TNOYS was excited to produce and premier a video of youth partners discussing their experiences with lawyers and judges as part of their time in foster care or juvenile detention on June 13 at the Texas Bar Association event “Special Education, Child Welfare and The Juvenile Justice System.” The event was held at the Radisson… Read more »
News
Let’s Get Together (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!)
On Wednesday, May 7ththe Travis County Collaborative for Children (TCCC) convened an introductory seminar on Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). The all-day event was held at Grace Covenant Church in Austin, TX and was co-sponsored by Greenlights , an innovative Austin-base non-profit that specializes in organizational development. The TCCC is interested in reframing Texas’ approach to mental… Read more »
Peer Support Specialists Playing a Key Role in Leadership Group
Two exciting developments were noted at the Seclusion and Restraint Reduction (SRR) Leadership Group’s quarterly meeting on April 10. First, attendees included a large contingent of peer support specialists from Austin State Hospital and San Antonio State Hospital. Peer support specialists are individuals with a lived experience of a mental health disorder who have progressed… Read more »
Evaluating Advocacy
With Texas’ 84th Legislative Session beginning in only 8 months, it is not too early to begin planning our advocacy activities! At TNOYS, as well as in many of our member organizations, we engage in advocacy in order to impact changes in state policy that will help empower youth to succeed. By building strategic relationships… Read more »
30 Years of P.E.A.K.S. Success !
After 30 years, the PEAKS program is still going strong! Although I have been participating as a PEAKS volunteer for a long time, this was my first time being the PEAKS Camp Director. Even though my role has changed, the experience stayed challenging and empowering! I love PEAKS because it is a great program that… Read more »
Coalition Again Urges Governor Perry to Ban Taser and Pepper Spray Use in Schools
No response to initial request despite new Tasing incident this week; mounting evidence these weapons pose extreme danger to children Austin, TX – A coalition of advocacy organizations concerned with student safety is again urging Governor Rick Perry to declare a moratorium on the use of Tasers and pepper spray on Texas students. A similar… Read more »
No April Fools Here: Finding Common Ground and Building Community
The Harris County Transition-Age Youth and Families Initiative is an opportunity for youth, young adults, parents/caregivers, and service providers to come together to support mental health during the transition into adulthood. A six-month planning phase is drawing to a close, but the initiative is one that will continue to grow and change over… Read more »
Sparking Connections, Bridging Distance in Creating a Culture of Care.
By Lara O’Toole, LMSW There’s just something special about face-to-face interactions. There’s just something special that allows for a certain type of magic to form in relationships, and a certain type of enthusiasm for the work at hand. This magic is far more difficult to find within the emails, conference calls, or webinars of… Read more »
Athletes for Change, A Unique Approach to Residential Care.
Athletes For Change (AFC), a residential treatment center located in De Soto just south of Dallas, has joined the Creating a Culture of Care initiative as our latest intensive support site. We visited them in January and found out about their programming. Believing that “teens in crisis deserve loving and supporting environments,” they have… Read more »
TNOYS visits Bexar County Juvenile Probation Centers
TNOYS staff recently had the opportunity to visit Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department facilities. We were accompanied by Chris Castillo from Roy Maas Meadowland and Krystle Ramsay and Cindy Marrs from Hill Country Youth Ranch, who are participating in our Creating a Culture of Care project, and LaQuinton Wagner, a youth advocate who works with… Read more »