The Houston Health Department (HHD) requests City Council approval of an ordinance approving and authorizing an interlocal agreement between the City and Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults (HCPSCA) in connection with My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Houston Local Action Plan. The effective date of the contract is the date of countersignature by the City Controller and will continue for one year, with four (4) consecutive one-year renewal terms, on the same terms and conditions as the original agreement except that the parties may increase the compensation or amend the agreement as provided in the contract.
MBK is a movement designed to improve outcomes and to reduce opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color. HHD worked with a variety of individuals and organizations to develop the MBK Houston Local Action Plan which includes the implementation of an early warning system (EWS).
In collaboration with representatives from the HHD, HISD, HCPSCA, and the Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual Developmental Disability (IDD) and Communities in Schools, a plan has been developed to implement the EWS and a system of care (SOC) response system. The EWS and SOC response system components include a systematic review of academic, behavioral, attendance and other high risk social factors, an interagency interventions team on HISD campuses, a social services worker, a service provider network and care coordination to tailor services to the needs of individual students and families. These services are designed to address the social, emotional, physical and behavioral health issues that are the root causes for poor academic performance, poor attendance and unacceptable student behavior.
A key service component to be included in the systems of care model includes the school based crisis intervention and supportive counseling services provided by the HCPSCA Community Youth Services (CYS) program.
Under this agreement Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
1) Providing crisis counseling and consultation to students and families from referrals by HISD authorities, parents,
social service agencies, interested persons and the students themselves;
2) Providing follow up to appropriate referrals from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS) and the County Youth Service Center;
3) Assisting families in voluntary facility placements outside of the home; and
4) Participating in the MBK Houston EWS and SOC planning and coordinating team and other agreed upon
responsibilities in the contract.
HHD will:
1) Work with parties to assure that a referral response system is in place to facilitate handling of referrals for basic needs of students and families (e.g. utilities, housing, transportation, etc.);
2) Provide an MBK coordinator to coordinate access to a service provider network to address the social service needs of students participating in the MBK system of care initiative;
3) Establish a core connecting services center that provides information and referral that:
a.) connects people to services,
b.) seeks resources to support schools and families,
c.) provides access to health, mental health and social services; and
4) Provide other agreed upon responsibilities defined in the contract.