Texas Partnership for Family Recovery
Background

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The Texas IDTA Project is taking place during a period of major transition that has included the consolidation of mental health, substance abuse and health agencies. The legacy child protection and substance abuse agencies began collaborating to integrate and coordinate the judicial, child protective and substance abuse systems prior to consolidation. The service integration and coordination efforts have been strengthened by agency mergers. These changes provide a strong foundation for the Texas Partnership for Family Recovery initiative, while simultaneously presenting challenges.

Texas has been engaged in major child welfare reform as a result of Senate Bill (SB) 6 passed in 2005. SB 6 mandates outsourcing of all substitute care and case management services, reducing investigated caseloads, reducing the response time for reports of abuse and neglect, a strengthened, forensic-based approach to investigations, establishment of a medical home for children in foster care, increased collaboration with law enforcement and foster care eligibility and services to youth transitioning to independent living. In addition, separate legislation, House Bill (HB) 10, provides additional funds for more investigative caseworkers, specialized professional and support staff, increased funds for prevention and early intervention programs, better training and salaries for investigative workers, and planning and evaluation for outsourcing. Outsourcing will be phased in from FY06 – FY12.

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is involved in several related initiatives to further transform service systems in Texas. Specifically, DSHS has an Access to Recovery (ATR) grant that provides families involved with CPS with recovery support services. Other discretionary awards to DSHS include: a Mental Health Transformation Grant, a State Improvement Grant for Co-Occurring Disorders and a Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment grant.

The Children’s Justice Court Improvement Project (CIP) brings together substance abuse, the judicial and child welfare systems. The CIP has been central to the State’s ability to address a broad range of issues and systemic obstacles to the investigative, administrative and judicial handling of child abuse cases. CIP is working with the 231 judges in the state who hear child protection cases to promote and support the development of Family Drug Treatment Courts.

Texas CASA has been active in Texas since 1981 and now has 63 local CASA programs. CASA volunteers are advocates for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the court system. CASA will be helping to upgrade and enhance substance abuse training for volunteers working with children whose families need integrated services.

The Office of Court Administration oversees the Child Protection Courts that evolved from the CIP’s Rural Cluster Court Initiative that was originally developed to improve family court services in small and more isolated communities. The OCA is taking the lead in helping the Texas Partnership to work with the Child Protection Court judges to design, develop and implement integrated systems.

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This page was last modified January 26, 2007