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DUALLY MANAGED YOUTH PROJECT

Who is Disability Rights Texas?We are the federally mandated agency designed to protect and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.Our goal is to advance the rights of people with disabilities.Access authority: we can enter any facility when we suspect abuse or neglect and investigate, including examining records and interviewing residents.

WHAT WAS THE DUALLY MANAGED YOUTH PROJECT?SINCE 2010, WE REPRESENTED YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY INVOLVED IN TWO SYSTEMS. YOUTH WERE IN FOSTER CARE AND THEN IN ONE OF FOUR SITUATIONS: IN A TJJD FACILITY, IN A SSLC FACILITY, AT RISK OF GOING INTO A TJJD FACILITY, AT RISK OF GOING INTO A SSLC FACILITY.THE PROJECT WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE COMMISSION, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, AND THE REES JONES FOUNDATION.WHAT WAS THE PROJECT DESIGNED TO DO?OUR GOALS WERE TO ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO RECEIVE BETTER EDUCATION SERVICESBETTER THERAPEUTIC SERVICES HELP CHILDREN ACCESS PREFERRED PLACEMENTSAPPROPRIATE MEDICATIONSULTIMATELY TO BE IN SAFE COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS. EDUCATIONWE ATTENDED ARD MEETINGS, REQUESTED EVALUATIONS/BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS/CHANGES IN PLACEMENT, FILED TEA COMPLAINTS, FILED FOR DUE PROCESS HEARINGS.EXAMPLES: IN ADS CASE, THROUGH A TEA COMPLAINT WE SAW A SCHOOL DISTRICT CHANGE ITS POLICIES.IN THE CASE OF TWO YOUTH, WE SAW TDCJ CHANGE ITS POLICIES.THERAPEUTIC SERVICESWE ATTENDED TREATMENT TEAM MEETINGS AND PUSHED FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR KIDS WHO WERE MAKING NO PROGRESS.EXAMPLES: IN D.W.S CASE, WE FOUND A CHILD IN TJJD RECEIVING NO INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE ONE WHO WANTED IT.IN N.W.S CASE, A YOUTH IN TJJD WAS REGRESSING SUBSTANTIALLY AND WE WERE INVOLVED EVERY STEP IN ENSURING HE COULD RECEIVE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT.PLACEMENTWE REPRESENTED OUR CLIENTS EXPRESS WISHES IN IDENTIFYING THEIR LEAST RESTRICTIVE PLACEMENTS.IN MANY CASES, THAT MEANT CONNECTING WITH AND FINDING FICTIVE KIN.IN OTHER CASES, THAT MEANT IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS OURSELVES.IT EVEN MEANT IN SOME CASES ASKING COURTS OR DFPS TO LOWER A CHILDS LEVEL OF CARE SO WE COULD FIND A PLACEMENT.MEDICATIONWHILE WE DID NOT INITIALLY IDENTIFY THIS AS A PROJECT GOAL, IT QUICKLY BECAME CLEAR ADVOCACY IN THIS AREA WAS NEEDED. WE SUBMITTED UTILIZATION REVIEW REQUESTS AND REQUESTED MEDICATION REVIEWS IN COURT.WE REQUESTED COURTS ORDER BLOOD WORK OR NEW EVALUATIONS.MUCH IS LEFT TO BE DONE IN THIS AREA.COMMUNITY PLACEMENTOUR ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO ACCESS OR MAINTAIN COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS FOR CHILDREN. IN THE CASE OF S.G., HE HAD BEEN IN AN SSLC FACILITY SINCE HE WAS 10.IN THE CASE OF T.P., HE HAD NOT SEEN HIS BROTHER IN FOUR YEARS.BY THE NUMBERSSERVED A TOTAL OF 219 YOUTH IN MORE THAN 60 COUNTIES BETWEEN OCTOBER 1, 2010-OCTOBER 1, 2013.OF YOUTH WHOM WE MET OUTSIDE OF A TJJD OR SSLC FACILITY, WE MAINTAINED COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS FOR 100% (INITIAL GOAL WAS 90%).OF YOUTH PREVIOUSLY INSTITUTIONALIZED, WE MAINTAINED COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS FOR 85% (INITIAL GOAL WAS 80%).WE CONDUCTED 56 PRESENTATIONS AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES, STATE BAR CONFERENCES, AND IN SMALLER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES FOR CASA, DFPS, AND MANY OTHERS.

WHATS NEXT?WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING GRANT FUNDING TO TRY TO INCORPORATE TRAUMA INFORMED PRINCIPLES INTO FOSTER CARE WORK.MEANWHILE, WE ARE TAKING APPOINTMENTS, PAID AT THE REGULAR RATE OF OTHER AD LITEMS IN THE COUNTIES, TO REPRESENT YOUTH WITH DISABILITY-RELATED ISSUES.WE MOSTLY TAKE PMC CASES AND WORK ON:EDUCATION ISSUESLONG-TERM RTC PLACEMENTSJUVENILE CROSSOVERACCESS TO THERAPEUTIC SUPPORTSACCESSING SERVICES PREVIOUSLY DENIED BY MEDICAIDIMPROVED TRANSITION PLANNINGOVERMEDICATIONTHANK YOU!SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS PERMANENT JUDICIAL COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIESREES-JONES FOUNDATIONMEADOWS FOUNDATIONTEXAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATIONATTORNEYS WHO HAVE WORKED ON OUR PROJECT: RICHARD LAVALLO, DUSTIN RYNDERS, ALLISON MACMANUS, MEREDITH PAREKH, MICHAEL HEAGERTY, IAN SPECHLER.CONTACT INFORMATIONIAN SPECHLER, 512-407-2713, ISPECHLER@DRTX.ORGMICHAEL HEAGERTY, 512-407-2717, MHEAGERTY@DRTX.ORG