Travis County Commissioners Court
November 3, 2009,
Item 1
A special item is next.
that is number 1.
1.
receive notice from the champions for inclusive communities and the maternal and child health bureau of recognition of Travis County as a star community for the work of the children's partnership/system of care project in the health and human services and veterans service department.
>> good morning, Commissioners, sherri flemming, executive manager of the health and human services.
we have quite a team here today, so -- so I'll let them assemble.
we wanted to come today and share with us some recognition that Travis County has received for the work of the children's partnership
>> [indiscernible] care project.
without further ado, I will pass the mic on to princess catana, our program director.
>> thank you, I would like to distribute to you copies of the certificates and an explanation of the meaning of this recognition to the work of the children's partnership to all of the partners.
and while I do that, I would like to introduce to you a member of the children's partnership board of directors, sherri hammock, who her office is the program coordination for program and youth was the office that pointed -- pointed the
>> [indiscernible] in our direction.
>> sherri.
>> thank you, I appreciate being here.
i'm always excited to have the opportunity when I got calls from other parts around the state or at the federal level and asking about promising practices in our states and best practices around children's mental health services that it's an honor and privilege to be able to point them to the direction of my home community in Travis County.
and I really just -- I can't say enough about the children's partnership and the different ways that it's done -- business is done here.
in this spirit of the promising practice of children's mental health, Travis County in the past and continues the trend to be on the cutting edge as far as setting the standard from -- from way back when -- when community resource coordination groups were started at Travis County was a model program.
texas children's mental health plan, they helped inform some of the state programs like the Texas integrated funding initiative.
and then Travis County in partnership with the state health and human services was the first federal system of care grant that was funded.
and since then, five other communities have been funded.
and those are multi--million dollar grants that Travis County has sustained two unique features of that grant being family liaisons, the model that we support with family liaisons and having an integrated funding pool that helps us provide flexible direct service dollars, so we're not looking at cookie cutter approaches to services and we're able to meet the needs of families.
the other recognition I think as Travis County continues to move in the direction of being one of our shining stars in Texas is that they are going to be a demonstration silent for a federal medicaid waiver, a 1915 c waiver and one of the two demonstration sites in Texas.
again, to set the standard and I think this is a testament to the leadership that you provided with the county, and with health and human services, with mental health and mental retardation community center, I appreciate your support and your continued support with the children's partnership.
i'm excited.
i don't often get to say, you know, let me find a community that I can point to that I can tell you is doing stuff right and in a different way.
i'm always glad to be able to point to the children's partnership and the county of travis.
>> thank you.
now I would like to introduce one of my partners, one of the partners of the children's partnership who has been integral, an integral partner in this because the things that sherri mentioned about the 1915 c waiver and about the way funds are managed.
that's what our partner does.
you want to say two words about that?
>> I just think that we have learned over time that juvenile probation, the families themselves, social services and the flexibility needed to keep families and children intact while receiving the best treatment is something that each person here is modeling out and at the center we're just happy to be partners with this strong group and it's a wonderful recognition.
sherri, thank you for your work out of the state.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> now, pam thomas, one of the parent liaisons that sherri mentioned and she's one of those who was interviewed for this.
so you can read her comments.
>> thank you, Commissioners, for allowing us the opportunity to come here and show our appreciation.
for your support to the Travis County community.
as someone who is on the groundworking with these families, we can see firsthand the transitions that transitions in a positive manner that these communities and these families are going through.
modeling for them how to navigate their lives is extremely important because then they can go back and model to their own communities and be able to show sustaination.
proving to themselves without having to go through so many systems.
this process really works.
additionally, I have enjoyed this process and princess' leadership in introducing this to the community.
i also am appreciative to sherri as well, for bringing a great transformational leader and be able to present this to the court.
this program does work.
it's a process.
it's really not a program.
it's a process.
where communities can sustain themselves long-term and thank you for being a forerunner for this particular process.
>> thank you.
christiano is also featured in the article.
christiano do you want to say something.
>> thank you all, Commissioners, for your continued support of children and families in Travis County and for the support that you have given to the children's partnership.
thank you.
>> > thank you, christiano.
if I may I would like our partners to introduce themselves quickly.
>> I'm a care coordinator from Pflugerville isd.
>> woo-hoo, pisd.
>> I guess we ought to have that mic available.
>> I'm
>> [indiscernible] wedge, also a parent liaison with the partnership at Travis County health and human services.
>> naomi tafoya from Austin independent school district.
>>
>> [indiscernible] with the arc of the capital area.
>> I'm
>> [indiscernible] with aisd, care ford nature.
nature -- coordinator.
>> christie king, process assurance quality coordinator with Travis County health care and veteran services.
>>
>> [indiscernible]
>> within hhsvs.
>> laura
>> [indiscernible] with community partners with children, likewise is highlighted in the article.
thank you so much for your support.
>> thank you so much for your work.
>> thank you,.
>> thank you.
>> so how long will we be a star community?
until we back slide or --
>> [laughter] or forever.
>> no, I think actually this last legislative session there was a couple of bills that were passed that set up children and family councils and in there -- in at least a couple of them they say look at the family and endorse the family liaison model and so we constantly come back and say how is that done exactly on the ground and look at travis.
so I think it's an ongoing, we continue to look for opportunities, the waivers one and no back sliding allowed.
>> good.
>> I move star community forever.
>> that's right.
>> thanks to all.
>> thank you very much.
>> thank you.
>> it's an honor.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 1:40 PM
