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UM, GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME[Childhood and Youth Committee on September 14, 2022.]
EVERYONE TO THE SEPTEMBER 14TH, UM, 2022 MEETING OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF OUR YOUNGEST RESIDENTS.
THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE, SO BOTH IN PERSON, UM, HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND ALSO ON MICROSOFT TEAMS IN HTV AS CHAIR AND PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE.
I AM PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5, 1 0.127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. TODAY, WE WILL HEAR SOME ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVES UNDERWAY BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR CHILDREN.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CARLA CISNEROS, CHAIR OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE, AND I AM JOINED BY QUITE A FEW OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, AS CAROLYN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ ONLINE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? OH, OH, IT'S A STAFF MEMBER THAT'S REPRESENTING HER TODAY.
UM, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT, UM, I HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON.
AND THEN, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
OH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS HERE HERSELF AND ON ON VIRTUALLY HERE HERSELF.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
WE WILL HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY, THE FIRST ONE ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AND THE SECOND ON PRIORITY GOALS FOR CHILD FRIENDLY CITY ACTION PLAN.
BUT FIRST, A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS FOR THIS HYBRID MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, PLEASE INDICATE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW IF, IF YOU ARE, UM, JOINING VIRTUALLY.
UM, AND, UH, COPIES OF TODAY'S AGENDA AND PRESENTATION ARE POSTED ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON WEBPAGE FOR CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY WHO, WHO'D SIGNED UP BY NOON, UM, TO SPEAK AT THE MEETING AS AND AS THE DEADLINE WAS TO SIGN UP BY NOON TODAY, WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
SO, LET'S BEGIN BY REVIEWING THE FOUR GOALS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THEY ARE TO BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE BY INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DIALOGUE ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF A CHILD AND THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT KIND OF PERSON THAT CHILD WILL GROW UP TO BE FOCUSING ON DATA AND WELLBEING INDICATORS AS TOOLS FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING AND ACCOUNTABILITY, SEEKING EQUITY AND WORKFORCE READINESS, BEGINNING AT BIRTH, AND SUPPORTING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CITY DEPARTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE THE WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
I WANNA THANK OUR PRESENTERS FOR COMING TODAY AND FOR SHARING THEIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION WITH CITY COUNCIL.
OUR FIRST TOPIC ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION WILL BE INTRODUCED BY HPD, CHIEF TROY FINNER, WHO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY STEVEN WILLIAM, THE DIRECTOR WILLIAMS IS, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE UP NEXT, BUT, UM, CHIEF FINNER IS, WILL, WILL, WILL SAY HELLO.
HE'S ON, ON ONLINE, IS THAT CORRECT? CHIEF FINN? YES.
SO CHIEF, CHIEF FINN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED.
UM, LET'S SAY TO, UM, YOU'LL INTRODU INTRODUCE THIS TOPIC.
UM, WE KNOW YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, YOU KNOW THIS VERY WELL AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF PREVENTION AND ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AND THEN CHIEF FINN WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS. YES, GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANKS, UH, FOR, FOR INVITING ME.
AND, UH, SO IMPORTANT FOR, UM, UH, OUR CHILD AND, UH, YOUTH, UH, CHILDHOOD AND, UH, YOUTH COMMITTEE, UH, TO HAVE SO MANY LEADERS AROUND OUR CITY, UM, JUST INVOLVED IN, IN THIS, IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UM, WE, UH, HEAR ALL THE TIME, UH, KIDS IN, IN DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITIES.
YOU HEAR THE NEGATIVE, BUT YOU DON'T HEAR THE POSITIVE.
AND, AND, AND WHAT, UH, WE'VE DONE UP UNDER THE, UH, UH, LEADERSHIP OF, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND ALL GREAT COUNCIL MEMBERS IS, UH, REALLY BEEN INTENTIONAL ABOUT, UH, DEVELOPING DIFFERENT PROGRAMS
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IN, IN, IN OUR CITY.UM, IF, IF I MAY, JUST FOR A SECOND, SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS BACK WHEN THINGS GOT REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT AND, AND TOUGH FINANCIALLY, UM, THE CITY KILLED A LOT OF YOUTH PROGRAMS. SO I'M SO PROUD OF OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, HOW WE BROUGHT THINGS BACK, BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO PLAY A CATCH UP.
UM, I, UH, WAS PREPARED TO, TO, UH, MEET WITH YOU GUYS AND, AND GO, UH, ON AND DISCUSS SOME THINGS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UH, SOME THINGS HAVE HAVE DEVELOPED AND I WANNA PASS IT ON TO, UH, CHIEF CANTU.
AND, UM, I, I'LL BE, UM, BACK ON, ON THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I DID NOT WANNA MISS THE OPPORTUNITY JUST, JUST TO SAY THANKS AND GIVE OUR TOTAL COMMITMENT, UH, OF WHATEVER WE CAN DO, UH, WITH YOUTH IN A WAY OF PREVENTION, SU SUPPORT, UH, AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO FAR AS THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DO WANT TO JUST, IF, IF I COULD ONE, ONE SECOND, TOUCH IN ON SAFETY, UM, AND IN LIGHT OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING AROUND ON, ON SHOOTINGS, ON, ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WHAT, UH, IT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A HOAX CALL YESTERDAY AT HIKES HIGH SCHOOL, IT, IT WAS A, UH, A REALLY, UH, RESPONSE THAT I WAS REALLY PROUD OF.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE.
AND, AND, AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH HISD, AND THAT'S A PART OF WHY I GOTTA GET OFF.
I GOTTA GO INTO A MEETING BECAUSE WE'RE STILL DOING SOME INVESTIGATIONS, UM, RELATING TO THAT INCIDENT YESTERDAY, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, UM, IT NOT, IT WAS NOT ONLY OUR CITY, IT WAS AROUND THE NATION.
SO I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO, UH, CHIEF, UH, CANTU, SO WE CAN KEEP IT GOING.
BUT, UH, THANKS FOR THE INVITE AND I WILL BE BACK ON, ON THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, SAY HELLO TO EVERYBODY AND, AND THANKS FOR ALL THAT Y'ALL DO.
CHIEF CANTU, PLEASE JUMP IN FOR ME.
AND I'M SORRY I'M NOT ON VIDEO.
I'M OUT OF TOWN RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANTED, UH, TO BE ON THIS CALL BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDHOOD YOUTH AND, UM, AND OUR YOUTH.
SO HERE IN REGARDS TO THE, THE DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS, THE CARING NEIGHBORHOODS, THE, THE CARING CLIMATE, THE COMMUNITY CHERISHES, OUR VALUES, ALL OF THAT, THE DEPARTMENT ALREADY WE'RE INTO DEVELOPING YOUTH THROUGH OUR YPAC COMMUNITY, THROUGH OUR CHILDREN AND THE TAPS UNITS AND TEENS, AND POLICE, AND ALSO WITH OUR PALS PROGRAM ON ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, WE VOLUNTEER WITH.
NOW, WITH THE WIN-WIN, THE MBK, UM, ALL THE YOUTH PROGRAMS, WE, WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE COMMUNITY, THE VOLUNTEERING ASPECT OF IT, UH, THE BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE YESTERDAY, UH, THE SITUATION, VERY CALM.
WE RECEIVED MANY, MANY RESPONSES FROM TWO, FROM, UH, THE PARENTS AND ALSO TEACHERS, UH, THINKING ABOUT, WELL, JOB WELL DONE.
AND ALSO THE WORKING WITH HISD IN REGARDS TO TRAINING THEM FOR ACTIVE SHOOTER, UH, SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
AND WE FOUND OUT WITH WHAT WORKING WITH THE CHIEF LOPEZ, THAT THE, THAT, THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING, THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE WORKING.
UM, HERE WE DO A LOT OF THE THINGS THROUGH GRANTS AND ALSO, OF COURSE, THROUGH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, SUPPORT AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO HERE, OUR, OUR, OUR CONTINUATION OF DOING WHAT WE DO TO CONTINUE OUR PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE, TO FUNDRAISE FOR THESE THINGS IN, JUST IN CASE OUR GRANTS DO RUN OUT.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE ALL THE PROGRAMS, YPAC, MBK, OUR WIN-WIN, OUR TAPS, OUR, UM, EXPLORERS PROGRAM, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND CONTINUOUSLY GOING OUT IN THE YOUTH AND THE COMMUNITY INTO THE SCHOOLS, UH, EDUCATION, EDUCATE 'EM, EDUCATING 'EM THROUGH PALS.
UM, THE ONLY THING WE WE'RE, WE'RE LACKING RIGHT NOW IS REALLY REACHING OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON, ON A, ON A PROGRAM WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE, WITH DIRECTOR CLOUD, AND TRYING TO PUSH OUT LITTLE TIDBITS OF, UM, LIKE TWO MINUTE, UM, THINGS OF DIFFERENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, BECAUSE ALL THESE THINGS ARE BEING SEEN AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE START PUSHING OUT THESE VIDEOS, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE RESEARCH AND CREATING AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW AT A YOUNG AGE WHAT THE DOS THE SIGNS OF, UH, VIOLENCE, TEEN BULLYING ON THE COMPUTER, DATING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT HERE.
AND IN ADDITION TO ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE RESPECT EACH OTHER MORE KINDNESS, UH, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE THINK IT'S THE NORM DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE TIKTOKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, AND THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING THIS, THIS IS REALLY WHY I'M OUT OF TOWN, AND I REALLY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE THIS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, UM, WE, WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND WHAT H-I-H-P-D IS DOING TO, UM, TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VULNERABLE AND IT'S OUR DUTY TO PROTECT THEM.
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I WANT TO JUST REALLY GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, TO CHIEF FINNER, YOU KNOW, FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO KEEPING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE AND FOR WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT THEIR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT.UM, SO, OH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABBAT HAS, HAS, UM, JOINED US VIRTUALLY, SO SHE'S HERE TOO, SO, SO NEXT, PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME, UM, DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS KNOWS VERY WELL HOW CLOSELY PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE INTERTWINED.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO TODAY, DIRECTOR.
AND, AND, UH, CHAIR AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
UH, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THIS ISSUE, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT'S INVOLVED IN, UH, THAT IS RELATED TO VIOLENCE THAT ARE NOT, UH, VISIBLE.
ONE OF THE REASONS IS, UH, I THINK BE BECAUSE OF THE, THE SIZE OR THE SCOPE OF, OF THE PROGRAMS, BECAUSE OF, UH, LIMITED RESOURCES I HAVE WITH ME, PATRICIA WATSON, WHO'S OUR AD OVER THIS AREA, AND BRA DENTON, WHO IS, UH, OUR MBK COORDINATOR, AND ALSO RON RERA, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR DATA.
AND THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO MENTION JUAN'S POSITION IS BECAUSE, UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, IS REALLY FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, IS DRIVEN BY DATA.
IF YOU GO TO THE, THE, THE FIRST SLIDE ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UTILIZING A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH, PRETTY MUCH THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE STEPS THAT ARE INVOLVED AND USING A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH APPROACH AND, AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORK.
TWO THING THING, THINGS THAT I WOULD HIGHLIGHT IS THAT IT'S MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND IT IS, UH, COLLABORATIVE.
UH, AND IN LOOKING AT THIS, UH, YOU, ESPECIALLY ON THE SECOND STEP, UH, THE SECOND STEP WHERE IT SAYS, IDENTIFY RISKS AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, UH, BASICALLY YOU, YOU GATHER AS MUCH DATA AS YOU CAN AROUND, AROUND THE SITUATION, SHOW THAT THAT, UH, CAN BE FACTORED INTO HOW YOU DESIGN PROGRAMS. UH, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
BUT THE PRO, THE, THE PRESENCE OF PROTECTIVE FACTORS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IN INFLUENCE ON, ON OUTCOMES.
THEY CAN BE SEEN AS FOUNDATIONAL, UH, TO PREVENTING VIOLENCE.
OFTENTIMES, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VIOLENCE, IT'S REALLY AFTER THE INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT OCCUR BEFORE THE INCIDENT.
UH, AND THERE, THERE, THERE ARE USUALLY TELLTALE SIGNS IN MANY, MANY INSTANCES.
ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THESE PROTECTIVE FA FACTORS, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, PRESCHOOL ENRICHMENT WITH FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, THIS VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTUALLY STARTS EARLY ON IN LIFE, NOT, UH, WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE 12, 13, 17, 24 OR, OR 30, 30, 30 YEARS OLD.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PROTECTIVE FACTORS AGAINST DELINQUENCY OF YOUTH.
IT, THIS JUST PRETTY MUCH OUTLINES, YOU KNOW, UH, THE KEY COMPONENTS TO THAT, REALLY ENSURING THAT IN INDIVIDUALS HAVE, UH, UH, POSITIVE AND RESILIENT, UH, TEMPERAMENT.
AND YOU SEE THINGS THAT SUPPORT, UH, THAT, UH, SOCIAL COMPETENCIES AND, AND PROBLEM SOLVING, UH, YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IS VERY CRITICAL, A SENSE OF SELF-WORTH AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
AND IT IS THAT, UH, INABILITY TO REALLY RESOLVE CONFLICTS WITHOUT ACTUALLY ACTING OUT, UH, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF ALSO, UH, IS, IS, IS, IS A FACTOR IN WHETHER OR NOT, UH, YOU ACT OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PIECE, WE FOUND OUT WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING MBK AND HAVING ROUNDTABLES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, IS THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY HAD MONEY, UH, FOR, TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY THEIR BASIC NEEDS, BUT TO, TO HAVE CHOICES.
AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IS, AND I, I THINK WITH YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, WHAT WE'RE WE'RE DOING IS REALLY, UH, TE TEACHING, UH, REALLY HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AND HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY EARN MONEY, UH, WITHOUT ACTUALLY BREAKING THE LAW.
UH, HEALTHY CONVENTIONAL BELIEFS AND COMMITMENT, UH, TO SCHOOL IN TERMS OF FOSTERING INTERESTS AND SCHOOL HOBBIES AND WORK CULTURAL IDENTITY AND, AND RELIGIOUS IDENTITY ALSO IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I'M A LITTLE BIT OLD SCHOOL, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK THAT WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD CIVICS CLASS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN MY
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UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES, I HAD RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY.AND I THINK THAT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY GROUNDING.
UH, MY FIRST PROFESSION WAS ACTUALLY, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
I ACTUALLY, UH, WORKED IN A, A JUVENILE PRISON IN, IN ALABAMA.
AND WHEN I ENCOUNTERED THESE KIDS, YOU FOUND THAT THERE WAS NOT, THAT, THAT FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTED THE, THE KIND OF POSITIVE BEHAVIORS AND INTERACTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AL ALSO KEY TO THAT, THAT FEELING OF SELF-WORTH IS HAVING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ADULT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESEARCH, WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR YEARS, THAT IS REALLY, UH, A, A TELLING AS TO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH, WITH A YOUNG PERSON'S LIFE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THEIR PARENTS, BUT A, A POSITIVE ADULT RELATIONSHIP WITH A CHILD IS A HEAVY INFLUENCE OF, OF WHAT HAPPENS.
GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST THIS IS A SAMPLING OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND AS I HURT CHORE TALK EARLIER, AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL BECAUSE, UH, BEFORE HE BECAME POLICE CHIEF, HE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN OUR DEVELOPMENT OF MBK.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT WHEN YOU HAVE HIS EXECUTIVES ACTUALLY SITTING AROUND THE WORKING TABLE AND TRYING TO GET SOME OF THIS DONE.
AND, AND HE WAS, HE, HE WAS CERTAINLY INVOLVED IN, CERTAINLY HIS DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED.
NOW, AND I SAY THIS AS A SAMPLING BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, WE DIDN'T PUT IN THESE SLIDES.
I WENT AND ASKED PATRICIA ABOUT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT WE HAVE IN MBK.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT.
BUT YOU SEE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FROM THE GENERAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT PERSPECTIVE, AND YOU SEE THE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, UH, RELATIVE TO MBK UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
AND REMEMBER, MBK WAS FOCUSED ON, UH, YOUNG, UH, BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR JUST LOOKING AT THE DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WAS NOT DESIGNED WITH, UH, VIOLENCE IN MIND.
WE WERE DOING IT BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO MEET A PARTICULAR HEALTH NEED.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE, THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF, OF THAT THAT I HAVE IS SEE TO SUCCEED.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER, UH, Y'ALL ARE REALLY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, BUT FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO, WE HAVE ACTUALLY THROUGH OUR FOUNDATION, UH, AND THROUGH 1115 WAIVER, BEEN GIVING FULL EYE EXAMS, UH, TO CHILDREN IN, IN SCHOOL, AND GIVING FREE EYEGLASSES TO KIDS THAT ARE IN SCHOOL.
NOW, ON THE SURFACE, IT SEEMS, HEY, UH, CHILDREN IN SCHOOL THAT CANNOT SEE ARE NOT GONNA LEARN, BUT THERE ARE OTHER, UH, BEHAVIORS THAT OCCUR WHEN CHILDREN CAN'T SEE IN, IN, IN, IN SCHOOL.
UH, AND SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WE JUST WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND TO LEARN.
BUT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS FIRST LINE SOME OF THE, UM, THE, THE RESULTS AND IMPACTS OF JUST PUTTING EYE, UH, PUTTING GLASSES ON, KIDS EYES.
UH, REALLY, THE, THE SCHOOLS ARE CHARGED WITH GIVEN VISION SCREENING TO CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOLS.
NOT EVERY CLASS, BUT I THINK THEY'RE SELECT GRADES THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THIS.
AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, THERE WERE AROUND 12,000 KIDS THAT ACTUALLY FAILED A VISION EXAM.
BUT WE FOUND OUT FROM THE STATE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY FAILED A VISION EXAM, THERE WAS NO, UH, ACTION THAT OCCURRED AFTER THEM.
AND SO, 12,000 KID ACTUALLY FAILED TO EXAM AND DIDN'T GET GLASSES.
UH, THAT NUMBER, I THINK, IS HOVERING AROUND 20,000 NOW.
SO JUST IMAGINE THE IMPACT OF THAT.
UH, OF COURSE, THIS, THE, WE GOT THIS FROM THE STATE.
UH, THE SCHOOLS HAVE TO REPORT TO THE, THE STATE, AND WE FOUND THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO ACTION, UH, WE WERE MENTORED BY A NONPROFIT OUT, UH, CHICAGO CALLED ONE SITE ON HOW TO DO THIS.
THEY CAME HERE AFTER ONE OF THE HURRICANES TRIED TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS.
THEY, UH, REACHED OUT TO US, AND WE BECAME A FACILITATOR OF THAT PROCESS.
DURING ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, THEY SAID, UH, STEVEN, WE CAN'T REALLY DO THE TWO WEEKS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING BEFORE.
AND SO THEY, THEY, THEY MENTORED US IN DEVELOPING OUR OWN PROGRAM.
UH, AND IN THIS CASE, UH, WE HAVE A, A, A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH BOTH, UH, UH, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRO PARTNERS TO PUT THIS, PUT THIS TOGETHER.
BUT WHAT WE SAW WITH THIS IS THAT, UH, THERE WAS AN, ONCE WE PUT GLASSES ON, KIDS THAT HAD FAILED A VISION EXAM WHEN COMPARED TO THE SAME GROUP OF KIDS THAT DIDN'T GET THE EXAM EXAMS, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN MATH AND ENGLISH
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SCORES.WE FOUND THAT THERE, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE ATTENDANCE ACT, ACT ACTUALLY INCREASE, AND THE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES AMONGST THE SAME POPULATION OF KIDS ACTUALLY WENT DOWN.
WE'VE SEEN TODAY O OVER 92,000 KIDS REALLY CLOSE TO 93,000 KIDS.
IF NOT FOR COVID, WE WOULD'VE CERTAINLY HIT THAT 100,000, UH, NUMBER.
UH, AND YOU SEE IN THIS, UH, WELL, IN THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, WE SAW 20.
IN 21, 20, 21 TO 22, WE SAW, UH, 77, UH, HUNDRED HUN, HUNDRED KI KIDS.
BUT IN, IN 2019, YOU SAW, WE HAD REACHED, UH, 12,700 CHILDREN, WHICH, WHICH TELLS ME THAT IF WE HAD PRETTY MUCH STAYED ON, ON, ON TRACK, WE WOULD'VE HAD SIMILAR RESULTS.
WHAT I FORGOT TO TELL YOU WAS THAT THE STATISTICS THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER WAS NOT DONE BY US.
IT WAS DONE BY THE RESEARCH, UH, UNIT AT HISD.
UH, WE WANTED TO JUST SEE WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT WAS.
IT WASN'T INTENDED AS A VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN KIDS START HAVING DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL? SO THIS IS REALLY A PRIMARY PREVENTION INITIATIVE.
THEN THE NEXT INITIATIVE, IF YOU TURN THE PAGE, UH, NEXT SLIDE, UH, IS WIN-WIN.
UH, UH, THE CHIEF MENTIONED THIS.
WE PARTNERED, UH, WITH HPD AND THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES.
THIS IS WHERE WE ACTUALLY BRING CHILDREN AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT THE, THE FIRST ENCOUNTER, UH, WHEN THE CHILDREN, UH, THE, THE POLICE OFFICER WERE, WERE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THE CHILDREN WERE BROUGHT TO THE CLASSROOM, THE FIRST REACTION THEY HAD, Y'ALL DID NOT TELL US THAT THE POPPO WAS GONNA BE IN HERE.
THEY LITERALLY WANTED TO LEAVE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT REPORTS THAT I HAD, THAT BY THAT THIRD MEETING, IF ONE OF THE OFFICERS DID NOT SHOW UP, THEY WERE WONDERING, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO OFFICER? THAT IT WAS ABOUT THEM FORMING BONDS AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND SO THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED IN-HOUSE THAT WAS REALLY GEARED TOWARD BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS, UH, WITH, UH, WITH BETWEEN, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND POLICE OFFICERS, REALLY TRYING TO CREATE MORE OF A SPIRIT, UH, UH, OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND COMMUNITY.
UH, WITH THIS, UH, THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED WITH OUR 1115 WAIVER DOLLARS.
UH, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET SOME SUPPORT FROM HPT FOR, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR GATHERINGS WHEN WE'RE HAVING, UH, E EVENTS, BUT FROM A PROGRAMMATIC STANDPOINT, 1115 WAIVER FOR THAT.
IF YOU TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF, AND ACTUALLY, UH, THIS PROGRAM IS, IS, UH, IS, IS FUNDED BY MATCHING GRANT FROM A CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION, UH, THE, UH, IT'S CALLED URBAN SCHOLARS.
AND THE AIM IS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELLBEING OF YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
ACTUALLY, WE'RE GETTING MONEY FROM A CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION.
I'M MATCHING IT WITH 1115 WAIVER DOLLARS.
AND THEY'RE TAKING A CORE COHORT OF CHILDREN FROM JUNIOR HIGH THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND THROUGH COLLEGE WITH THE HOPE OF BRINGING THEM BACK TO WORK WITH WITHIN THEIR, THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND YOU SEE THE PROGRAM OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT, UH, ARE PASSING THEIR MATH AND SCIENCE CLO COURSES.
AND LOOK AT THE, THE, THE ATTENDANCE OF THIS.
AND THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT'S NOT CREAMING, IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN.
WE'RE NOT TAKING KIDS THAT ARE NECESSARILY HIGH ACHIEVERS AND BRINGING THEM IN INTO THIS.
WE'RE TAKING CHILDREN THAT, UH, ARE, ARE LIKELY, UH, TO HAVE, HAVE, HAVE ISSUES, AND REALLY BRINGING THEM INTO THIS COHORT.
I WENT TO THE GRADUATION THIS SUMMER OF THE FIRST COHORT THAT ACTUALLY FINISHED IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WALKED IN, IT WAS ON A SATURDAY MORNING, AND I WAS TOLD BY THE PROGRAM STAFF, THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, UH, WELL, STEVEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA START A LITTLE LATE.
I SAID, WELL, WHY? WELL, WE'RE HAVING TO DO UBERS AND TO FIND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE KIDS.
AND I JUST SMILED AND SAID, AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, YOU'RE TARGETING THE RIGHT CHILDREN FOR THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THAT, THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, INCREASING FUNDING FOR THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT WAS REALLY MALE FOCUS, UH, BECAUSE WITH
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MBK, WE HAD TO HAVE SOME, REALLY, SOME MALE FOCUS ACTIVITIES.AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS, UH, JUST AS A NOTE, I WAS REALLY COURTING, UH, A PROGRAM OUTTA CHICAGO TO DO THIS.
BUT SINCE THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY BROUGHT MONEY TO THE TABLE THAT WE COULD MATCH, UH, AND WANTED TO EXPAND OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A WORTHY INVESTMENT, AND I'M GLAD WE DID.
AND BY THE WAY, THEY HAVE AN OFFICE HERE NOW.
UH, THEY HIRED PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON, TOOK THEM TO CALIFORNIA, TRAINED THEM, AND NOW THEY'RE WORKING THIS PROGRAM, THE NEXT PROGRAM, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL, X, Y, Z.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, UH, YOU'RE USED TO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS PROVIDING GENERAL SUPPORT ON CAMPUSES, BUT IN OUR RESEARCH, WE DECIDED THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO WITH, WITH THAT MODEL, THE NATIONAL COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS ACTUALLY HAD A, A, A, A PROGRAM THAT WAS A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS NOT THEIR TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOL PROGRAM.
WE RE RESEARCHED IT AND IT REVEALED GOOD OUTCOMES WITH THIS STRATEGY, WITH MALE FOCUSED PROGRAM.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS, UH, ORGANIZATION AND SAID, IF YOU WILL DO THIS PROGRAM, THEN WE WILL FUND YOU TO DO THAT, BECAUSE IT WAS STEEPED IN RESEARCH.
AND SO THEY AGREED TO DO THIS.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE RESULTS ON, ON THE SLIDES.
REALLY, THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO A CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT ENSURES INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARE MET THROUGH ONGOING CAMPUS SUPPORT.
AGAIN, THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED WITH OUR 1115 WA WA WA WAIVER OF DOLLARS.
UH, THE NEXT PROGRAM, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IS MY BROTHER'S KEEPER REDIRECT PRO, UH, REDIRECT DIVERSION PROGRAM.
THIS WAS AN, A PROGRAM THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN-HOUSE, AND THANK YOU TO CARLTON HARRIS WHO HAD, UH, A FORMER EMPLOYEE WHO HAD ACTUALLY FORMED A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH JUVENILE JUDGES.
AND AS WE, THROUGH OUR JUVENILE JUSTICE COUNCIL, UH, WERE HAVING MEETINGS, UH, THE JUDGES, WE GOT INFORMATION THAT THE JUDGES WERE REALLY WANTING TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION.
AND SO, UH, FOR A SELECT NUMBER OF JUDGES, WE WERE A, THEY, UH, DECIDED TO SEND THEM THROUGH OUR REDIRECT PROGRAM.
AND, AND BASICALLY, IT, IT, IT, IT IS A, AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHILDREN GOING TO DETENTIONS.
YOU SEE SOME OF THE DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, UH, IT PROBABLY IS NOT AT THE SCALE THAT WE WOULD WANT IT TO BE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S SUPPORTED BY OUR 1115 WAIVER PROGRAM.
ON, ON, IF YOU TURN THE NEXT PAGE, THIS IS, THIS REALLY IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IF YOU DON'T REALLY DO AN, AN APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT, YOU MIGHT CONTRIBUTE CERTAIN BEHAVIORS, UH, UH, TO KIDS JUST ACTING OUT.
AND HERE, YOU, YOU SEE THE STORY OF, OF, OF A KID WHO WAS WE WERE INTERACTING WITH.
AND JUST BECAUSE AN, AN ADULT REALLY REALIZED THAT THEY WERE HAVING SOME ISSUES, UH, AND PAID ATTENTION TO THAT, WE ACTUALLY REFERRED THIS CHILD TO OUR SEE TO SUCCEED PROGRAM AND GAVE HIM GLASSES, AND HE JUST STARTED TO EX EXCEL AS A, AS A RESULT OF THAT, CERTAINLY THERE WAS A GOOD, UH, INTERACTION BETWEEN ADULTS AND, AND, AND CHILDREN, BUT THE KID COULDN'T SEE.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO JUST ERASE SOME PROBLEMS RELATED TO THAT TURN.
IF YOU TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE, I'M HOPE, I HOPE THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR REENTRY PROGRAM, WHICH HAS GROWN FROM A ONE PERSON PROGRAM DURING THE WHITE ADMINISTRATION TO A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE FORMERLY INCARCERATED.
AND IF YOU ASK WHY THAT PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT, I ASK THAT YOU ONLY LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY RELEASED FROM PRISON EACH YEAR AND COME BACK TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I, I JUST GO TO THE NEXT PAGE BECAUSE I WANT TO LOOK AT THE OUTCOMES.
YOU SEE THAT FROM JUNE, JULY 1ST, 2021 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2022, UH, WE ACTUALLY TOUCHED 855 FOLKS.
WE HAD 474 PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.
AND WHERE IT SAYS, WHERE WE'RE DOING OUTREACH, WE'RE ACTUALLY, SOMETIMES FOLKS JUST NEED GUIDANCE AND, AND, AND CONNECTION.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE, WE, WE DO THAT.
I DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THE FORM FORMAL PROGRAM.
YOU, YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ACTUALLY GRADUATED.
BUT THE THING THAT I'M MOSTLY PROUD OF IS THAT LAST, UH, LINE
[00:30:01]
ON THAT SLIDE, AND THAT AFTER THREE YEARS, YOU SEE A 7.8% RECIDIVISM RATE, WHICH I, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MUCH BETTER.UH, IT, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD IF YOU LOOK AT THE RE THE STATEWIDE RECIDIVISM RATE.
SO YOU SEE THAT IT IS REALLY A, A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT TO HAVE, UH, A, A REENTRY PROGRAM.
I THINK I, UH, IN OUR LAST GRADUATION, I'M, I'M ALWAYS TOUCHED BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS AN INDIVIDUAL STORY AT THE GRADUATIONS.
I'VE HAD, UH, GRANDPARENTS, SIBLINGS COME UP TO ME AND TELL ME THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PARTICIPANT ACTUALLY COMPLETED SOMETHING.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY TOUCHING.
AND THIS IS USUALLY UN UNSOLICITED, AND WE HAVE A, A MORE FORMAL GRADUATION SO THAT OUR PARTICIPANTS CAN FEEL A SENSE OF, OF, OF, OF COMPLETION.
BUT MAYBE MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, THE THING THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN NOW IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS, UH, WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEING NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST, UH, TO ACTUALLY, UH, EMPLOY THE, THE, THE, THE GRADUATES OF OUR PROGRAM.
FOR EXAMPLE, Y'ALL SAW ALL OF THE SITES THAT WE HAD FOR, UH, COVID TESTING AND, AND VACCINATION.
NOW YOU'RE SEEING THE, THE, THE, THE ACTIVITIES AROUND MONKEYPOX.
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DOING THE LOGISTICS FOR THAT ARE ACTUALLY GRADUATES OF OUR REENTRY PROGRAM.
IF I HAD ERIC DARGAN, WHO'S LEAVING THE CITY
UH, I HEARD THE SAME STORY, UH, FROM THE PERSON THAT'S WORKING ON THEIR RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.
AND THAT IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE HIRING PEOPLE FROM THE STREETS, THEY ALSO HAVE FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE ATTENDANCE ISSUES, NEED SUPPORT OR WHATEVER.
AND SO THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING FROM OUR REENTRY PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE PLACED, UH, I THINK SIX TO EIGHT PEOPLE AT UNION PACIFIC AND JOBS STARTING AT $70,000 A YEAR.
IF THEY, IF, AND THE PROJECTION IS IF THEY STAY AND, AND, AND CONTINUE TO WORK IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, THEY WILL BE MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING THAT WORK.
AND, AND SO THE REALITY IS, IS THAT BY GOING THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS A LOT OF SUPPORT, UH, AND EVEN SUPPORT, ONGOING SUPPORT, ONCE PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED, UH, WE SEE SUCCESS.
THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, WE WERE FIRST IN THE STATE TO DO IT, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO DO IT.
THESE PARTICIPANTS HAVE LIVED WITH MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENCE OF BEING DIAGNOSED WITH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS.
AND BASICALLY WE TAKE THESE INDIVIDUALS, TAKE 'EM THROUGH A 56 HOUR OF CURRICULUM BASED INSTRUCTION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, 25 HOURS OF FACE-TO-FACE SUPERVISION, AND PLUS CLASSROOM TRAINING, MONITORING AND SUPPORT.
AND BASICALLY, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE PROVIDING PEER SUPPORT ON CAMPUSES THAT, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE ARE ATTENDING SCHOOL.
UH, THEY DO ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT AS WELL AS, UH, GROUP, GROUP SUPPORT.
CURRENTLY, UH, WE HAVE PROVIDED TECHNICAL, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND THE MONTROSE CENTER, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN ALSO TRAIN PEER, UH, THESE PEER WELLNESS COUNCILS.
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS, ACTUALLY, IT'S A, A COPYRIGHT PROCESS FOR OUR TRAINING, UH, BEFORE WE START TO PROVIDE SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO, UH, INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY IN MINNESOTA THAT, THAT WANTS TO REALLY REP, REP REPLICATE OUR PROGRAM.
THESE, TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE, UH, UPCOMING PILOT INITIATIVES.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, I KNOW THIS IS CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, UH, WHERE, UH, WE HAVE RESOURCES THAT, UH, THE, THE MAYOR HAS GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED US WHERE WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO
[00:35:01]
THAT IN-HOUSE.WE WILL COORDINATE, WE WILL FACILITATE AND BE THAT CATALYST, BUT WE WANNA BUILD CAPACITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY GRASSROOTS BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO DO THIS WORK.
ALSO, WE'RE USING THE SAME APPROACH FOR, UH, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, UH, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY, UH, PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES WHO WILL BE MENTORS TO INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE OR, UH, ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING ENGAGED IN VIOLENCE AND ALSO AN EXPANSION OF OUR COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM.
UM, YOU TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE THE PALLET SERVICE AREA.
AND THESE ARE AREAS THAT ACTUALLY, WHEN WE LOOKED AT HIGH VIOLENT CRIME RATES, WHEN WE LOOKED AT LOW COVID VACCINATION RATES AND HIGH COVID INFECTION AND DEATH RATES, UH, WE SELECTED THESE NEIGHBORHOODS JUST BY LOOKING AT THE DATA.
AND IN CONCLUSION, VIOLENCE PREVENTION REALLY SHOULD START EARLY, THAT OUR EFFORTS SHOULD FOCUS ON, UH, PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT I DISCUSSED EARLIER.
IT CHEAPER, UH, PREVENTION IS MUCH CHEAPER.
UH, I, I THINK THAT GOING FORWARD, THE CITY NEEDS TO REALLY LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS PRIMARILY THROUGH OUR 1115 WAIVER.
BY THE WAY, WE'RE NOT DRAWING DOWN ANY MORE DOLLARS ON THE 1115 WAIVER.
WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MONEY FOR SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, AND WE'VE GOTTEN SOME MONIES FROM, UH, UH, TDCJ AS FOR OUR, OUR REENTRY PROGRAM.
BUT BASICALLY FOR, UH, WE, WE KNOW THAT THESE, THESE PROGRAMS COULD LAST FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT AT THE END OF THAT, UH, THEY GO DARK, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO GENERAL FUND SUPPORT OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH, WITH THE PROGRAMS. THAT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION
UM, AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE.
UM, THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANNA SPEAK TO YOU, AND I HAVE THINGS I WANNA SAY TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL PUT MYSELF AT THE END, BUT I'M, I'M ANXIOUS TO, TO, TO ALSO SPEAK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA IS, UM, IS READY FOR A COMMENT.
AND I'M SO VERY SORRY YOU GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY, MADAM CHAIR, TO GREET OTHERS ON THIS MEETING, AND CERTAINLY I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE BEING GIVEN.
UH, LOOK FORWARD TO IMPLEMENTATION OF AS MUCH OF IT AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND OF COURSE, AS A FORMER EDUCATOR, IF THERE'S ANY SUCH THING, UM, I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR, OUR YOUTH.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GREET THOSE IN THE MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
IS THIS A REQUEST? UM, ARE THERE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK OR HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DIRECTOR? JACKSON, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JACKSON.
AND THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS ON FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UM, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT NOT JUST THE, THE COMMUNITY IS INCLUDED, BUT THAT WE CAN GET IN PROGRAMS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN, UM, BENEFIT FROM.
I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, WITH THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER GETTING THAT ROLLED OUT FOR, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS WELL AS THE, UM, CAREER VIOLENCE.
BUT THEN ALSO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, UM, THE REENTRY GRADUATION THIS PAST SUMMER, WHICH WAS AMAZING JUST TO SEE ALL THOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN COMING OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID AT THE, UM, GRADUATION THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A SON TOO CURRENTLY IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND IT'S JUST REFRESHING TO KNOW THAT WHEN HE DO GET OUT, THERE'S PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR HIM AND THAT THE CITY, OUR LEADERSHIP IS INVESTING IN MAKING SURE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DON'T GO BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND SO, JUST THANK YOU JUST FOR YOUR HEART.
YOU KNOW, YOUR HEART IS IN IT.
I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF THE, UM, DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE CITY, BUT I CAN SAY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS LIKE REALLY COMMITTED INTO MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IS, IS ON TACT AND SO IS ON POINT.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION VERY MUCH AND WANTED TO DRILL DOWN WITH YOU, GIVEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE RECIDIVISM RATE.
AND, UM, I THINK THE, ONE OF THE EARLY SLIDES TALKED ABOUT THE THREE YEAR RECIDIVISM AT BEING, AS BEING AT 7.8.
[00:40:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT HAS COME FROM AND WHETHER IT GIVES YOU CAUSE FOR SOME OPTIMISM WITH CURRENT TRENDS, OR MAYBE YOU COULD, UH, NARRATE A LITTLE ON THAT.NOW, THE RECIDIVISM RATE AT 7.8 IS THAT'S THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM.
I THINK THE KEY THERE THOUGH IS IF YOU LOOK AT, AND IF COMPARE THAT RATE WITH THE STATE RATE, AND I, I KNOW IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, OR AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES HIGHER, THEN WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE LESSON LEARNED THERE IS THAT IF WE CAN EXPAND THE, THE, THE SCOPE OF OUR, THIS PARTICULAR INTERVENTION MM-HMM
THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE LESS PEOPLE, UH, RE-OFFEND YEAH.
OR MAYBE GO TO JAIL IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, WELL, I DO APPRECIATE HOW CREATIVE YOU'RE BEING WITH THE GRANT WRITING AND COBBLING TOGETHER DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND MONIES FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD TO THE COMMITTEE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, UPCOMING PILOT INITIATIVES AND, UM, I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE HOW CREATIVE YOU ARE AND LOOKING, YOU KNOW, FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND THEN YEARS AGO WHEN, WHEN URBAN SCHOLARS WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO BRING HERE, AND YOU, AND THEY WERE BRINGING MONEY FROM CALIFORNIA AND YOU WERE LOOKING FOR MATCHING MONEY, I PITCHED IN MONEY BECAUSE YOU ASKED.
SO I THINK THAT YOU, YOU CAN ASK US, YOU KNOW, TO ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT LONG-TERM FUNDERS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS COME AND WE GO, BUT, BUT TO GET IT STARTED TO GET PROGRAMS HERE, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE'RE A GROUP THAT'S VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR SUCCESS.
YOU KNOW, SO, SO ASK, BECAUSE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T SAY WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO THAT, UM, THE GRADUATION THIS SUMMER, IS THAT, UM, THAT ONE OF THE, THE YOUNG MEN THAT YOU HAD HELPED YEARS AGO YES, SIR.
WAS THE VALEDICTORIAN OF HIS CLASS.
COUNCIL MER, I DID FORGET TO SAY THAT.
WELL, ON THE ASK PART, I ASKED EVERY YEAR,
UH, AND I, I JUST THINK THAT FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED TO EXAMINE OUR ROLE AS A CITY.
YOU'RE EITHER GONNA PAY NOW OR PAY LATER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO TELL YOU HOW OLD I AM, BUT
AND YOU PULL IT UP ON YOUR PHONE AND LOOK AT THAT BUILDING THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY ON THAT WEBSITE.
I, AND, AND IT'S STILL OPERATIONAL NOW.
AND FOR ME, IF WE ARE ABLE TO REALLY CATCH THIS EARLY ON, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT'S CHEAPER, BUT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT CREATING, UH, YOU KNOW, LAW ABIDING TAXPAYER AND CITIZENS, WHICH IS WHAT, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT.
I WENT TO AN EVENT, YOU SHOULDN'T REALLY GET ME START TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE IT, BUT I WENT TO AN EVENT UP IN FORT WORTH.
I REMEMBER IT WAS RAINING REALLY HARD, AND THERE WAS A PRINCIPAL AT A SCHOOL, UH, IN THAT REGION.
UH, AND WE WERE INVITED THERE BY, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE FOUNDATION, UH, FOR ONE SITE.
UH, ACTUALLY, PATRICK KERRI, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF LA MADELEINES, UH, INVITED US UP THERE BECAUSE HE WAS CHAIR OF THE FOUNDATION AT THE TIME, AND VISION WAS ONE OF HIS ISSUES.
AND I HEARD A PRINCIPAL TALK ABOUT, SHE, SHE DID A DESCRIPTION OF THE BEHAVIORS THAT YOU SEE OF A KID THAT CAN'T SEE, LIKE IN PRESCHOOL, AN ELDER MENTOR SCHOOL, AND IN JUNIOR HIGH.
AND OF COURSE, BY THE TIME THE KID GOT TO JUNIOR HIGH, HE OR SHE WOULD BE ACTING OUT AND WE'RE THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING OFF AND, UH, WHATEVER, WHEN THE KID REALLY COULDN'T SEE.
AND SO FOR ME, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, FOUNDATIONAL WORK THAT COULD BE DONE, YOU KNOW, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON THE PREVENTION SIDE.
AND I, AND I WAS TEASING MY STAFF A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE THE STATS.
IT'S LIKE, IF WE SCREEN EVERY KID IN SCHOOL AND AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL LEVEL JUST FOR VISION AND TOOK CARE OF THAT, JUST IMAGINE WHAT IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE JUST ON THE, THE DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS. IT JUST TAKES ONE ISSUE OFF THE TABLE.
[00:45:01]
DON'T.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM CASTEX TATUM, WHO'S PRESENT.
UM, AND I HAD ANOTHER ONE MORE THING I WANTED TO ASK.
UM, IN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY REENTRY NETWORK PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE AND HOW CLOSELY YOU'VE WORKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BRING IN CITY EMPLOYEES THAT WE REALLY NEED.
I WONDERED IT, IT MADE ME WONDER, UM, ARE THERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO? BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED STAFF.
YOU KNOW, SOLID WASTE IS DESPERATE FOR DRIVERS.
LATASHA SELECTMAN, I THINK, HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYBE SOLID WASTE AND WITH, UH, PARKS, I WANNA TO TELL YOU AS WE SPEAK, WHEN I LEFT MY OFFICE, UH, STAFF FROM BLOOMBERG WAS ACTUALLY MEETING WITH LATASHA AT STADIUM BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OUR PROGRAM, I THINK.
AND OF COURSE LINDA'S FROM NEW YORK.
I FORGOT THE OTHER, I FORGOT THE, THE CITIES THAT WERE INTERESTED IN IT.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY ONTO SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE WANNA REPLICATE.
AND OF COURSE, WITH BLOOMBERG, THEIR GOAL IS TO TAKE SOME BEST PRACTICES AND REALLY KIND OF SPREAD THE WEALTH SO THAT, UH, VARIOUS, UH, JURISDICTIONS WOULD START ADOPTING THEM.
BUT IT REALLY KINDA SPEAKS TO THE SUCCESS OF THAT PROGRAM TO HAVE HER, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT SHE KNEW ABOUT IT 'CAUSE WE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH HER ON THE MBK, BUT SHE'S MEETING WITH LATASHA NOW SO THAT SHE CAN GET INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO REPLICATE THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WELL, DIRECTOR, I REALLY, AND ALL OF US REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS.
AND YOU, YOU, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ARE JUST SO, SO WELL SITUATED TO, TO, TO DRAW IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY TO, TO HELP EVERYONE KNOW HOW THEY BEST CAN SUPPORT CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENTS SO THEY'LL BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE REALLY, YOU ARE VERY GRATEFUL OPPORT FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL PRESENTATION WILL OUTLINE THE, THE CITY'S PRIORITY GOALS FOR CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE ACTION PLAN.
UM, IF, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS HERE, UM, COMES DIRECTOR OLIVE KOSKA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION, WHO'S, UM, ALSO ASKED IF MS. LAURA CUELLAR MAY ASSIST HER WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MS. CUELLAR IS ALSO PART OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND SHE'S THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE UNICEF, UM, CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING OUR SPEAKER? NO.
SO YES, PLEASE, LADIES, PLEASE BEGIN.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE AND THE WORK THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION HAS DONE.
UH, BUT THIS TIME WE COME BACK WITH A, UH, A GREAT NEW ANNOUNCEMENT ON AUGUST 11TH.
MANY OF YOU ACTUALLY WERE PRESENT, UM, UNICEF DESIGNATED CITY OF HOUSTON AS THE FIRST CHILD FRIENDLY CITY CANDIDATE IN THE UNITED STATES.
THERE ARE ABOUT 3000 CITIES AROUND THE WORLD THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM, BUT IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ARE THE TRAIL PLAYERS AND, UH, UH, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST PREFACE LAURA'S PRESENTATION WITH, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INSPIRATION OF WHY WE DECIDED TO DEDICATE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR OFFICE, UM, EFFORTS TO CHILD FRIENDLINESS, UM, AND, UM, HELP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND WHEN I SAY CHILD, I'M REFERRING TO THE UN DEFINITION ZERO TO 18.
UM, IN, IN MARCH OF 2020, UM, THE COVID PANDEMIC LEFT THE NATION REALLY STRUGGLING.
AND JUST NOT JUST FROM THE VIRUS, BUT ALSO FROM SOCIAL INEQUITIES AND ISSUES CONCERNING TO HEALTH.
UM, HOUSING, EDUCATION, OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES AFFECTED A LOT OF AMERICANS AND HOUSTONIANS SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHO HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED.
THE PANDEMIC EXACERBATED THE NEED FOR SOME OF THE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ACCESS TO EDUCATORS AND ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS.
BUT THEN WE ALSO NOTICED THAT YOUTH SUFFERED VERY QUIETLY IN IN THE NAME OF THAT.
UM, IN, UM, EARLY 2020, MAYOR TURNER, UM, REINSTATED HIS VISION TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO BRING THEM AT THE FOREFRONT OF CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE EMBARKED A PROCESS
[00:50:01]
TO BECOME A CHILD FROM THE CITY CANDIDATE.AND HERE WE ARE TWO YEARS LATER WITH A ACTIVE ACTION PLAN.
A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, UM, AND A LOT OF IT IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF, OF COMPLETION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, BEFORE LAURA DIGS IN DEEPLY INTO WHAT THE ACTION PLAN ENTAILS AND HOW YOU ALL CAN HELP US.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PREFACE THIS PRESENTATION THAT WHAT DOES CFCI REALLY MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY A PERMANENT SYSTEM TO MAKE CHILDREN AND ACTIVE IN ESSENTIAL PART OF CITIES', POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS. BECAUSE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THERE ARE 575,000, UH, PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, THAT'S 25% OF OUR POPULATION.
AND IF WE DISREGARD THEIR IDEAS, THEIR CHALLENGES, AND THEIR POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, WE HAVE ALREADY LOST 25% POTENTIAL TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS PROGRAM IS AT THE FOREFRONT, AND THAT'S WHY THIS PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY FOR BRINGING YOUTH PARTICIPATION AT THE TABLE.
SO WHAT IT IS, IT'S A PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH YOUTH FOR YOUTH PROGRESS.
UM, THIS IS A, UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DON'T MENTION THAT.
UM, THE ACTION PLAN CONTAINS A LOT OF PAGES ON THE END WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN PART OF IT.
SO MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION REALLY LED THE EFFORT.
BUT THIS IS A COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT.
AND THIS IS NOT A CITY OF HOUSTON MILESTONE ONLY.
THIS IS THE ENTIRE HOUSTON COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN REALLY PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS REALLY OUR VISION? UM, WHAT DO WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS? UM, OUR VISION, WHICH WAS OF COURSE WITH THE VOICES OF YOUTH.
AND AS ALWAYS, I NEVER, EVER TALK ON BEHALF OF YOUTH WITHOUT HAVING YOUTH BEING PRESENT.
I HAVE MY TWO INTERNS IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
YOUTH INFORMED US OF WHAT THAT VISION SHOULD BE LIKE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, JUST REMIND US THAT, UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE WANNA ACHIEVE.
WE WANNA CREATE A SAFER COMMUNITIES WHERE CHILDREN FEEL RESPECTED BY ADULTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS TO LEARN, GROW, AND PLAY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A LEGITIMATE SIT ON THE TABLE FOR YOUTH SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY SHARE THEIR IDEAS AND INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS, PLANS AND PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT PREVENT DISCRIMINATION REGARDLESS.
WHETHER THAT'S RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, INCOME LEVELS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION, FUN ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE, RACE, INCOME, IMMIGRATION STATUS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
WE KNOW, UM, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, TOPIC IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND FINALLY, TO COLLABORATE WITH YOUTH TO CREATE COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR, UM, FOR CHALLENGES THAT YOUTH ARE FACING OF TODAY.
SO WITH THIS GRANDIOSE VISION IN MIND, UM, WE DEVELOPED A, A BEAUTIFULLY, AGAIN, BY YOUTH WITH YOUTH, UM, FROM WORK TO WORD, FROM PICTURE TO PICTURE, EVERY SINGLE THING IN THIS, UM, ACTION PLAN DETAILS, UH, YOUTH VOICES, WE DEVELOPED STRATEGIES TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THAT.
SO I HAVE LAURA COLER, WHO IS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER IN OUR OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT OUR ACTION TAIL ACTION PLAN ENTAILS, WHAT ARE THE STEPS WE HAVE TAKEN, AND SPECIFICALLY HOW YOU ALL THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY HELP US ACHIEVE THIS.
BECAUSE WE WANT IN AUGUST OF 2023 TO WALK AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA AND TO CARRY THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITY LOGO ON, UM, ON OUR BACKPACKS.
SO LET'S, UM, HEAR FROM LAURA AND, UM, WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
UM, DIRECTOR ALORA AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN AND, UM, I ALSO SHARED SEVERAL LINKS ON THE CHAT SO THAT, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE FOLLOWING US ONLINE, YOU CAN KIND OF CLICK ON THOSE LINKS AND FOLLOW, UH, THE PRESENTATION.
THE ONE OF THOSE LINKS IS ACTUALLY THE PRESENTATION, SO IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LOOK AND REVIEW IT LATER, YOU CAN, UM, FOLLOW THE FIRST LINK THAT I SHARED ON THE CHAT.
SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, YES, MY NAME IS LAURA COYA.
I WORK FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION.
I AM THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE PROGRAM MANAGER.
AND SO JUST A QUICK REVIEW, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE IS NOTHING NEW.
IT'S A UNICEF INITIATIVE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1996.
AND BY HOUSTON BECOMING A CANDIDATE CITY, WE'VE ACTUALLY JOINED OVER 3000
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INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS THAT ARE ALREADY ENACTING THIS INITIATIVE IN THE, IN THEIR COUNTRIES.AND, UM, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TOO THAT THERE'S ALSO, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE LEADING THE WAY, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE'S ALSO SOME PILOT CITIES THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS, UM, WITH THIS AS WELL IN, IN THE UNITED STATES, THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INITIATIVE COMES FROM THE UNITED NATIONS OF THE RIGHTS OF THE, THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD.
UM, IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ARE ACCORDING TO THE CONVENTION, UM, I DID PUT A LINK ON THE CHAT THERE TOO, SO YOU CAN KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT, WHEN WE SAY CHILDREN'S RIGHTS OR THE CHILDREN BILL OF RIGHTS, UM, YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT LINK AND SEE WHAT RIGHTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S OVER 54, UM, DIFFERENT ARTICLES THAT REPRESENT, UM, THESE RIGHTS.
AND THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY THAT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE UN EXCEPT FOR THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN THE SCREEN THAT I'M IN THE SLIDE I'M SHARING RIGHT NOW, UM, THE CFCI GOAL AREAS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE VERY HOLISTIC.
UM, THEY COME FROM THE, THE CHILD RIGHTS FRAMEWORK AND THEY KIND OF DIVIDE, UM, THE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS INTO VERY IMPORTANT SECTIONS OF NOT ONLY HELPING CHILDREN SURVIVE, BUT ALSO THRIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE ARE REALLY PROUD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO CHAMPION THESE RIGHTS AND, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO DESIGNING A PERMANENT SYSTEM TO MAKE CHILDREN AN ACTIVE AND ESSENTIAL PART OF THE CITY'S POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS, UM, THE DESIGNATION.
SO THANK YOU OLIVER FOR SHARING THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR A LOT OF YOU THAT WERE THERE.
AND I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOUR OFFICES, UM, RECOGNIZED US FOR ACHIEVEMENTS ON AUGUST 11TH ABOUT, UM, BECOMING A CANDIDATE CITY IN THE, IN THE FIRST CANDIDATE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO RECEIVE THE, TO WORK ON THE RE UM, RECEIVING THE UNICEF CHILD FRIENDLY STUDIES RECOGNITION.
SO JUST APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING THERE AND, AND, UM, SHOWCASING YOUR SUPPORT.
AND WHAT THIS DESIGNATION REAFFIRMS IS HOUSTON'S DEDICATION TO PLACE THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN FIRST AND LISTEN TO YOUTH'S CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVOCATE FOR AND PROTECT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
AS OLIVERA MENTIONED, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS VERY PROUD TO LEAD THIS EFFORT, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING A LOT, UM, WITH A LOT OF CITY PARTNERS, CITY, UM, ENTITIES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND SO WE JUST REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, GIVE APPRECIATION WHERE IT'S, IT'S, UM, WHERE IT HAS COME FROM.
AND ESPECIALLY OF COURSE, MAYOR TURNER WHO BECAME THE FIRST MAYOR TO SUPPORT THE UNICEF GLOBAL CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE BACK IN 2019 AND CONTINUES TO SUPPORT, UM, THIS INITIATIVE.
AND, UH, UH, AND I ALSO WANNA ADD, I KNOW THAT AVERA HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS INITIATIVE SINCE SHE WAS PART OF UNICEF AND HAS LA LOT OF HER SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION'S, UM, OFFICE.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, AND THAT HAS MADE US THE FIRST CITY, UM, TO BECOME A CANDIDATE.
SO WHAT IS LAURA? LET ME, UM, UM, LET ME JUST ASK YOU PLEASE, UM, THIS IS A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND I, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR US TO ALL HAVE A COPY OF IT.
BUT, BUT, UM, I, WE MAY, I THINK WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE TOO, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION.
I WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, WOULD MAYBE BE TO, TO SKIP AHEAD TO THE EN ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT IDENTIFY WHAT THE, THE THREE GOALS ARE, AND IF YOU WOULD, COULD REALLY ELABORATE ON WHAT THOSE ARE BECAUSE THAT WOULD, THAT WILL HELP US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TRY TO HELP MEET THE GOALS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL TO US.
AND I SKIPPED OVER TO, UM, THE, ONE OF THE LAST SLIDES YES.
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT ARE THREE PRIORITIES.
UM, THESE PRIORITIES CAME ABOUT BY A LOT OF RESEARCH, UM, THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED, UM, OVER 600 HOUSTONIANS PARTICIPATED IN SELECTING THESE PRIORITIES.
AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT A LOT OF PUBLIC DATA DATA AVAILABLE FOR THE US CENSUS FROM UNDERSTANDING HOUSTON.
SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT BACKGROUND THAT, UM, WE DIDN'T SELECT THESE AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF THIS CAME ABOUT FROM A LOT OF RESEARCH AND, AND YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THAT IN THE PRESENTATION NOW.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? SO OUR THREE PRIORITY ISSUE AREAS ARE YOUTH PARTICIPATION, MEANING, UM, MAKING SURE THAT YOUTH ARE MORE, UM, PRESENT AND INVOLVED IN THE CITY'S DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND AS WELL AS, UM, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, AS YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE ALREADY HEARD, UM, IN OCTOBER 21 THAT AMERICAN PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION DECLARED A NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY AND CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THIS WE ALSO SAW IN OUR DATA THAT A LOT OF YOUTH IN HOUSTON ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THEN FINALLY, EMERGENCY PREPARATION.
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IS IN A VERY, VERY VULNERABLE POSITION, UM, IN TERMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER EMERGENCIES.SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ARE ABLE TO PREPARE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO, FOR THE EMERGENCIES THAT THEY ARE FACING.
AND SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUTH KNOW ABOUT, UM, CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE.
SO WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU KNOW OF ANY HIGH SCHOOLS OR HIGH SCHOOL STAFF OR CHILDREN ADVOCATES THAT YOU THINK WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED AND BECOME A-C-F-C-I LIAISON, UM, TO PLEASE SEND US THEM OUR WAY.
UM, I WILL SHARE MY EMAIL ON THE CHAT AS WELL.
IT'S ALL IN THE PRESENTATION AS WELL, BUT WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY WHO ARE SOME HIGH SCHOOLS AND SOME HIGH SCHOOL STAFF THAT WANNA BE MORE INVOLVED AND WANNA SEND INFORMATION TO KIDS ABOUT CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED.
SO APPRECIATE IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY CONNECTIONS ON THAT.
AND THE OTHER BIG THING IS TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.
WE RECENTLY HAD OUR APPLICATION FOR OUR CFCI YOUTH COUNCIL AND WE RECEIVED OVER 150 APPLICATIONS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, THAT YOUR YOUTH CONSTITUENTS KNOW ABOUT CFCI AND APPLIED TO BE PART OF, UM, THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE.
WE ALSO, UM, WANT YOU TO CONNECT WITH US.
SO WE ARE HOPING THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, IF YOU WANNA HEAR FROM THE YOUTH DIRECTLY, THAT WE CAN SET UP MEETINGS WITH YOUR STAFF, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PRIORITIES.
SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO CONNECT WITH US AND THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL AS WELL, WHO WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY TO, TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU DIRECTLY.
UM, AND FINALLY SHARE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WE REALLY ARE LOOKING, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, PROGRAMS LIKE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE THAT, THAT HIGHLIGHT YOUTH VOICE.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY, PLEASE SHARE THOSE WITH US.
IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, WE HAVE TRAINED OVER FOUR, 400, UM, HOUSTONIANS ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, AND WE HAVE, WE'RE HOPING TO DOUBLE THAT NUMBER BY THE END OF THIS PROCESS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THESE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH TRAININGS.
SO IF YOU CAN HELP US PROMOTE THOSE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I KNOW THAT DISTRICT H, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS A GREAT NEWSLETTER AND THEY PUT A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION ON THE NEWSLETTER.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY OTHER NEWSLETTERS THAT GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, PLEASE CONNECT ME TO THEM AND I CAN SHARE SOME INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE ON TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME, UH, WE WANNA INCREASE INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNICATION.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS THAT WE'RE DOING PRESENTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUTH.
AND THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE YOUTH LED.
ONE OF THEM IS COMING UP AT THE MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA CONFERENCE, AND THAT'S HAPPENING ON SEPTEMBER 24TH.
UM, CFCI IS DOING THE ONLY YOUTH LED PANEL IN THE CONFERENCE, SO WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO COME IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE.
I PUT A LINK ON THE CHAT ON HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE, SO WHEN THAT'S AVAILABLE, AGAIN, YOU CAN SHARE THOSE, UM, WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND ALSO CONNECT US TO ARTISTS IN HOUSTON THAT MIGHT BE, UM, THAT ARE OPEN TO WORKING WITH US TO DESIGN THE GUIDE AND CREATE SOME ARTWORK AROUND THE GUIDE.
UM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION ON THE CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS, OR THE COBO.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN RECEIVE YOUR SUPPORT ONCE IT, WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT AND, AND YOU CAN HELP US PUBLICIZE IT.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UM, WOULD LOVE FOR FOR US TO MEET WITH YOU IN TERMS OF, AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT, THAT WAY YOUTH CAN SHARE.
WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS AROUND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND HOW CAN YOU HELP? WE RECENTLY FINISHED A REPORT ON, UH, TEEN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOUTH SHARED WITH US IS THAT THEY WANT MORE LOCAL INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY.
SO THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING TO TOWARDS CITY, LOCAL CITY LEADERS TO KIND OF SHARE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES.
AND THEN WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS THEY WANT INFORMATION TO KIND OF BE TARGETED TO THEM, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES INFORMATION IS TARGETED TO ADULTS OR YOUNGER KIDS, BUT THERE'S VERY FEW INFORMATION TARGETED TO TEENS.
UM, THE YOUTH ALSO SAID THAT THEY NEED LIKE, IN KIND DONATIONS, UH, TO BE, TO HAVE THEIR EMERGENCY TOOLKITS READY.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE AND THAT YOU COULD SHARE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, YOU SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NEIGHBORHOOD TASK FORCE, UM, THAT INCLUDE TEENS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD TASK FORCE THAT CAN HELP WITH EMERGENCIES.
SO I, I THINK THOSE WERE SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS THAT YOU SHARE OF HOW CAN, UM, YOU CITY LEADERS HELP YOUTH PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL PUT MY, UM, EMAIL ON THE CHAT.
AND ALSO, WE REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR CFCI NEWSLETTER WHERE WE'RE GONNA, WE PUBLICIZE
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A LOT OF OUR EVENTS AND TRAININGS, AND SO, UM, IF YOU ALL WANT TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRESS OF CFCI, PLEASE JOIN THE, THE NEWSLETTER.UH, MS. RA, UM, TO BE CLEAR, UNICEF WILL BE COMING BACK NEXT SUMMER TO EVALUATE, UM, AND, UH, HOUSTON ON HOW WELL WE'VE, WE'VE MET THESE THREE GOALS.
AND SO, UM, HOUSTON RIGHT NOW IS THE FIRST CANDIDATE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN NAMED FOR THIS.
AND THERE'S MANY ACROSS THE WORLD THAT, THAT HAVE DONE THAT AND HAVE BECOME CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES.
SO NEXT SUMMER IS WHEN WE WILL HOPEFULLY BECOME THE FIRST CHILD FRIENDLY CITY IN, IN, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE GOALS THAT THEY WILL BE, UM, LOOKING TO US TO SEE HOW WELL WE, WE MET THEM.
SO, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, LOOK OVER THEM AND, AND IF, IF YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES OR, OR YOU KNOW, OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, TO CONNECT BACK WITH LAURA, LAURA COYAR AND TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY'RE RECORDED AND PART OF THE, THE REPORTS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED FOR EVALUATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM, FROM ANY OF YOU? ALL RIGHTY.
UM, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, TO YOU, MS. KUHAR, AND TO ALSO, UH, DIRECTOR KOSKA, UM, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S, UM, IT'S EXCITING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT.
IT'S TAKEN YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT, AND, UM, AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UM, IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN.
I WANT TO THANK OUR PRESENTERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR TUNING IN AND PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S MEETING, TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS, AS WELL AS, UM, LAST MONTH MEETING IS POSTED ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE.
PLEASE JOIN US NEXT MONTH FOR THE, THE, THE NEXT CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE, UM, MEETING ON OCTOBER 12TH.
THIS CONCLUDES TODAY'S SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE MEETING ADJOURNED.