Item 4 - Community Court News 2024Oct04 — original pdf

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COMMUNITY COURT NEWS A newsletter brought to you by DACC’s Communications Team Top stories in this newsletter JULY-SEPT. 2024 Annual DACC Retreat Mentor Court Site Visit Partner Spotlight DACC’s Numbers Annual DACC Retreat Thank you all for participating in our recent annual staff retreat, aimed at providing opportunities for professional development and networking with your colleagues. Thank you to Chris Anderson for all the time he poured into ensuring we had a fun day together with a meaningful agenda! Help us plan for next year – Leadership is evaluating what went well and areas for improvement to make sure our retreat next year is even more enjoyable and valuable for you all. We appreciate the feedback we’ve already received from staff, and encourage you all to share any input with any member of DACC’s leadership team to help us in our planning efforts for next year! DACC Participation in Work Study Program As of July 26, 2024, DACC has been approved as a Federal Work Study Site for University of Texas at Austin students. So Yong Kim, Yvonne Mboss, Jenna Pywell, and Chris Anderson represented DACC at the UT Austin Work-Study & Part Time Job Fair in August, and the position was posted on UT’s platform, through which DACC received 76 applications. The top two candidates have been identified following an interview process, and are expected to start in October. These two positions will work 12-16 hours per week through May 2025, and will provide administrative support to the Court Services and Homeless Services units. Tasks may include sorting mail, scanning clients’ vital docs, answering the phone calls or other administrative tasks each unit identifies as priorities. How it Works – Students are hired by UT Austin and DACC at the same time; Federal Work Study pays up to $3,500 per semester for their work and DACC pays the remaining balance. This approach creates great opportunities for students while providing critically needed support for our department. Thank you, So Yong Kim for your leadership and bring this support for DACC online and create new opportunities for students! Mentor Court Site Visit DACC is serving as a Mentor three Court for including communities Las Dane County, WI, Vegas, NV, and Paterson, NJ. On September 24, representatives from each of these communities, along with the Center for Justice Innovation who oversees the Mentor Court program, visited DACC to learn inform enhancements in their own programs. Thank you to all of our staff that presented and made our guests feel welcome. We heard great feedback about their continued experience collaborations with them in the months to come! about our practices to help forward look and to Proclamation to Celebrate DACC’s 25th Anniversary At the Council meeting on September 26, 2024, a proclamation celebrating DACC’s 25 years of services to Austin was sponsored by Council Member Harper Madison and presented by Council Members Vela and Qadri. We’re grateful to the Members of DACC and AMC’s leadership, along with members of DACC Advisory Board that were able to attend. We’ll be framing the proclamation to be our displayed court room. our in Partner Spotlight — Integral Care Integral Care supports adults and children living with mental illness, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities in Travis County. Their services include a 24-hour helpline for anyone who needs immediate support, ongoing counseling to improve mental health, drug and alcohol treatment to help with recovery, and housing to regain health and independence. Integral Care helps provide a strong foundation for well-being. DACC and Community Collaborations with Integral Care: Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) responds to mental health crises in collaboration with the City of Austin and Travis County first responders to divert jail bookings and emergency department (ED) admissions and provide short-term community-based interventions to stabilize persons in psychiatric crisis and link these individuals to Integral Care services or other appropriate care. EMCOT has staff at the 911 Call Center as well as a Field Response Team. City Council approved funding to expand the Field Response Team within EMCOT to 24/7 operations, beginning in April 2024. Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) - HOST identifies individuals who are experiencing homelessness, learn what challenges they face, and work to connect them to essential services such as medical and behavioral health care, case management, and housing. HOST helps individuals identify their needs and serves as a conduit to get them into appropriate social services. Integral Care works on increasing connection to case management, social services, medical care, behavioral health services, housing assessments and housing, which helps individuals improve their well-being and work toward reaching their full potential. Mental Health Diversion Pilot is a collaboration between Central Health, the City of Austin, Integral Care, and Travis County. The Pilot will leverage existing programs and facilities to expand community services to immediately address unmet deflection and diversion needs and provide members of the community experiencing behavioral health crises with access to services. The Pilot will leverage Integral Care’s Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) program on Airport Blvd. and repurpose Integral Care’s 15th Street crisis residential program, located in a City- owned facility, for a Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP). The Pilot will expand service hours at PES to 24/7 operations, including access to a prescriber onsite and 23- hour observation services. PES services will be run by Integral Care and funded by Central Health and Travis County. The TDP component of the Pilot will provide access to up to 90 days of care, including behavioral health services, peer support, and working toward connection to stable exit options through housing-focused case management services. TDP will be funded through Travis County and the City of Austin. Managed Service Organization (MSO) – This interlocal agreement between Integral Care, Travis County, and DACC provides mental health, transitional housing and substance use treatment services for our clients. We are currently working toward having access to an onsite prescriber at DACC through this agreement, and hope to have onsite counseling services through this agreement in the future, both thanks to recommendations from DACC’s Equity Team. Road to Recovery is an integrated mental health and substance use disorder recovery-based program for individuals who have a history of repeated contact with the criminal justice system. In addition to inpatient treatment at Alameda House, this agreement provides DACC clients access to a Physician Assistant to provide psychiatric evaluations and order medications, labs, and other diagnostic tests, make referrals, and arrange follow up care, to include follow up appointments as needed. The programs above are just a few representations of the expansive ways Integral Care serves our community. We’re grateful to have such a valuable resource available for Austinites, and for our collaborative partnership we look forward to building on for many years to come! and after Mobile Court events. Thank you to Sarah Rodriguez for leading this effort and innovating how information about our services and we share processes! Court Navigation Training Mobile Court staff the newly just prototyped developed DACC Navigation Training for community partners with Endeavors case managers at the Marshalling Yards Emergency Shelter in partnership with the Homelessness Strategy Office. This training equips service providers and advocates, along with their clients and peers, with the knowledge and tools to identify open cases, check case status, attend court, and meet case requirements to resolve cases. Training Goal is to increase capacity, transparency, and empowerment in court processes, helping individuals resolve their cases successfully without disrupting services, stability, or their housing journey, and support case managers in the interim between New Homeless Services Software As part of the Data Maximization project, DACC has procured a new data software tool that will effectively accommodate the data gathering, usage, and reporting needs of the Homeless Services unit. Selection Process: Bonterra, formerly known as Apricot, was selected out of eight software tools. Options were considered if they were already in use by a partner agency or other City department and had a strong online presence showing relevant alignment with the needs of the unit. A criteria matrix and interview questions were utilized in discussions with agencies who used each option as their primary means of collecting, analyzing, and distributing data. Strengths of Bonterra: •Trusted by multiple community partners •Social service oriented and scalable •Can integrate with Tableau, SharePoint, and HMIS •Offers long-term technical support •Possesses a vast capability to customize reporting •User-friendly platform in line with staff desires •Enhanced ability to capture and share the holistic work performed by the Homeless Services unit •Streamlining intake and referral processes. Council Approval Obtained: DACC staff learned that Austin/Travis County EMS were submitting a contract amendment for City Council approval on August 28th and subsequently DACC was able to join that amendment to access this resource. New Steps: As of September 19, 2024 the contract has been signed, funds have been encumbered, and we await next steps to begin the build out and implementation phase which will be followed by data migration from eCourt. Thank you to Bailey Gray for all of her work to identify the best option and work collaboratively with ATCEMS to bring this new, much needed resource to DACC! Black Men’s Health Clinic Collaboration This is a first-of-its-kind health clinic aims to address the long-time care gap for men of color. The name Black Men’s Health Clinic is intended to remind us of the inequities men of color experience and represent the organization’s commitment to addressing them. This organization already has a formalized partnership with CommUnityCare Health Center, which provides onsite services at DACC. We are working to bring Black Men’s Health Clinic onsite at DACC on select days to expand the resources available for our clients. Learn more about this great community organization: blackmenshealthclinic.org. Message from the Court Administrator As we begin this new fiscal year, I want to take a moment to express my excitement for the road ahead. Thanks to the hard work of you all, we have secured vital new resources in our budget that will significantly enhance two of our key initiatives—Mobile Court services and our Homeless Services Unit. These additional resources are more than just numbers in a budget—they represent our continued commitment to expanding access to justice and providing compassionate, effective services to those experiencing homelessness in our community. Our Mobile Court will now have the tools and reach it needs to meet individuals where they are, breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities for them to engage with our court. Our Homeless Services Unit will also have expanded capabilities to support our community with even greater impact. I am incredibly proud of the work we have done so far and optimistic about what we will accomplish together in the coming year. Thank you all for your continued dedication and passion. Together, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of those we serve and strengthen our community. Let’s make this year our best one yet! Pronoun Use The City of Austin and DACC are committed to diversity, inclusion, and approaching work through an equity lens, and City policy provides that all City employees, “conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner,” and “treat coworkers and members of the public with respect and dignity.” Expectations are that all staff will address their colleagues and our clients with the name and pronouns that correspond with their gender identity. Signature Block: Inclusion of pronouns next to your name in your signature block is encouraged. This aligns with DACC’s values to be a safe and welcoming space for everyone and is consistent with our departmental values and the City’s values around equity and inclusion. Deciding whether to include them is a personal choice, and while encouraged, is not required. For more information about why personal pronouns matter, how to use them and share them, and how to use gender inclusive language, please visit : https://Pronouns.org. Rachel Butler has also offered to be a resource if you have questions about pronouns you’d like to talk through with a colleague. Ethics Training Reminder This is a friendly reminder that all City employees are required to complete an annual ethics training. This training is available through the City’s Learning Management System, LMS365. For more instructions, please reference the email you should have received on August 14, 2024 with the subject line, “Enrollment confirmation for 'City Ethics 2024.'” Please complete this training on or before October 13, 2024. information and Employee of the Quarter Laura Williamson, Business Process Consultant, was selected as Employee of the Quarter for Q3 of FY24. The nomination submitted for Laura was: Laura is a collaborative and approachable team member who fosters a positive working environment and has proven to be an invaluable asset to the Downtown Austin Community Court. Laura’s contributions have not only enhanced our operational efficiency but also positively the community we serve. Despite Laura's role being more internally focused, she never loses sight of the ultimate goal: ensuring our clients receive the resources they need. impacted DACC New Employee Orientation (NEO) After months of planning and preparation, led by Bailey Gray, DACC officially has a new DACC-specific NEO for our new employees! This is intended to supplement the training provided by the City and Austin Municipal Court, to enhance employees’ knowledge of the work done across our department, resources available to support staff, and create connections with DACC leadership early on. The first round was a huge success, thank you to Bailey Gray and all the staff that helped present to our new employees! In the near future, we will notify all DACC staff of how to participate in this training to make sure everyone has access to the same information. Please stay tuned. DACC at the Texas Conference on Ending Homelessness Chris Anderson, Yvonne Mboss, and Sarah Rodriguez led a panel at this conference highlighting DACC’s Clinical Diversion Program and Mobile Court, sharing lessons learned with the creation and operation of these programs as well as best practices around data. Please thank them for doing such a great job representing DACC and sharing information that may help enhance programs around Texas! Staff Updates as is deeply committed Staff Departures: Chris Baker accepted a promotion the (Floating) Court Clerk Lead at Austin Municipal Court, and transitioned to this on position new September 9th. Chris joined DACC in September 2021 and was part of DACC’s Court Operations team for almost 3 years. While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, we’re excited for Chris as he enters this next chapter of his career with the City! New Staff: Ony'ea Davenport joined DACC as a Court Clerk Lead on September 9th. She has been with AMC for 5 years in various units such as Central Booking, working Courtroom Support and Civil. Onyea is from Chicago, Illinois but has been residing in Austin, Texas the last 7 years. She received her Associates in AA Social Work at ACC last May 2023. She is currently attending Texas State University to receive her Bachelors in Social Work. to supporting and Ony'ea empowering vulnerable communities. She hopes to contribute to a more equitable and just society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. She is extremely happy to be apart of the DACC community. Rebecca Summers, LMSW joined DACC as a Clinical Case Manager on August 25th. Rebecca is from Dallas and earned her master’s in Social Work at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas. She has worked in a variety of settings in Austin including Foundation Communities, Safe Alliance and Hospice Austin. Prior to becoming a social worker Rebecca studied creative writing and poetry at the University of Wyoming. Rebecca is thrilled to be working at DACC and with such a client centered and strengths-based team. Calvin Worm joined DACC as a Social Work Intern in August. He will be graduating with his MSW from Texas State University in December. Calvin has lived all over but he's been in Austin since 2011, and he has most recently been working with children and families involved in child welfare and juvenile justice. He is in this new excited to work directly with clients environment and to learn as much as he can about resources in this community. Ezra Hecht joined DACC as a Clinical Case Management intern in August. He is currently in his first year at the UT Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Ezra has lived in Austin since 2021 and most recently worked in primary special education. He is enthusiastic about working with DACC’s population and gaining experience serving clients with a variety of needs in Austin. Reminders is available at: Nominate a colleague for Employee of the Quarter - Please take a moment and recognize one of your colleagues for the standout job they are doing by submitting for nomination your Employee of the Quarter. By recommendation from the Celebrations and Activities Committee, nominations for EOQ will now be open year-round, and your nomination will be included in the voting process of the quarter in which it was submitted. The link for the nomination form https://forms.office.com/ g/5RmWWfSZLV Annual Staff Training Budget and Resources – Every DACC employee has access to up to $400 annually for professional development which may include online and association in person memberships, insurance, conferences, and For planning purposes, staff must have used or designated how and when funding will be used by the end of the second quarter (March 2024). Funds can be spent through the end of the fourth quarter (September 2024) as long as it was designated by the end of quarter 2. Funding can be used broadly to develop any skills that will help employees in their work, such as OSHA trainings, computer skills training, etc. Please ask your supervisor if you need help with ideas or want more information. DACC Apparel - DACC apparel is available to all DACC employees. New employees have access to a $150 DACC apparel allowance upon hire and existing employees have access to a $75 DACC apparel allowance each subsequent year on the anniversary of their hire date. The apparel allowance is subject to change by the Court Administrator based on funding availability. classes, certifications, license renewals. professional liability To Order: The link to the website to identify items is: https://www.companycasuals.com/ austinscreenprinting/start.jsp. Locate the item(s) you want and then send the information to your supervisor to place an order. There are no prices listed on the website but generally speaking, tops run about $35 ea. and jackets are about $75 ea. DACC Opportunities for Input Suggest an activity - The Celebrations and Activities Committee is planning our team quarterly activities and other events. Please feel free to send any ideas you have for group activities to Robert Kingham. Submit topics for staff email updates and/or annual report • Staff email updates – We want staff across all DACC Units to know about the good and significant work happening across our department. If you have significant program changes or any small or big success stories, please send them to Laura Williamson to be included in these email updates • Annual Report – We’re looking to expand and redesign how we report about our work annually. There’s flexibility on both format and content. Laura Williamson is working on meeting with all the units to share more about these efforts; please send any formatting or subject ideas you have directly to her. This report is something we can share with all stakeholders to educate about and celebrate DACC’s work. DACC’s Numbers section This is intended to show a small snapshot of the being great work done our across department. We’ll continue to update the information shared here as DACC’s data practices are enhanced through the Data Maximization Project. All the numbers below are fiscal year to date. Community Services: • Community Services Requests Completed: 1049 • Acreage of Work Completed: 29.99 • Violet KeepSafe Storage (VKS) Participants: 630 Interactions with VKS Participants: 26,870 • • Average Daily VKS Interactions: 57.99 Court Services: • Cases Filed: 3,095 • Cases Docketed: 7,280 • Clinical Diversion Program (CDP) Clients: 305 • Cases dismissed through participation in CDP: 493 • Court case checks during Mobile Court: 929 • Cases docketed during Mobile Court: 141 • Warrants cleared during Mobile Court: 93 Homeless Services: • Walk-In Case Management Interactions: 17,790 • Average Daily Walk-in Case Management Interactions: 72.03 • Clients Connected to Housing: 63 Support Services: • Social Service Contract Payments Processed: 150 • Social Service Contract Payments Processed: $6,604,440 • Hours of Input Gathered from Austin Homelessness Advisory Council Members: 615 Upcoming Events Quarterly DACC Midday Mixer staff gathering, please plan to attend in person. • What: Quarterly • When: Tuesday, October 15th, 1:30p-2:30p • Where: DACC Training Room 2024 City Holidays: • Veterans Day - Monday, November 11 • Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 28 • Thanksgiving Friday - Friday, November 29 • Christmas Eve - Tuesday, December 24 • Christmas Day - Wednesday, December 25 Empowering people to thrive by providing impartial justice and compassionate community- based services