27.
Commissioners Court - Regular Session
- Meeting Date:
- 11/22/2022
- Title:
- Subaward Grant Funds for Juvenile Services
- Submitted By:
- John Pelczar, Juvenile Services
- Department:
- Juvenile Services
- Agenda Category:
- Regular Agenda Items
Information
Agenda Item
Discuss, consider, and take appropriate action on accepting subaward grant money from the University of Texas - Austin for Juvenile Services.
Background
On 08/30/2022, Juvenile Services Asst Executive Director Matt Smith presented information regarding the Step-Up Texas program to Commissioners Court. He presented and requested approval of the following information:
In 2021, Williamson County Juvenile Services began partnering with STEP UP Texas as a sub-grantee along with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services under a federal grant that UT Austin received from the Department of Justice (Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention).
We are in year 2 of 3 of this grant cycle and have made great progress collectively in training and supporting key critical contact points that can lead to juvenile justice involvement -- specifically we have been training Williamson County schools, community agencies, law enforcement, juvenile justice, and court/legal staff in trauma-informed care and restorative practices.
Additionally, we have formed a local task-force of school, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and community leaders who have begun analyzing 10 years of WCJS data (2010-2020) with the goal of implementing policy changes and community interventions that will reduce referrals to WCJS as well as reduce disproportionate minority contact with WCJS.
We have made great strides but have much more work ahead. Fortunately, UT Austin just received a 2nd set of funding to continue the project beginning in August 2022 through June 2025.
With the second round of funding the department is requesting:
1) approve a new full-time (FTE) WCJS position -- Training and Technical Assistance Professional (TTAP) -- that will be fully grant-funded through a sub-award from the University of Texas at Austin; and
2) requesting that Williamson County continue to approve receiving salary reimbursement funds as a percentage of salary for Asst. Executive Director Matt Smith and Data and Records Manager Michael Decker from the University of Texas at Austin through this 2nd grant. Under the initial set of grant funding of the current grant (FY 2019 grant), the county will receive salary reimbursement for these two positions in the amount of $191,932.
Since January 2021, Williamson County has been receiving 10% salary reimbursement for the position of Asst. Chief Matt Smith for his work on the project. With this 2nd set of funding, Williamson County will receive the following through July 2025:
1) continued salary reimbursement for Asst. Chief Matt Smith and Data and Records Manager Michael Decker
2) 100% salary including fringe and annual raises (2022 7%, 2023 5%, 2024 5%) for a WCJS Training and Technical Assistance Professional (TTAP) -- we built in robust raises so that the grant would be able to fully cover the salary throughout the duration of the grant. There will be no cost to the county for this position.
Regarding the new position, we have a current employee who is interested and is highly qualified as she is a TBRI Practitioner who has trained locally in the juvenile justice system. She is aware that this is a grant-funded position and that it expires in June 2025. UT Austin has been encouraged to apply for a 3rd set of funding for the project so there is potential it will extend beyond 2025.
At that time, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved the continuation and expansion of this grant. The department received the contracts from UT-Austin on 11/16/2022 and is asking for final approval of these contracts.
In 2021, Williamson County Juvenile Services began partnering with STEP UP Texas as a sub-grantee along with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services under a federal grant that UT Austin received from the Department of Justice (Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention).
We are in year 2 of 3 of this grant cycle and have made great progress collectively in training and supporting key critical contact points that can lead to juvenile justice involvement -- specifically we have been training Williamson County schools, community agencies, law enforcement, juvenile justice, and court/legal staff in trauma-informed care and restorative practices.
Additionally, we have formed a local task-force of school, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and community leaders who have begun analyzing 10 years of WCJS data (2010-2020) with the goal of implementing policy changes and community interventions that will reduce referrals to WCJS as well as reduce disproportionate minority contact with WCJS.
We have made great strides but have much more work ahead. Fortunately, UT Austin just received a 2nd set of funding to continue the project beginning in August 2022 through June 2025.
With the second round of funding the department is requesting:
1) approve a new full-time (FTE) WCJS position -- Training and Technical Assistance Professional (TTAP) -- that will be fully grant-funded through a sub-award from the University of Texas at Austin; and
2) requesting that Williamson County continue to approve receiving salary reimbursement funds as a percentage of salary for Asst. Executive Director Matt Smith and Data and Records Manager Michael Decker from the University of Texas at Austin through this 2nd grant. Under the initial set of grant funding of the current grant (FY 2019 grant), the county will receive salary reimbursement for these two positions in the amount of $191,932.
Since January 2021, Williamson County has been receiving 10% salary reimbursement for the position of Asst. Chief Matt Smith for his work on the project. With this 2nd set of funding, Williamson County will receive the following through July 2025:
1) continued salary reimbursement for Asst. Chief Matt Smith and Data and Records Manager Michael Decker
2) 100% salary including fringe and annual raises (2022 7%, 2023 5%, 2024 5%) for a WCJS Training and Technical Assistance Professional (TTAP) -- we built in robust raises so that the grant would be able to fully cover the salary throughout the duration of the grant. There will be no cost to the county for this position.
Regarding the new position, we have a current employee who is interested and is highly qualified as she is a TBRI Practitioner who has trained locally in the juvenile justice system. She is aware that this is a grant-funded position and that it expires in June 2025. UT Austin has been encouraged to apply for a 3rd set of funding for the project so there is potential it will extend beyond 2025.
At that time, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved the continuation and expansion of this grant. The department received the contracts from UT-Austin on 11/16/2022 and is asking for final approval of these contracts.
Fiscal Impact
| From/To | Acct No. | Description | Amount |
|---|
Attachments
- Subaward Agreement UTAUS-SUB00000630
- Subaward Agreement UTAUS-SUB00000631
- Sub-award Agreement UTAUS-SUB00000630
- Sub-award Agreement UTAUS-SUB00000631
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hal Hawes | Hal Hawes | 11/17/2022 08:50 AM |
| County Judge Exec Asst. | Becky Pruitt | 11/17/2022 11:21 AM |
- Form Started By:
- John Pelczar
- Started On:
- 11/16/2022 01:06 PM
- Final Approval Date:
- 11/17/2022