2. DUALLY MANAGED YOUTH PROJECT

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. WHAT WAS THE PROJECT DESIGNED TO DO? OUR GOALS WERE TO ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO RECEIVE BETTER EDUCATION SERVICES BETTER THERAPEUTIC SERVICES HELP CHILDREN ACCESS PREFERRED PLACEMENTS APPROPRIATE MEDICATIONS ULTIMATELY TO BE IN SAFE COMMUNITY PLACEMENTS.

6. EDUCATION WE ATTENDED ARD MEETINGS, REQUESTED EVALUATIONS/BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS/CHANGES IN PLACEMENT, FILED TEA COMPLAINTS, FILED FOR DUE PROCESS HEARINGS. EXAMPLES: IN AD’S 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.

7. THERAPEUTIC SERVICES WE 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.

8. PLACEMENT WE 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 CHILD’S LEVEL OF CARE SO WE COULD FIND A PLACEMENT.

9. MEDICATION WHILE 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.

10. COMMUNITY PLACEMENT OUR 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.

11. BY THE NUMBERS SERVED 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.

12. WHAT’S 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 ISSUES LONG-TERM RTC PLACEMENTS JUVENILE CROSSOVER ACCESS TO THERAPEUTIC SUPPORTS ACCESSING SERVICES PREVIOUSLY DENIED BY MEDICAID IMPROVED TRANSITION PLANNING OVERMEDICATION

13. THANK YOU! SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS PERMANENT JUDICIAL COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES REES-JONES FOUNDATION MEADOWS FOUNDATION TEXAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE WORKED ON OUR PROJECT: RICHARD LAVALLO, DUSTIN RYNDERS, ALLISON MACMANUS, MEREDITH PAREKH, MICHAEL HEAGERTY, IAN SPECHLER.

14. CONTACT INFORMATION IAN SPECHLER, 512-407-2713, ISPECHLER@DRTX.ORGISPECHLER@DRTX.ORG MICHAEL HEAGERTY, 512-407-2717, MHEAGERTY@DRTX.ORGMHEAGERTY@DRTX.ORG