CAN masthead
CANews
June 5, 2013
In This Issue
UT Approves Plan for Medical School
Poverty Moving to the Suburbs
How will 10-One Impact Voting in Austin?
Tech CEO's Seek More Talent
Hispanic Quality of Life Report
The Geography of Opportunity
Increase in Medicaid Costs Attributed to Poverty
Urban University Youth Program
Urban University Youth Program
Alzheimer's Disease
Community Indicators Consortium Seeks Proposals
CAN Board focus on behavioral health and children's mental health
  
This month, the CAN Board of Directors will review issues impacting children's mental health and legislative changes to expand access to behavioral health.
    
The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 14th and will be televised on Austin Cable 6.
 
To access past agendas, minutes, and presentations, click here.
 
CAN Community Council to focus on efforts to transform healthcare delivery

The CAN Community Council meeting on Monday, June 17th will feature a discussion about the how the Affordable Care Act will be implemented in Texas.  Central Health will also share informaiton on local efforts to expand healthcare for people who are uninsured. 
 
The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room of Austin City Hall and will be broadcast on Austin Cable 6.
 
To learn more about the CAN Community Council and to access past agendas, minutes, and presentations, click here.
CAN releases Fourth Annual Community Dashboard report
 
The 2013 Community Dashboard report is now available at  www.cancommunitydashboard.org.  CAN staff will share highlights of the report with community groups.  Contact [email protected] to schedule a presentation on the key issues facing our community and the community collaborations and groups working to address them.
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Apply to be a member of the CAN Community Council
The CAN Community Council is a self-appointed board of community members who reflect the diversity of interests, concerns, issues and populations of the Central Texas community.  Each year, the Community Council accepts applications from people who want to serve a three-year term on this board.  The Community Council meets most months for televised, evening meetings that feature presentations and discussions about important community issues.  The role of the Community Council is to provide a link between the community at large and the policy makers and elected officials who serve on the CAN Board of Directors.
On-line applications are accepted year-round.  Applications received by September 15th will be considered for election to the Community Council for a term beginning in January 2014.
2-1-1 Connects  People to Services
The United Way Navigation Center offers free training on how to utilize the 2-1-1 system to link people in need with available community resources.
Training sessions last about an hour and a half and will be held on the following Fridays at 2 p.m. United Way for Greater Austin, 2000 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Reservations are not required.
July 26 
September 27

United Way 2-1-1 will also provide special training sessions for social service agencies and community groups at their locations. For more information, call 2-1-1 and select option 1 or email Amy Price at
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Get updates on news, meetings, research and more at CAN_Austin.
 
You can also access research on caction.org.
CAN Partners

Austin Chamber of Commerce

 

Austin Community College

 

Austin ISD

 

Austin Travis County Integral Care

 

Capital Metro

 

Central Health

 

Capital City African American 

Chamber of Commerce

 

City of Austin

 

City of Pflugerville

 

Community Justice Council

 

Del Valle ISD

 

Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce

 

Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

 

Huston-Tillotson University

 

interfaith Action Central Texas

 

Manor ISD

 

One Voice Central Texas

 

Seton Healthcare Family

 

St. David's Foundation

 

St. Edward's University

 

Travis County

 

United Way for Greater Austin

 

University of Texas at Austin

 

Workforce Solutions - Capital Area

  
Addressing Youth Violence
in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department
 

An LBJ School report on violence within state-run juvenile facilities has been released. "Understanding and Addressing Youth Violence in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department" was written by LBJ School professor Michelle Deitch and students on behalf of the Independent Ombudsman for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. 

 

The report cites the need to address youth violence as a long-term chronic issue to be managed rather than a short-term crisis to be solved.  The Corsicana facility for youth with serious mental illness was noted to have the highest levels of violence, calling into question the effectiveness of this setting for a treatment purpose.  In her release of the report, Professor Deitch notes, "Security units are vastly overused as a behavior management tool, and the data suggest that the placement of youth in these punitive settings may in fact be contributing to misbehavior rather than detering it."

Draft Action Plan
Public comment accepted through June

 

The City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department has released its draft Fiscal Year 2013-14 Action Plan and will accept public comment on the Plan through the month of June. The plan proposes how the City should prioritize funding anticipated through four federal programs:

  • Community Development Block Grants,
  • HOME Investment Partnership Program,
  • Emergency Solutions Grant, and
  • Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS.

The Department has released a Community Needs Assessment with an overview of population growth, demographic shifts, income, employment and other critical data about the Austin community. The Department has also released a summary of public comments on what our community's funding prioritiets should be that were shared on Speak Up Austin and at public hearings.  

 

Public hearings on the Action Plan will be held June 13th and June 20th.  Click here for more information.

Poverty Moving to the Suburbs  
Suburban poverty growing at twice the rate as urban and rural poverty
 

suburban poverty book A new book from the Brookings Institute notes that poverty is growing twice as fast in the suburbs as it is in urban centers and rural areas. This national phenomena is especially pronounced in Austin. From 2000 to 2011, the Austin metro area was second in the nation in the percentage growth of poverty in its suburbs. This demographic shift means that poverty is increasing the most in areas that do not have the infrastructure of services and supports to help families lift themselves out of poverty. The poverty shift has left many public and private agencies unprepared to meet the needs of people within the communities in which they live.

 

Learn more about suburban poverty and policies that can help. 

CAMPO Reviews Success of "Centers" Concept
as proposed in 2035 regional plan

Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's ten-county regional transportation plan "CAMPO 2035" directs one-half of CAMPO's discretionary federal funding to support the development of mixed-use activity cerners.  The Plan calls on CAMPO to work with local jurisdictions to promote concentrated population and job growth within the Plan's identified "activity centers."  A new report "State of the Centers" examines each of the activity centers and is meant to inform the discussion and work to refine the centers through the development of the CAMPO 2040 Plan.

Transforming Healthcare
Forum on new projects to expand access to behavioral health services
Austin Travis County Integral Care will host a community forum on new projects to transform healthcare delivery for low-income Texans and to increase access to behavioral health services.  When Travis County voters approved a 5-cent tax increase for Central Health last year, much of the new funding was invested in federal Medicaid Waiver projects that will more than double the local tax funding with federal matching funds. 
Austin Travis County Integral Care is one of many partners in the Regional Health Partnership and is focusing its efforts on expanding access to substance use and mental health services.  The community forum on Tuesday, June 18th from 11:30 - 1:00 p.m. will review nine proposed projects.  Click here to learn more about the projects and click here to register for the forum.
Make the Most of Your Money
Free money management courses
 

Foundation Communities will host free courses over the summer for individuals and families in North, South, East and West Austin.  The course offers useful tools for budgeting and saving as well as helpful information about credit and debt. Participants also receive free individual credit counseling as a part of the curriculum.  Visit www.foundcom.org for information on upcoming classes and to register.

 

 

Making Texas Accessible
Governor's Committee seeks to honor employers and entrepreneurs
  

Lex Frieden Award The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities is seeking nominations for the Lex Frieden Employment Awards.  Each year, the Committee honors people, organizations and businesses that go above and beyond legal requirements to provide employment, recreational and educational opportunities for people with disabilities.  There are various categories for employers of all sizes and a special award for an entrepreneur with a disability.  Nominations are accepted through June 30th.

Farmers Market Incentives
New report and initiatives to expand access to locally produced food
 

farmers market A new LBJ School report on Farmers Market Incentive Programs in Austin and around the country highlights efforts to increase local food access among people who qualify for nutrition assistance.  The report finds that significant portions of east Austin and Travis County are designated as food deserts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report reviews the success of "Double Dollar Incentive Programs" that allow people to use their SNAP food benefits to purchase local foods at farmer's markets. 

 

In conjunction with the release of the report and as part of the Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin Dove Springs initiative, the Sustainable Food Center, Urban Roots and Austin Parks and Recreation have announced a new Double Dollar Incentive Program at the summer Neighborhood Farm Stand in Dove Springs.  The market is open to everyone from 9 to noon on Wednesdays through July 27th in the Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Drive. People who qualify for SNAP and WIC benefits can double their purchasing power when buying fruits and vegetables.

Austin Energy Low-Income Energy Summit
Customer Assistance Programs
 
Austin Energy invites service providers and others to attend a summit on the utility's new Customer Assistance Program and to provide input on how the program can be improved.  The event is free and will be held on June 20th from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center.  Registration is required. 
Missing School Matters
2.4 million Central Texas students are absent each year

missing school empty deskWhen students miss class, their schools lose funding for that day and students fall behind their classmates in learning the material covered while they were away.  Acute or chronic illness, skipping or having a family emergency were the top reasons students skip school, according to a recent study of Central Texas students. Learn more about why kids miss school at a briefing on this new report by the E3 Alliance and Children's Optimal Health.  
  
The Missing School Matters Summit will be held on Tuesday, June 11th from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the IBC Bank on Burnet Road.  Register here.     This Summit is part of E3 Alliance's Missing School Matters initiative, a regional effort to improve student attendance across Central Texas. Learn more at www.missingschoolmatters.org.
Alzheimer's Disease
information session for caregivers

Family caregivers are invited to learn more about the latest developments in medical treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias by attending a free educational seminar on Saturday, June 29th from 10 a.m. until noon in the Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main Street. Cherie Simpson, PhD, APRN, clinical nurse specialist and instructor at UT School of Nursing will discuss the latest medical treatments, potential new drugs, and current clinical trials underway. There will also be time for questions from the audience.

 

Space is limited. Pre-register by contacting Bruce Kravitz at [email protected], or (512) 451-4611, ext 236. A limited amount of free respite care is available by reservation only. This free educational seminar is presented by AGE of Central Texas and the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area.

 

Learn about other free classes for family caregivers and seniors on the CaregiverU website at www.caregiverUcentx.org.

Community Indicators Consortium Seeks Proposals
Share how your organization uses data to measure disparities and promote equity
The Community Indicators Consortium (CIC) "Impact Summit" in Chicago on October 17th and 18th will focus on the challenge of documenting widening social disparities and seeking opportunities to advance equity in our communities.  The CIC is seeking proposals for the conference.  Tracks will include housing and community development, health, tools for impact, equity and ethics, and sustainability. Find more information here. 
 
CAN is a partnership of governmental, non-profit, private and faith-based organizations which leverage mutual resources to collectively improve social, health, educational and economic opportunities in our community.
 
caction.org