, 2019 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
State Bar of Texas Austin, Texas
ATTENDANCE
Commissioners Attended Did Not Attend Chair, Hon. Eva Guzman, Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Austin Chair Emeritus, Hon. Harriet O’Neill, Justice, retired, Law Office of Harriet O’Neill, Austin Vice Chair, Hon. Piper McCraw, Judge, 469th Judicial District Court, McKinney Col. Sonya Batchelor, General Counsel, Texas Military Department, Austin Corey Benbow, Chief Executive Officer, The Tax Box, Austin Erin Bennett, Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor, Austin Paula Bibbs-Samuels, Parent Representative, Slaton Kristene Blackstone, Associate Commissioner for Child Protective Services, Dept. of Family and Protective Services, Austin
Hon. Susan Brown, Presiding Judge, 11th Administrative Judicial Region, Houston Hon. Darlene Byrne, Judge, 126th District Court, Austin Hon. Gary Coley, Judge, 74th District Court, Waco Hon. Julie Countiss, Justice, First Court of Appeals, Houston
Sheila Craig, Director, Substance Use Disorder Services, Policy, Prevention, and Planning, Health and Human Services Commission, Austin
Hon. Randall Hufstetler, Judge, 300th District Court, Brazoria Dr. Andrew Keller, President & CEO, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Dallas Hon. Stephanie Klick, District 91, Texas House of Representatives, North Richland Hills Hon. Selina Mireles, Associate Judge, 4th and 5th Administrative Regions Child Protection, Laredo Katie Olse (by Proxy Katie Elseth), Executive Director, Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, Austin Hon. Robbie Partida-Kipness, Justice, Fifth District Court of Appeals, Dallas Cindy Patrick, Senior Program Officer, Meadows Foundation, Dallas Hon. Frank Rynd, General Counsel, Archdiocese Galveston-Houston, Houston Hon. Peter Sakai, Judge, 225th District Court, San Antonio Hon. Michael Schneider, former Judge, 315th District Court, Houston Hon. Randy Shelton, Judge, 279th Civil District Court, Beaumont Luanne Southern, Senior Director of Texas Strategic Consulting, Casey Family Programs, Austin Vicki Spriggs, (by Proxy Andy Homer) Chief Executive Officer, Texas CASA, Inc., Austin Hon. Carlos Villalon, Associate Judge, Child Protection Court of the Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg Hon. Royce West, (by Proxy Graham Keever) Texas Senate, District 23, Dallas Senior Judicial Advisor Hon. Michael Massengale, former Justice, First Court of Appeals, Houston
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Collaborative Council Attended Did Not Attend Tymothy Belseth, Research Coordinator, Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, The University of Texas, Austin M. Lynn Chamberlin, Sr. Assistant County Attorney, Harris County Attorney's Office, Houston Irene Clements, President, National Foster Family Association, and Consultant, Butterfly Marketing, L.L.C., Pflugerville William B. Connolly, Attorney, Connolly & Shireman, L.L.P., Houston Sarah Crockett, Public Policy Coordinator, Texas CASA, Austin De Shaun Ealoms, Parent Program Specialist, Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin Barbara Elias-Perciful, President, Texas Lawyers for Children, Dallas Debra Emerson, CPS Director of Youth Transitional Living Services, Dept. of Family and Protective Services, Austin Mike Foster, Administrator, Central Texas Table of Grace, Austin Will Francis, Government Relations Director, National Association of Social Workers/Texas Chapter, Austin Sadie Funk, Executive Director, Texas Alliance for Infant Mental Health, Austin Teal de la Garza, Attorney at Law, Bill De La Garza & Associates, P.C., Houston Christine Gendron, Executive Director, Texas Network of Youth Services, Austin Sandra Hachem, Senior Assistant County Attorney, Harris County Attorney’s Office, Houston David Halpern, Director, Promise Mentor Program, Seedling Foundation, Austin Lisa Harst, Strategic Partnerships Associate, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, Austin Félix Herrera, Secretary of Relations, Consul for Protection and Legal Affairs, Austin Alex Hunt, Attorney, Hunt Law Firm, Katy Bruce Kendrick, Director of Outreach, Embrace Texas, McKinney Knox Kimberly, Vice President for Advocacy and Education, Lutheran Social Services of the South, Austin Tracy Levins, State Development Specialist, Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, The University of Texas, Austin Gabriella McDonald, Pro Bono and New Projects Director, Texas Appleseed, Austin Pamela McPeters, Director of Public Policy, Texas Association for the Protection of Children, Austin Kate Murphy, Senior Policy Associate, Texans Care for Children, Austin Judy Powell, Communications Director, Parent Guidance Center, Austin Mary Christine Reed, Director, Texas Foster Youth Justice Project, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Austin Carolyne Rodriguez, Independent Consultant, Austin Tanya Rollins, State Disproportionality Manager, Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin Johana Scot, Executive Director, Parent Guidance Center, Austin
Janet Sharkis, Executive Director, Texas Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, Austin
Andrea Sparks, Child Sex Trafficking Team Director, Office of the Governor, Austin Hon. Ian Spechler, State Office of Administrative Hearings, Austin Jeanne Stamp, Texas Homeless Education Network, Austin Gloria Terry, Coalition President, Texas Council on Family Violence, Austin Kenneth Thompson, Fatherhood Program Specialist, Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin
Attending Committee Members and Guests
Barbara Ball, Senior Research Associate, University of Texas TX Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, Austin
Justice Jane Bland, Supreme Court or Texas, Austin
Katie Elseth, Continuous Quality Improvement Analyst, Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, Austin
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Hon. Delia Gonzales, Associate Judge, Dallas County Child Protection & Permanency Court, Dallas
Barbara Grimmer, CPS Policy Coordinator, Texas Council on Family Violence, Austin
Graham Keever, Legislative Director, Texas Senate, Office of Hon. Royce West, Austin
Andrew Homer, Director of Public Affairs, Texas CASA, Austin
Geron Landon, Intern, Texas CASA, Austin
Joey Orduna Hastings, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Reno, Nevada
Wanda Peña, Senior Director, Casey Family Programs, San Antonio
Crystal Leff-Pinon, Managing Attorney, The Family Helpline, Austin
Lulu Portillo, Paralegal/Youth Specialist, Texas Foster Youth Justice Project, Austin
Barbara Schafer, Children’s Court Administrator, 225th District Court, San Antonio
Maggie Trungale, Judicial Intern, 126th District Court, Austin
Elizabeth Watkins, Family Justice Director, Williamson County Attorney’s Office, Williamson County
Trevor Woodruff, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin
Attending Staff Tina Amberboy, Executive Director, Children’s Commission
Jessica Arguijo, Administrative Assistant, Children’s Commission
Jamie Bernstein, Assistant Director, Children’s Commission
Renée Castillo-De La Cruz, Staff Attorney, Children’s Commission
Tiffany Edwards, Executive Assistant, Children’s Commission
Jocelyn Fowler, Staff Attorney, Children’s Commission
Anissa Johnson, Program Specialist, Office of Court Administration
Monica Mahoney, Program Specialist, Children’s Commission
Dylan Moench, Staff Attorney, Children’s Commission
Patrick Passmore, Grant Manager, Children’s Commission
Mena Ramon, General Counsel, Office of Court Administration
Milbrey Raney, Training Director, Children’s Commission
Andrea Vicencio, Executive Assistant, Children’s Commission
Charlotte Velasco, Project Manager – Information Services, Office of Court Administration
Hon. Dean Rucker, Presiding Judge, Seventh Administrative Judicial Region, Jurist in Residence, Midland
Hon. Rob Hofmann, Judge, 452nd District Court, Jurist in Residence, Mason
CALL TO ORDER AND OPENING REMARKS Justice Eva Guzman called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m. and welcomed Commissioners and guests to the final Commission meeting of 2019. Justice Guzman introduced Justice Bland who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court and who previously served on the First Court of Appeals in Houston. Recognition of Guests Justice Guzman welcomed special guest Ms. Joey Orduna Hastings, Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, an organization that serves 30,000 professionals nationwide.
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Commissioner Membership Changes Justice Guzman directed members to Tab 1 of the Commission Notebook and introduced three new members of the Commission: Justice Robbie Partida-Kipness, justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals as of November 2018; Judge Randy Shelton, judge of the 279th District Court in Beaumont, Texas; and Ms. Katie Olse, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services. Justice Guzman also announced the departure of two commissioners: Judge Peter Sakai, judge of the 225th District Court in San Antonio, and Judge Carlos Villalon, associate judge of the Child Protection Court of the Rio Grande Valley West. Justice Guzman invited both judges to stay involved with the Children’s Commission in a different capacity. Committee Membership Changes No committee member changes were reported. Collaborative Council Membership Changes Justice Guzman announced Collaborative Council changes and stated that Susan McDowell, Judge Scott McCown, Mara Friesen, Richard Lavallo, Jon Olson, Kelly Kravitz, Ashley Harris, and Helen Gaebler all transitioned off the Collaborative Council. No new members were added to the Collaborative Council. Justice Guzman asked those attending for recommendations to fill vacancies. Staff Member Changes The Children’s Commission added a new staff attorney, Ms. Renée Castillo-De La Cruz, who most recently was employed as a prosecutor handling the CPS docket in Caldwell County. Adoption of May 31, 2019 Meeting Minutes Justice Guzman directed members to Tab 2 of the Meeting Notebook and noted that members were provided the opportunity to review the May 31, 2019 minutes prior to the meeting. Justice Guzman asked if there were any corrections, and none were noted. ACTION: Justice Guzman asked for a motion to adopt the meeting minutes of the May 31, 2019 meeting. A motion was made to adopt the minutes by Judge Darlene Byrne and seconded by Judge Piper McCraw. The minutes were adopted unanimously. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT Ms. Tina Amberboy briefly updated the Commission Members on a National Judicial Leadership Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Judge Dean Rucker, Judge Rob Hofmann, Ms. Jamie Bernstein, Ms. Kristene Blackstone, Mr. Jeffrey Tsunekawa, and Ms. Teal de la Garza joined Ms. Amberboy to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Court Improvement Program, which funds the Children’s Commission. Ms. Amberboy also updated the Commission on the new suggested committee structure, noting that this change is authorized by Paragraph 9 of the 2007 Supreme Court Order establishing the Children’s Commission. Paragraph 9 states that the Commission can disband or form new committees as the Commission deems appropriate. Ms. Amberboy proposed disbanding the Basic Committee, moving the
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Foster Care and Education Committee, and creating two new committees for a total of four standing committees, and one ad hoc, as follows: • Systems Improvement - Staff: Jocelyn Fowler, Renee Castillo-De La Cruz • Legal Policy and Practice - Staff: Dylan Moench • Data - Staff: Dylan Moench • Training - Staff: Milbrey Raney • Dual Status Task Force (ad hoc) - Staff: Jamie Bernstein Ms. Amberboy continued to report to the Commission about upcoming projects slated for the 2020 fiscal year, referring to the Report to the Commission under Tab 3 as well as a review of the operating budget under Tab 4 of the notebook. Ms. Amberboy’s PowerPoint presentation can be found here: http://texaschildrenscommission.gov/commission-meetings/meeting-notebooks-and-reports/. ACTION: Justice Guzman announced a vote on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2020 as described under Tab 4 to approve and fund the slate of projects and associated expenses for the 2020 budget. A motion was made by Judge Carlos Villalon to adopt the budget; the motion was seconded by Judge Darlene Byrne. With a quorum present, Commission members voted to approve and adopt the fiscal year 2020 budget and projects unanimously. COMMISSION MEMBER UPDATES Hon. Darlene Byrne of Austin announced the Travis County Collaborative Council meeting took place October 17, 2019 at Safe Alliance and featured speakers from the Texas Council on Family Violence. Also, Judge Byrne reported that she recently attended a statewide meeting of the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) implementation sites in San Antonio, and concluded her report with an announcement that she would be joining Ms. Jocelyn Fowler at the Alabama Coushatta Indian Child Welfare meeting November 1, 2019 to present on domestic violence and how it relates to Native American youth and families. Hon. Selina Mireles of Laredo reported a fifth annual foster care graduation took place for students transitioning from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school graduates. This event was held at the courthouse and gave student participants the opportunity to be recognized for their accomplishments. Judge Mireles also reported that during the summer her drug court transitioned from meeting twice per month to meeting just one time per month. As part of her drug court, children, parents and case workers can participate in activities outside the courtroom, including shopping at HEB with fake money to show the children how to shop for their food and make good purchasing decisions. Another activity was a fitness work out involving CPS case workers and parents to provide additional opportunities for interaction outside of the CPS environment and court. Hon. Frank Rynd from Houston reported that he is working with Texas CASA on a project to collaborate with more faith-based communities with the goal of recruiting CASA volunteers from the faith community.
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Judge Rynd reported that Judge Sakai and Judge Bonnie Hellums (both former Children’s Commissioners) have also been assisting in these efforts by participating in several committees. Hon. Julie Countiss from Houston shared that there are 10 new appellate justices in Houston and that many of their cases are parental termination cases. Justice Countiss stated that she is appreciative of her connection with the Children’s Commission as it allows her to hear about what is happening in other jurisdictions around the state. Justice Countiss reported she is gratified that the Children’s Commission places such emphasis on improving legal representation for parents and children. Hon. Judge Randy Shelton from Beaumont requested assistance with prom dresses for the upcoming prom season due to floods in his area. The Rainbow Room, along with over 15 foster family and case worker’s homes, was flooded. Judge Shelton also reported that for the first time, a child that is aging out of foster care that had the opportunity to participate in the local Debutant ball. Judge Shelton announced that the local women’s shelter was also affected by the flooding and that 50-60 women and children were displaced. Ms. Katie Elseth proxy for Ms. Katie Olse from Austin reported the Texas Child Care Administrator’s Conference took place September 30th in San Antonio with over 1,000 participants. Ms. Tina Amberboy and Judge Sakai presented together on Normalcy for Children and Youth in Foster Care. Ms. Elseth also reported about the ongoing partnership with Casey Family Programs and the Department of Family and Protective Services to evaluate readiness for the Family First Prevention Services Act. Ms. Elseth announced that as the initiative moves forward, the judicial community will be invited to help. She expressed that she was looking forward to presenting on data trends and analysis at the Child Welfare Judges Conference taking place in October. Hon. Susan Brown of Houston reported that seven of the nine CPC courts authorized by the 86th Legislature are up and running. Also, a new judge hired to handle cases in the 11th region now covers three of her six counties. Judge Charles Griffin has been hired to handle dockets in Harris County and team with Brazoria County to start a children’s court. Judge Brown reported that she is also hiring judges for counties that do not have a Child Protection Court. Also, that she recently evaluated her IV-D child support and child protection court judges. She intends to promote trauma training among the judges in her region and would like to also create a training for attorneys practicing in the courts for which she is the Presiding Judge. Mr. Graham Keever proxy for Senator Royce West reported an ad litem bill was filed for children to have legal representation while they are in care, however it did not get a hearing. Senate Bill 355, which Representative Klick’s office assisted with, was passed. The Fatherhood Task Force, Bill 1130, did not pass, nor did the PEI Bill. Hon. Randall Hufstetler of Brazoria County shared his appreciation of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals with regard to child welfare and family law issues, comparing parental termination cases to death
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penalty cases, and stated he would like to see more qualified attorneys taking parental termination cases. Judge Hufstetler encouraged all attorneys to take The National Family Law Trial Institute. Judge Hufstetler announced the creation of a domestic violence court in his region, after seeing the same clients in his CPS courts were also dealing with family violence as well. Ms. Paula Bibbs-Samuels of Slaton reminded meeting attendees that the Statewide Parent Collaboration Group still meets monthly. With the help of Casey Family Programs, they are working on a plan to move forward as a group, professionally. Ms. Bibbs-Samuels reported the workgroup also has a landing page on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website where meeting dates in the different regions are posted. Ms. Bibbs-Samuels also reported that parents from the workgroup speak to new hires for CPS. This allows new case workers to ask questions of parents that have experienced CPS and the proceedings. Ms. Bibbs-Samuels also shared information for two upcoming conferences she and the Parent Collaboration Group would participate: The Dare to Change Conference on October 23, 2019, in El Paso and Partners in Prevention Conference on November 5-7, 2019. Col. Sonya Batchelor from Austin reported to the Commission that she has been in communication with judges across the State of Texas and is trying to figure out how to best assist in the child welfare realm. Ms. Batchelor is open to anyone with ideas on best collaborations going forward. Col. Batchelor attended the second annual Summit of Military Connected Families at Fort Knox in September 2019. Justice Michael Massengale from Houston identified a theme from the Commission’s September report related to quality representation for children and parents and advised attorneys to attend the Trial Skills Training (TST) held annually by the Children’s Commission noting that TST participants learn how to advocate for their clients, among other skills. Justice Massengale encouraged trial court judges to hold attorneys in their respective courts accountable, as they are the ones who appoint them. Hon. Gary Coley from Waco shared an update about the Baylor Trial Advocacy Clinic which allows third year law students who hold a third-year bar card to represent children in juvenile detention at their initial detention hearing, giving them an opportunity to be in a courtroom setting for the first time. From September 1 to August 31, there were 115 children represented by the Trial Advocacy Clinic attorneys. Judge Coley also updated the Commission about the human trafficking program in his county, Unbound, which held a training event in August. Participants from Colorado and Connecticut traveled to learn McLennan County’s approach to human trafficking. Unbound received a grant for $200,000 intended to help Texas schools with preventing human trafficking. Hon. Michael Schneider from Houston reported about The Way Home nonprofit that assists children ages 11-17 transitioning from foster care to permanent placement. They have had a 54% percent success rate at finding permanent placements for children they assist who are aging out of foster care. Judge Schneider would like to make this a statewide effort, with the help of child advocates, and/or DFPS. Judge Schneider
-
8
invited anyone interested in training for their region to take part in the three-pillar program. This program allows neighbors, former teachers, and biological families to be a part of activities and possibly match with a child in care. Judge Schneider also reported about Houston’s 9th annual CPS CLE, noting one presentation in particular called Lost in Translation, which focused on the difficulties associated with interpreting a case without a legal background. Many interpreters are unfamiliar with terms used in social work, leading to a misunderstanding of the terms and acronyms being used. Judge Schneider explained the time and complexity of legal issues, and that interpreters may not always feel comfortable asking the court to slow down. Language barriers also hinder law enforcement and DFPS from better understanding the need of parents. This CLE is scheduled for February 2020, and possibly will be added to the Child Protection Law CLE occurring in March 2020. Judge Schneider concluded his report adding that he can connect anyone interested in having Bill Connally presenting on this topic. Hon. Carlos Villalon from the Rio Grande Valley reflected on how rapidly the past 6 years went by and his appreciation for the Commission in helping him improve his court practices. Judge Villalon spoke about Trauma Informed Care and his local requirement that attorneys who take court appointed cases attend the Empower to Connect two-day training offered by the TCU Karyn Purvis Institute. Judge Villalon also mentioned his recent collaboration with Mr. Tym Belseth and Ms. Barbara Ball on the Texas Youth Permanency Study which partnered with University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to study case outcomes for youth who are ages 14-18 over the next five years. Judge Villalon also attended the Statewide Collaborative of Trauma Informed Care Task Force meeting on July 26, in Austin as well as the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges conference. Judge Villalon also plans to collaborate with UTRGV to offer internships for social work students attending the university. Judge Villalon also reported that with a grant from the Judicial Commission on Mental Health that Dr. Sandra Hansmann and Dr. Cynthia Jones, from the UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services, collaborated with the Office of Victim’s Advocacy to provide substance abuse training to local stakeholders. Concluding his report, Judge Villalon announced the first pro bono mediation taking place in his region. Hon. Piper McCraw of McKinney reported a new Family Law Court has been established to handle CPS cases. Of 13 courts in Collin County, only 5 hear CPS cases. Also, in July several attorneys attended a trauma-based training in her locale. Judge McCraw also reported that she has started monthly meetings for CPS employees, CASA advocates, and other child welfare advocates in her community. Recently, Judge McCraw introduced the Moral Reasoning Therapy (MRT) Program which uses a cognitive behavioral, peer-based approach. Participants are encouraged to analyze their choices and accept
-
9
responsibility for their actions and decisions and help each other be more accountable for future decisions. This program started with the criminal courts and is new to the CPS docket. Private donations are helping fund the course materials. Mr. Andy Homer on behalf of Ms. Vicky Spriggs of Austin shared statistics from the Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) Program, which is expanding statewide. In 2019, 31 programs served more than 48 counties, including 1,400 children and 800 families. In 2020, the program will be expanded to 10 additional counties. Mr. Homer spoke about CFE expanding to Bexar County and Panhandle and other areas of the state with the goal of being statewide by 2025. Mr. Homer reported in 2019, CASA had 11,000 volunteers statewide. Finalizing his report, Mr. Homer expressed his appreciation for the Commission and the work collaborations with Texas CASA, including education and trauma. Hon. Robbie Partida-Kipness from Dallas introduced herself to meeting attendees. Justice Partida-Kipness announced she was elected to the Fifth Court of Appeals in November 2018 and presides over six counties, including Dallas, Collin, Rockwell, Hunt, Kaufman, and Grayson. Justice Partida-Kipness expressed her interest in serving on a committee and assisting where needed. Commissioner Certificate Presentation from Justice Guzman Justice Guzman presented Judge Peter Sakai and Judge Carlos Villalon certificates of appreciation, on behalf of the Commission, for their dedication and service. Judge Sakai and Judge Villalon completed their terms on the Commission in November 2019. Presentation from Judge Peter Sakai and Ms. Barbara Schafer Hon. Peter Sakai, District Judge for Bexar County, and Ms. Barbara Schafer presented during lunch on recent developments in Bexar County with the Children’s Court initiative, providing statistics and updates for the program. Presentation from Ms. Joey Orduna Hastings Ms. Joey Orduna Hastings of Las Vegas, Nevada is the CEO of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). Ms. Hastings spoke about the importance of collaboration with parents, human trafficking education, working with tribes, and other child welfare issues. Ms. Hastings shared statistics and partnership plans, as well as the history of NCJFCJ. COLLABORATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER UPDATES Ms. Kate Murphy of Austin reported about a new collaboration for TexansCare for Children in the Houston area. TexansCare primarily focuses on pregnant youth in foster care and on pregnancy prevention and supporting young families in care. Their efforts are supported by the Texas Network of Youth Services and the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Three core areas of this program target research, advocacy, and workforce development. With the help of the Harris County Youth Collaborative, there are also opportunities to build skills and gain certifications.
-
10
Ms. Carolyne Rodriguez of Austin, updated Commission meeting attendees on the nonprofit ChangeOne, an organization focused on children exiting foster care, started in 2012 by Ms. Courtney Jones. Teaming with the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, college preparation is being provided with the assistance of private funding, including opportunities for child and family service internships at the University of Texas School of Social Work. A workshop about this will be offered at the Texas Alliance Conference in October. Ms. Rodriguez requested stakeholders to consider investing in the initiative by assisting with projects, operations, or other needs. Ms. Rodriguez concluded her report announcing the ChangeOne Thanksgiving event on November 23, 2019 at Fiesta Gardens in Austin. DFPS / CPS UPDATE Mr. Trevor Woodruff proxy for Ms. Kristene Blackstone of Austin, followed up on the flooding in Beaumont. While many were affected, Mr. Woodruff reported all were assisted, with the help of Family-Based Safety Services, faith-based partnerships, and the assistance of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services (TACFS). Mr. Woodruff reported Prevention and Early Intervention efforts and services are being offered to military families. DFPS has new Memorandums of Understanding with military bases in San Antonio, to help families better understand the process of CPS. Mr. Woodruff expressed his intent to expand those efforts to Bell County. Mr. Woodruff updated the Commission about the federal lawsuit, stating that after two rounds of appeals, approximately 80% of the original court order was struck, and that several changes are also ongoing. Mr. Woodruff also reported that Community Based Care is going well across the state. Concluding his report, Mr. Woodruff addressed concerns regarding children facing immigration challenges. He clarified that only children who have suffered abuse or neglect are taken into the state foster care system. The ongoing situation at the border is being monitored by DFPS. In response to an issue raised by Judge Villalon, Mr. Woodruff addressed the issue of children not having access to organ donation lists due to their foster care status. After some investigation, DFPS concluded that each hospital’s rules vary, and he has recruited Dr. Rodriguez, DFPS staff doctor, to reach out to health care providers to establish a better line of communication about this issue. OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION UPDATE Ms. Mena Ramon of Austin, on behalf of Mr. David Slayton, provided the update for Office of Court Administration. Ms. Ramon advised that going forward updates to the Commission will be provided by Mr. Jeffrey Tsunekawa. Ms. Ramon updated the Commission about funding for the additional nine child protection courts. Ms. Ramon announced changes in judicial regions 10, as well as Dallas, North Texas, Harris County and two southern counties, and in Fort Worth.
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11
JURIST IN RESIDENCE UPDATE Hon. Rob Hofmann of Mason County announced that he and Ms. Jamie Bernstein presented on education in Residential Treatment Centers at the State Bar Special Education CLE, as well as at the NACC Conference in Anaheim, California. Judge Hofmann also encouraged meeting attendees to participate in any Community Based Care efforts in their locale. He offered himself as a resource along with Judge Melissa DeGerolami or Ms. Tina Amberboy for anyone seeking additional information. Judge Hofmann reported that he presented at the Hill Country Texas CASA 30 Year Anniversary celebration on behalf of Ms. Vicki Spriggs. Finally, Judge Hofmann announced that he and Judge Robin Sage would be traveling to Wyoming Supreme Court to speak at their annual Judicial Conference in October. NEW BUSINESS Justice Guzman announced the next Commission Meeting date: February 21, 2020, at the State Bar of Texas. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m.
-
INSERT ‐ TAB 3
-
Repo
rt to
Com
mis
sion
Febr
uary
21,
202
0
Stat
e Ba
r of T
exas
1414
Col
orad
o St
reet
Aust
in, T
exas
787
01
Chi
ldre
n’s
Com
mis
sion
®
SUP
RE
ME
CO
UR
T O
F T
EX
AS
PE
RM
AN
EN
T J
UD
ICIA
LC
OM
MIS
SIO
N F
OR
CH
ILD
RE
N, Y
OU
TH
AN
D F
AM
ILIE
S
-
Page
2 o
f 24
S
YSTE
MS
IMPR
OVE
MEN
T |
LEG
AL P
OLI
CY &
PRA
CTIC
E |T
RAIN
ING
|DA
TA |
DU
AL S
TATU
S
Goa
l I: E
ncou
rage
judi
cial
lead
ersh
ip, a
ccou
ntab
ility
, and
app
ropr
iate
ove
rsig
ht o
f chi
ld p
rote
ctio
n ca
ses t
o im
prov
e sa
fety
, per
man
ency
, and
wel
l-bei
ng o
f chi
ldre
n an
d fa
mili
es.
I.A. O
bjec
tive:
Sup
port
stat
ewid
e ef
fort
s to
ensu
re a
nd im
prov
e ch
ild sa
fety
.
I.A.1
. Str
ateg
y: C
olla
bora
te a
nd su
ppor
t age
ncy
and
part
ner e
ffort
s to
exam
ine,
secu
re, a
sses
s, a
nd im
prov
e ch
ild sa
fety
.
Back
grou
nd: F
amily
Firs
t Pre
vent
ion
Serv
ice
Act (
FFPS
A) b
ecam
e ef
fect
ive
on F
ebru
ary
9, 2
018.
FFP
SA re
stru
ctur
es fe
dera
l chi
ld w
elfa
re fu
ndin
g, p
artic
ular
ly T
itle
IV-E
and
Ti
tle IV
-B o
f the
Soc
ial S
ecur
ity A
ct, w
hich
Tex
as u
ses t
o pa
y fo
r ser
vice
s for
chi
ldre
n in
fost
er c
are
and
thei
r fam
ilies
. FFP
SA se
eks t
o re
duce
ent
ry in
fost
er c
are,
lim
it th
e us
e of
con
greg
ate
care
, and
to in
crea
se a
cces
s to
subs
tanc
e ab
use
and
men
tal h
ealth
serv
ices
. The
re a
re c
erta
in tr
aini
ng p
rovi
sions
dire
ctly
impa
ctin
g th
e co
urts
and
Cou
rt
Impr
ovem
ent P
rogr
ams,
but
bey
ond
that
, FFP
SA a
lso m
anda
tes t
hat s
tate
s see
king
Titl
e IV
-E fu
ndin
g cr
eate
and
pro
vide
mor
e ro
bust
pre
vent
ion
serv
ices
for f
amili
es in
the
stat
e’s c
hild
wel
fare
syst
em. A
lso, w
ith th
e FF
PSA
and
the
Com
preh
ensiv
e Ad
dict
ion
and
Reco
very
Act
(CAR
A) a
men
dmen
ts to
the
Child
Abu
se P
reve
ntio
n an
d Tr
eatm
ent A
ct
(CAP
TA),
it w
ill b
e ne
cess
ary
for t
he C
hild
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
to e
ngag
e w
ith st
akeh
olde
rs m
ore
deep
ly o
n pr
even
tion
effo
rts.
The
CAR
A am
endm
ents
to C
APTA
requ
ire m
ore
focu
s on
wha
t are
kno
wn
as P
lans
of S
afe
Care
, and
alth
ough
ther
e is
no sp
ecifi
c co
urt o
vers
ight
of P
lans
of S
afe
Care
, the
judi
ciar
y is
bein
g as
ked
to b
ecom
e fa
mili
ar w
ith th
e CA
RA a
men
dmen
ts a
nd p
artn
er w
ith c
hild
wel
fare
in a
man
ner t
hat m
akes
exi
stin
g an
d ne
w P
lans
of S
afe
Care
mor
e m
eani
ngfu
l.
02/2
1/20
Upd
ate:
The
Chi
ldre
n’s C
omm
issio
n is
colla
bora
ting
clos
ely
with
DFP
S on
the
impl
emen
tatio
n of
FFP
SA, a
s is r
equi
red
by th
e fe
dera
l Adm
inist
ratio
n fo
r Chi
ldre
n an
d Fa
mili
es. T
exas
has
ele
cted
to d
elay
impl
emen
tatio
n of
cer
tain
pro
visio
ns re
late
d th
e us
e of
con
greg
ate
care
, whi
ch m
anda
te th
at C
ourt
Impr
ovem
ent P
rogr
ams p
rovi
de
trai
ning
and
edu
catio
n to
judg
es a
nd o
ther
lega
l sys
tem
stak
ehol
ders
on
the
limita
tions
on
fund
ing
for u
se o
f non
-fost
er fa
mily
hom
e pl
acem
ents
. The
Tex
as C
IP is
co
llabo
ratin
g w
ith C
asey
Fam
ily P
rogr
ams a
nd o
ther
nat
iona
l wor
kgro
ups o
n be
st p
ract
ices
for i
mpl
emen
tatio
n of
all
FFPS
A pr
ovisi
ons,
incl
udin
g th
e de
velo
pmen
t of I
V-E
prev
entio
n pr
ogra
ms,
cou
rt o
vers
ight
of c
ongr
egat
e ca
re p
lace
men
ts, a
nd c
ourt
invo
lvem
ent i
n en
cour
agin
g a
prim
ary
prev
entio
n ap
proa
ch. C
ongr
ess r
ecen
tly e
nact
ed th
e Fa
mily
Firs
t Tra
nsiti
on A
ct to
pro
vide
$50
0 m
illio
n in
one
-tim
e, fl
exib
le tr
ansit
ion
fund
ing
to h
elp
juris
dict
ions
with
FFP
SA im
plem
enta
tion.
Thi
s fun
ding
is in
tend
ed to
hel
p of
fset
cos
ts a
ssoc
iate
d w
ith p
rogr
am st
artu
p, IV
-E w
aive
r tra
nsiti
on, a
nd im
prov
emen
ts to
fost
er c
are
safe
ty a
nd q
ualit
y. T
he le
gisla
tion
also
offe
rs g
rant
s to
juris
dict
ions
with
ex
pirin
g IV
-E w
aive
rs if
they
face
sign
ifica
nt fu
ndin
g lo
sses
, ens
urin
g st
abili
ty a
nd c
ontin
uity
of c
are
for t
he c
hild
ren
in c
are
as th
e tr
ansit
ion
cont
inue
s to
new
mod
els u
nder
FF
PSA.
In a
dditi
on to
thes
e ne
w fu
ndin
g re
sour
ces,
the
bill
crea
tes a
two-
year
del
ayed
pha
se-in
for F
FPSA
’s “
wel
l-sup
port
ed”
requ
irem
ent f
or p
reve
ntio
n se
rvic
es, w
hich
sets
th
e ev
iden
ce th
resh
old
prev
entio
n se
rvic
es m
ust m
eet u
nder
FFP
SA to
be
elig
ible
for f
undi
ng re
imbu
rsem
ent.
The
dela
y of
fers
stat
es a
nd c
ount
ies g
reat
er fl
exib
ility
to
proc
eed
with
exi
stin
g, e
vide
nce-
base
d fo
ster
car
e pr
even
tion
prog
ram
s.
I.B. O
bjec
tive:
Sup
port
the
impr
ovem
ent o
f edu
catio
n ou
tcom
es fo
r chi
ldre
n in
the
cons
erva
tors
hip
of D
FPS
to in
crea
se o
ppor
tuni
ties f
or e
duca
tiona
l pro
gres
s, le
adin
g to
a
mor
e pr
oduc
tive
and
stab
le a
dult
life.
I.B.1
. Str
ateg
y: Im
plem
ent t
he T
exas
Edu
catio
n Bl
uepr
int.
-
Page
3 o
f 24
S
YSTE
MS
IMPR
OVE
MEN
T |
LEG
AL P
OLI
CY &
PRA
CTIC
E |T
RAIN
ING
|DA
TA |
DU
AL S
TATU
S
Back
grou
nd: S
ince
the
ince
ptio
n of
the
Educ
atio
n Co
mm
ittee
in 2
010
and
the
rele
ase
of th
e Te
xas B
luep
rint i
n 20
12, t
he C
hild
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
has c
onve
ned
a m
ulti-
disc
iplin
ary,
stat
ewid
e ef
fort
aim
ed a
t im
prov
ing
educ
atio
n ou
tcom
es fo
r chi
ldre
n an
d yo
uth
in fo
ster
car
e. T
he F
oste
r Car
e an
d Ed
ucat
ion
(FC&
Ed) C
omm
ittee
was
es
tabl
ished
in 2
015
to c
ontin
ue th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of th
e Te
xas B
luep
rint r
ecom
men
datio
ns. I
n FY
2019
, the
stru
ctur
e of
the
FC&
Ed c
olla
bora
tion
shift
ed fr
om a
wor
kgro
up
mod
el to
a p
roje
ct-c
ente
red
mod
el. T
he F
C&Ed
Com
mitt
ee w
ill c
ontin
ue to
dev
elop
prio
ritie
s and
pro
vide
ove
rsig
ht fo
r the
stat
ewid
e ef
fort
. As p
roje
cts a
re id
entif
ied,
smal
l gr
oups
will
eac
h m
eet p
erio
dica
lly w
ith a
def
ined
scop
e, d
eliv
erab
les,
and
a ti
mel
ine.
Alth
ough
the
stru
ctur
e w
ill c
hang
e, th
e co
re p
rinci
ples
of s
tren
gthe
ning
col
labo
ratio
n be
twee
n ed
ucat
ion,
cou
rts,
and
chi
ld w
elfa
re sy
stem
s, d
evel
opin
g cr
oss-
trai
ning
opp
ortu
nitie
s, a
nd e
ncou
ragi
ng d
ata-
driv
en d
ecisi
on-m
akin
g re
mai
n fu
ndam
enta
l to
the
FC&
Ed c
omm
ittee
mod
el.
02/2
1/20
Upd
ate:
The
Fos
ter C
are
and
Educ
atio
n Co
mm
ittee
met
on
Janu
ary
10, 2
020
and
rece
ived
upd
ates
on
the
prog
ress
com
mitt
ee w
orkg
roup
s hav
e m
ade
on p
roje
cts
iden
tifie
d at
the
June
201
9 Co
nven
ing.
The
nex
t Fos
ter C
are
and
Educ
atio
n Co
mm
ittee
mee
ting
will
occ
ur o
n M
ay 1
, 202
0 at
the
Texa
s Hig
her E
duca
tion
Coor
dina
ting
Boar
d fr
om 1
0 a.
m.-2
p.m
.
• Th
e Ed
ucat
ion
in R
TCs w
orkg
roup
is d
evel
opin
g a
serie
s of c
olor
cod
ed o
ne-p
age
reso
urce
s for
lega
l pro
fess
iona
ls, p
rovi
ders
, and
edu
cato
rs. E
ach
reso
urce
will
in
clud
e th
e to
p 10
thin
gs th
e au
dien
ce n
eeds
to k
now
abo
ut e
duca
tion
in R
TCs.
The
wor
kgro
up a
ntic
ipat
es th
at th
e fir
st o
ne-p
ager
, dire
cted
at l
egal
pro
fess
iona
ls,
will
be
read
y fo
r dist
ribut
ion
arou
nd A
pril
1, 2
020
and
has s
et a
goa
l for
com
plet
ion
of th
e pr
ovid
er a
nd e
duca
tion
one-
page
rs fo
r Aug
ust 1
, 202
0.
• Th
e Re
sour
ces f
or H
ighe
r Edu
catio
n Pr
ofes
siona
ls w
orkg
roup
is c
reat
ing
a Po
wer
Poin
t slid
e de
ck w
ith a
ccom
pany
ing
one-
page
rs a
nd re
fere
nce
docu
men
ts (e
.g.
High
er E
duca
tion
Reso
urce
s Cha
rt, E
duca
tion
& T
rain
ing
Vouc
her (
ETV)
info
rmat
ion,
Tui
tion
and
Fee
Wai
ver p
roce
ss m
ap) a
imed
at p
rovi
ding
hig
h le
vel t
rain
ing,
to
ols,
and
reso
urce
s for
pro
fess
iona
ls in
hig
her e
duca
tion
incl
udin
g, b
ut n
ot li
mite
d to
adm
inist
rato
rs, f
inan
cial
aid
offi
cers
, adm
issio
ns, f
oste
r car
e lia
isons
, and
ot
hers
who
may
ass
ist o
r pro
vide
serv
ices
to fo
ster
car
e al
umni
on
cam
pus.
The
wor
kgro
up h
as a
targ
et c
ompl
etio
n de
adlin
e of
May
202
0 in
ant
icip
atio
n of
pr
esen
ting
at th
e Ed
ucat
ion
Reac
h fo
r Tex
ans C
onfe
renc
e Ju
ne 4
-5 a
t Ang
elo
Stat
e U
nive
rsity
. •
The
Non
-tra
ditio
nal P
ost-
Seco
ndar
y Ed
ucat
ion
wor
kgro
up in
itial
ly se
t out
to c
reat
e an
inve
ntor
y of
exi
stin
g ce
rtifi
cate
and
oth
er n
on-t
radi
tiona
l opp
ortu
nitie
s and
en
tran
ce re
quire
men
ts fo
r stu
dent
s see
king
non
-tra
ditio
nal p
ost-
seco
ndar
y ed
ucat
ion
path
way
s. A
t the
Dec
embe
r mee
ting,
the
wor
kgro
up id
entif
ied
a la
rger
nee
d to
cla
rify
the
type
s of f
undi
ng th
at a
re a
vaila
ble
for a
nd h
ow to
det
erm
ine
whi
ch n
on-t
radi
tiona
l hig
her e
duca
tion
prog
ram
s qua
lify
for t
he a
vaila
ble
fund
ing
stre
ams.
In
ord
er to
cle
arly
illu
stra
te th
is in
form
atio
n, th
e w
orkg
roup
will
cre
ate
flow
char
ts, a
glo
ssar
y of
term
s, a
nd a
one
-pag
er h
ighl
ight
ing
impo
rtan
t inf
orm
atio
n fo
r st
uden
ts.
• Th
e Re
cord
s & In
form
atio
n Sh
arin
g w
orkg
roup
will
focu
s on
the
shar
ing
of in
form
atio
n an
d re
cord
s bet
wee
n se
ndin
g an
d re
ceiv
ing
scho
ols.
The
pro
ject
will
incl
ude
guid
ance
acr
oss s
yste
ms i
nclu
ding
pro
vide
r, ki
nshi
p, D
FPS,
and
edu
catio
n ne
twor
ks. T
he w
orkg
roup
is c
urre
ntly
wor
king
on
iden
tifyi
ng c
omm
on is
sues
exp
erie
nced
du
ring
the
reco
rds a
nd in
form
atio
n sh
arin
g pr
oces
s so
that
bes
t pra
ctic
e re
com
men
datio
ns c
an b
e m
ade
for a
mor
e flu
id tr
ansit
ion
of re
cord
s to
ensu
re st
uden
ts a
re
not d
elay
ed in
rece
ivin
g es
sent
ial s
ervi
ces a
nd/o
r cla
sses
upo
n tr
ansf
errin
g sc
hool
s.
• Th
e Ev
ery
Stud
ent S
ucce
eds A
ct w
orkg
roup
will
dev
elop
a T
oolk
it w
ith in
form
atio
n on
scho
ol o
f orig
in, b
est i
nter
est d
ecisi
ons,
disp
ute
reso
lutio
n, tr
ansp
orta
tion,
and
cr
oss-
syst
em c
olla
bora
tion.
The
targ
et d
eadl
ine
for t
he T
oolk
it is
July
1, 2
020
in th
e ho
pes o
f rel
ease
coi
ncid
ing
with
the
upda
ted
Fost
er C
are
and
Stud
ent S
ucce
ss
Guid
eboo
k re
leas
e.
I.C. O
bjec
tive:
Pro
mot
e aw
aren
ess o
f and
em
bed
a cu
lture
and
pra
ctic
e am
ong
the
judi
ciar
y an
d le
gal c
omm
unity
aro
und
Trau
ma-
Info
rmed
Car
e so
that
the
lega
l and
ju
dici
al c
omm
unity
is a
war
e, e
duca
ted,
and
supp
ortiv
e of
the
conc
ept a
nd a
pplic
atio
n.
-
Page
4 o
f 24
S
YSTE
MS
IMPR
OVE
MEN
T |
LEG
AL P
OLI
CY &
PRA
CTIC
E |T
RAIN
ING
|DA
TA |
DU
AL S
TATU
S
I.C.1
. Str
ateg
y: P
artn
er w
ith tr
aum
a an
d m
enta
l hea
lth a
dvoc
ates
and
age
ncie
s to
impl
emen
t and
app
ly p
rinci
ples
of T
raum
a-In
form
ed C
are
in th
e re
spec
tive
disc
iplin
es.
Back
grou
nd: I
n Ju
ly 2
017,
the
Child
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
laun
ched
the
Stat
ewid
e Co
llabo
rativ
e on
Tra
uma
Info
rmed
Car
e (S
CTIC
), to
ele
vate
trau
ma
info
rmed
pol
icy
and
prac
tices
in
the
Texa
s chi
ld w
elfa
re sy
stem
by
crea
ting
a st
atew
ide
stra
tegy
to su
ppor
t sys
tem
refo
rm, o
rgan
izatio
nal l
eade
rshi
p, c
ross
-sys
tem
s col
labo
ratio
n, a
nd c
omm
unity
-led
effo
rts w
ith d
ata-
info
rmed
initi
ativ
es. T
he S
CTIC
ado
pted
four
bro
ad g
oals
with
spec
ific
stra
tegi
es a
nd d
efin
ition
s for
its y
ear o
ne p
lan.
The
SCT
IC e
ndea
vors
to ra
ise
awar
enes
s abo
ut T
raum
a-In
form
ed C
are
thro
ugh
trai
ning
and
edu
catio
nal o
ppor
tuni
ties;
lead
a S
tate
wid
e Co
llabo
rativ
e on
Tra
uma-
info
rmed
Car
e to
cre
ate
a tr
aum
a-in
form
ed a
nd tr
aum
a-re
spon
sive
child
wel
fare
syst
em th
at b
ette
r mee
ts th
e ne
eds o
f chi
ldre
n w
ho h
ave
expe
rienc
ed tr
aum
a; a
nd p
artn
er w
ith o
ther
Tex
as a
nd n
atio
nal
trau
ma-
info
rmed
wor
kgro
ups
and
colla
bora
tives
. Bas
ed o
n th
e w
ork
of th
e SC
TIC,
the
Child
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
publ
ished
a fi
nal r
epor
t in
Febr
uary
201
9: B
uild
ing
a Tr
aum
a-In
form
ed C
hild
Wel
fare
Sys
tem
: A B
luep
rint.
The
Blue
prin
t pro
vide
s a fr
amew
ork
for t
he s
tate
to a
dvan
ce tr
aum
a-in
form
ed c
are
prac
tices
in th
e ch
ild w
elfa
re sy
stem
. The
SC
TIC
cont
inue
s und
er th
e gu
idan
ce o
f an
Impl
emen
tatio
n Ta
sk F
orce
and
util
izes t
he B
luep
rint t
o di
rect
the
SCTI
C’s w
ork.
02/2
1/20
Upd
ate:
Cha
ired
by Ju
dge
Darle
ne B
yrne
, the
SCT
IC Im
plem
enta
tion
Task
For
ce la
st m
et o
n N
ovem
ber 8
, 201
9 an
d w
ill m
eet a
gain
on
Febr
uary
28,
202
0. O
n N
ovem
ber 8
, Tas
k Fo
rce
mem
bers
hea
rd u
pdat
es fr
om it
s thr
ee w
orkg
roup
s and
det
erm
ined
nex
t ste
ps.
Polic
y &
Pra
ctic
e W
orkg
roup
: The
Pol
icy
and
Prac
tice
Wor
kgro
up’s
firs
t prio
rity
has b
een
to a
ddre
ss B
luep
rint S
trat
egy
1.1
calli
ng fo
r the
ado
ptio
n of
def
initi
ons t
o cr
eate
a
com
mon
lang
uage
am
ong
stak
ehol
ders
. The
Dep
artm
ent o
f Fam
ily a
nd P
rote
ctiv
e Se
rvic
es (D
FPS)
inte
nds t
o ad
opt d
efin
ition
s of “
trau
ma”
and
“tr
aum
a-in
form
ed: b
y ru
le.
DFPS
has
requ
este
d th
at th
e SC
TIC
to se
rve
as a
stak
ehol
der f
eedb
ack
grou
p. T
he d
efin
ition
s dev
elop
ed b
y th
e Po
licy
and
Prac
tice
Wor
kgro
up to
ok in
to c
onsid
erat
ion
exist
ing
and
com
mon
ly u
sed
defin
ition
s and
agr
eed
on d
raft
lang
uage
take
n pr
imar
ily fr
om S
AMHS
A bu
t with
add
ition
al la
ngua
ge fr
om N
CTSN
to m
ore
fully
roun
d ou
t the
con
cept
of
trau
ma-
info
rmed
. The
wor
kgro
up w
ill su
bmit
thei
r rec
omm
enda
tions
to th
e SC
TIC
Task
For
ce a
head
of t
he F
ebru
ary
28th
mee
ting
and
the
Task
For
ce w
ill v
ote
on F
ebru
ary
28th
whe
ther
to su
bmit
the
wor
kgro
up’s
reco
mm
enda
tions
to D
FPS.
Upo
n re
ceip
t of t
he S
CTIC
reco
mm
enda
tions
, DFP
S w
ill c
omm
ence
the
offic
ial r
ulem
akin
g pr
oces
s to
adop
t def
initi
ons w
hich
cou
ld ta
ke n
ine
mon
ths t
o on
e ye
ar.
Trai
ning
Wor
kgro
up: A
t the
July
Tas
k Fo
rce
mee
ting,
the
Trai
ning
Wor
kgro
up w
as d
irect
ed to
cre
ate
a m
essa
ging
doc
umen
t abo
ut th
e im
port
ance
of t
raum
a-in
form
ed c
are
and
the
SCTI
C. T
he T
rain
ing
Wor
kgro
up is
dra
ftin
g a
docu
men
t to
serv
e as
an
“ele
vato
r spe
ech”
for S
CTIC
stak
ehol
ders
and
will
brin
g it
to th
e Ta
sk F
orce
for r
evie
w a
t the
Fe
brua
ry 2
8th m
eetin
g. T
he T
rain
ing
Wor
kgro
up is
also
con
duct
ing
an u
pdat
ed e
nviro
nmen
tal s
can
of c
urre
nt tr
aum
a-in
form
ed tr
aini
ng a
vaila
ble
in T
exas
. The
scan
will
be
cate
goriz
ed b
y in
tend
ed a
udie
nce
and
coul
d be
a u
sefu
l too
l for
var
ious
stak
ehol
ders
to u
se w
hen
assis
ting
fam
ilies
, car
egiv
ers,
and
pro
fess
iona
ls to
obt
ain
trai
ning
. The
scan
m
ight
also
hel
p id
entif
y ga
ps in
trai
ning
acr
oss t
he st
ate
and
driv
e th
e w
orkg
roup
’s ta
sks.
Las
tly, t
he w
orkg
roup
has
bee
n se
rvin
g as
a c
urric
ulum
adv
isory
gro
up fo
r the
Ch
ildre
n’s C
omm
issio
n st
aff i
n de
velo
ping
the
Judi
cial
Tra
uma
Inst
itute
bei
ng h
eld
Mar
ch 2
9-31
, 202
0 in
Geo
rget
own.
Info
rmat
ion
Shar
ing,
Dat
a, &
Fun
ding
Wor
kgro
up: T
he In
form
atio
n Sh
arin
g, D
ata,
and
Fun
ding
Wor
kgro
up is
focu
sed
on S
trat
egy
7.2
of th
e Tr
aum
a Bl
uepr
int w
hich
cal
ls fo
r a
stat
ewid
e w
ebsit
e to
serv
e as
a p
rimar
y so
urce
of r
elev
ant i
nfor
mat
ion
and
trai
ning
on
trau
ma-
info
rmed
car
e an
d pr
actic
es. T
he w
orkg
roup
is d
raft
ing
a co
ncep
t pap
er fo
r th
e Ta
sk F
orce
’s re
view
whi
ch w
ill id
entif
y th
e pr
oces
s to
secu
re a
hos
t org
aniza
tion
to d
evel
op th
e Te
xas-
spec
ific
site.
A g
oal i
s for
the
host
org
aniza
tion
to a
lso se
cure
fu
ndin
g to
mai
ntai
n th
e da
y-to
-day
ope
ratio
ns o
f the
site
. The
prim
ary
site
audi
ence
will
be
fam
ily a
nd c
areg
iver
s, c
hild
wel
fare
pro
fess
iona
ls, d
irect
and
non
-dire
ct se
rvic
e pr
ovid
ers,
and
com
mun
ity c
olla
bora
tives
. The
wor
kgro
up is
also
dev
elop
ing
a “R
etur
n on
Inve
stm
ent”
doc
umen
t to
illus
trat
e th
e po
tent
ial l
ong-
term
ben
efits
for i
nves
ting
in
trau
ma-
info
rmed
pol
icie
s and
pra
ctic
es.
-
Page
5 o
f 24
S
YSTE
MS
IMPR
OVE
MEN
T |
LEG
AL P
OLI
CY &
PRA
CTIC
E |T
RAIN
ING
|DA
TA |
DU
AL S
TATU
S
I.D. O
bjec
tive:
Pro
mot
e aw
aren
ess o
f and
pro
vide
trai
ning
, res
ourc
es, a
nd su
ppor
t for
add
ress
ing
Hum
an T
raffi
ckin
g an
d sp
ecifi
cally
dom
estic
chi
ld se
x tr
affic
king
so th
at
the
judi
cial
syst
em c
an a
ssis
t in
prev
entin
g an
d re
spon
ding
to th
e co
mm
erci
al se
xual
exp
loita
tion
of c
hild
ren
in D
FPS’
con
serv
ator
ship
.
I.D.1
. Str
ateg
y: C
olla
bora
te w
ith st
ate
and
loca
l par
tner
s to
prev
ent a
nd a
ddre
ss c
omm
erci
al se
xual
exp
loita
tion
of y
outh
in fo
ster
car
e.
Back
grou
nd: T
he C
hild
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
part
ners
with
man
y ke
y st
akeh
olde
rs w
ith a
goa
l of p
reve
ntin
g an
d ad
dres
sing
com
mer
cial
sexu
al e
xplo
itatio
n of
chi
ldre
n an
d yo
uth
in fo
ster
car
e. In
add
ition
to se
rvin
g on
the
Texa
s Hum
an T
raffi
ckin
g Pr
even
tion
Task
For
ce, t
he C
hild
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
also
wor
ks w
ith th
e O
ffice
of t
he T
exas
Gov
erno
r’s
Child
Sex
Tra
ffick
ing
Team
, the
DFP
S Hu
man
Tra
ffick
ing
and
Child
Exp
loita
tion
team
, and
the
Offi
ce o
f Cou
rt A
dmin
istra
tion
to d
evel
op st
rate
gies
to im
prov
e ju
dici
al h
andl
ing
of c
hild
wel
fare
cas
es w
here
chi
ldre
n or
you
th a
re a
t hig
h ris
k of
bec
omin
g tr
affic
king
vic
tims.
The
Chi
ldre
n’s C
omm
issio
n is
focu
sed
prim
arily
on
prov
idin
g in
form
atio
n to
ju
dges
and
att
orne
ys re
spon
sible
for c
hild
wel
fare
cas
es to
raise
aw
aren
ess a
bout
hum
an tr
affic
king
as i
t im
pact
s chi
ldre
n in
volv
ed w
ith th
e ch
ild w
elfa
re sy
stem
. The
Ch
ildre
n’s C
omm
issio
n al
so p
artic
ipat
es in
the
stat
e an
d na
tiona
l tra
inin
gs o
n hu
man
traf
ficki
ng to
stay
info
rmed
abo
ut su
cces
sful
stra
tegi
es to
com
bat t
raffi
ckin
g an
d de
velo
p ex
pert
ise to
rela
y in
form
atio
n to
judg
es a
nd a
ttor
neys
as n
eede
d.
02/2
1/20
Upd
ate:
The
Com
miss
ion
will
con
tinue
to w
ork
with
chi
ld w
elfa
re a
nd c
ourt
stak
ehol
ders
to b
uild
cap
acity
to a
ddre
ss tr
affic
king
thro
ugho
ut th
e st
ate.
Com
miss
ion
staf
f par
ticip
ated
in a
mee
ting
of th
e Te
xas H
uman
Tra
ffick
ing
Prev
entio
n Ta
sk F
orce
on
Febr
uary
5, 2
020
whe
re u
pdat
es w
ere
give
n ab
out t
he d
evel
opm
ent o
f a fi
ve-y
ear
stra
tegi
c pl
an a
nd th
e re
leas
e of
a st
atew
ide
surv
ey o
n hu
man
traf
ficki
ng. C
omm
issio
n st
aff p
artic
ipat
es in
the
Adm
inist
ratio
n fo
r Chi
ldre
n an
d Fa
mili
es (A
CF) R
egio
n VI
Hu
man
Tra
ffick
ing
Wor
kgro
up to
spre
ad b
est p
ract
ices
and
bet
ter c
oord
inat
e w
ith o
ther
sta
tes o
n co
mba
ttin
g hu
man
traf
ficki
ng.
Goa
l II:
Prom
ote,
exp
and,
and
shar
e be
st a
nd p
rom
isin
g ch
ild w
elfa
re a
nd c
ourt
pra
ctic
es a
nd re
sour
ces t
o im
prov
e ju
dici
al a
dmin
istr
atio
n an
d st
reng
then
the
child
w
elfa
re sy
stem
.
II.A.
Obj
ectiv
e: C
reat
e op
port
uniti
es to
brin
g to
geth
er su
bjec
t mat
ter e
xper
ts, j
udic
ial a
nd e
xecu
tive
bran
ch le
ader
s, a
nd k
ey p
olic
y m
aker
s so
that
impo
rtan
t and
urg
ent
issu
es a
re e
xam
ined
, and
reco
mm
enda
tions
and
solu
tions
are
iden
tifie
d.
II.A.
1. S
trat
egy:
Wor
k w
ith D
FPS
and
othe
r sta
keho
lder
s to
iden
tify
topi
cs fo
r Rou
nd T
able
disc
ussio
ns.
Back
grou
nd: R
ound
Tab
le d
iscus
sions
are
des
igne
d to
add
ress
key
, urg
ent i
ssue
s affe
ctin
g th
e Te
xas c
hild
wel
fare
syst
em th
roug
h a
half-
day
prog
ram
that
is fa
cilit
ated
by
a su
bjec
t-m
atte
r and
lega
l exp
ert.
The
topi
cs v
ary
year
to y
ear a
nd th
e nu
mbe
r of R
ound
Tab
les h
oste
d ea
ch y
ear a
lso v
arie
s acc
ordi
ng to
the
inte
rest
of s
take
hold
ers a
nd
issue
s dem
andi
ng a
tten
tion.
The
Chi
ldre
n’s C
omm
issio
n’s r
ole
usua
lly c
onsis
ts o
f for
min
g a
smal
l wor
kgro
up to
disc
uss t
he o
vera
ll pu
rpos
e, c
reat
ing
an in
vita
tion
and
dist
ribut
ion
list,
secu
ring
a ve
nue,
han
dlin
g al
l inv
itatio
ns, R
SVPs
, and
trav
el re
imbu
rsem
ents
, and
pro
duci
ng a
writ
ten
repo
rt o
r pap
er w
ithin
abo
ut 4
to 6
mon
ths f
ollo
win
g th
e ev
ent.
02/2
1/20
Upd
ate:
The
Chi
ldre
n’s C
omm
issio
n he
ld a
Rou
nd T
able
mee
tings
on
Nor
mal
cy a
nd M
edia
tion
in F
Y201
9. T
he C
hild
ren’
s Com
miss
ion
will
hos
t a R
ound
Tab
le o
n Sh
ackl
ing
on A
pril
13, 2
020
in A
ustin
.
-
Page
6 o
f 24
S
YSTE
MS
IMPR
OVE
MEN
T |
LEG
AL P
OLI
CY &
PRA
CTIC
E |T
RAIN
ING
|DA
TA |
DU
AL S
TATU
S
II.B.
Obj
ectiv
e: E
nsur
e av
aila
bilit
y of
qua
lity
judi
cial
reso
urce
s suc
h as
the
Benc
h Bo
ok, J
uris
t in
Resi
denc
e (J
IR) s
uppo
rt a
nd JI
R co
rres
pond
ence
and
com
mun
ique
to
ensu
re ju
dges
are
equ
ippe
d to
mak
e in
form
ed, e
duca
ted
deci
sion
s, a
nd u
se b
est p
ract
ices
in c
ondu
ctin
g he
arin
gs th
at w
ill c
ontr
ibut