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17% of Travis County adults report poor mental health
Learn more about mental health issues in our community and the collaborations and organizations working to improve mental health. At cancommunitydashboard.org, you will find data and information about mental health, substance use and Austin ISD student survey results about student experiences. |
CAN Board focus on behavioral health and health
This month, the CAN Board of Directors reviewed legislative changes impacting health and behavioral health.
To access presentations shared at the meeting, click here. |
CAN Community Council focus on efforts to transform health care delivery
The CAN Community Council June meeting featured a discussion about how the Affordable Care Act will be implemented in Texas. Central Health also shared information on local efforts to expand health care for people who are uninsured with the construction of a new medical school and teaching hospital and 1115 Medicaid Waivers to transform how health care is delivered.
To learn more about the CAN Community Council and to access past agendas, minutes, and presentations, click here.
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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.
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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. at 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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Follow us!
 Get updates on news, meetings, research and more at CAN_Austin.
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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 |
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Civic Engagement Report
Texas lags in political participation
On the heels of the 83rd Legislative Session, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin and the National Conference on Citizenship have released a Texas Civic Health Index, the first nonpartisan, comprehensive evaluation of community and political engagement in Texas. According to the report, Texas ranks last among all states in voter participation and 42nd in voter registration. Texas also ranked 42nd in volunteering.
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Focus on Children
State of being a child in Travis County
Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service, Research & Planning Division has released
This report uses the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2009-2011 3-Year Estimates data set to explore the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of children and their families.
A few highlights from the report...
- One-fourth of all Travis County children live below the poverty threshold and almost one-half are low-income (living in households earning two-times the poverty level).
- One-fourth of all children live in a single parent household headed by a woman.
- More than half of all households earning less than $25,000 a year are female headed households.
- Among school-aged children, 36% speak a language other than English at home. Spanish is the predominant language.
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Take Youth Services Survey
City of Austin asking for community's feedback to help address needs
On May 3, 2013, the City of Austin hosted a Youth Services Provider Summit. Approximately 100 youth and children service providers from around the City came together to discuss youth programs and services, to review the impact of changing City demographics and to identify program and service gaps. This summit enabled the City to gather important information and it also created some new questions.
Please take a few minutes to take this survey today to help the City move forward in helping the community better serve Austin's youth. For more information contact kimberly.mcneeley@austintexas.gov (tel: 512-974-6722).
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School Readiness Action Plan
One year update on local strategies
 United Way for Greater Austin has released a One-Year Update to its School Readiness Action Plan. A coalition of early childhood advocates, experts, parents, service providers, and business leaders created the original 3-year plan to fundamentally change the landscape of care for children in Austin and Travis County last year. The goal of the Action Plan is to increase the total percent of children who enter school ready to learn to 70% by 2015.
The report highlights goals, strategies and community efforts to help families, to increase early education services, and to provide health and mental health services to children and families. One success highlighted in the update is the creation of a Central Texas Business Alliance for Early Childhood, which is made up of key business leaders who have agreed to use their business expertise and social capital to create a more robust early childhood system in our community.
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U.S. Health Rankings Fall Short
America spends more than other nations, but fares worse in outcomes
 A new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that, even though the U.S. leads the world in medical care spending, Americans have worse health and shorter lives than people in other affluent nations. Overcoming Obstacles to Health in 2013 and Beyond found that the U.S. ranks below other wealthy nations on most health indicators, including life expectancy, birthweight, and death due to diabetes, heart disease, injuries and infectious disease. The report found striking geographic disparities, sometimes even between communities that are only a few miles apart. America, more than other countries, also has great disparities in health outcomes among people in different income, education, and racial or ethnic groups.
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New Youth CapMetro Fare Card
HAUL PASS lasts all summer
New summer fare card for youth under 18 - the HAUL PASS lasts June through August 2013. This new limited edition summer pass for youth 6 - 18 costs $45 (a $96 value) and includes unlimited bus and rail rides and discount s. These cards are available for purchase at: Capmetro.org/haulpass or the Capital Metro Transit Store at 323 Congress Avenue, (512) 474-1200.
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Certifications Available for Target Occupations
Workforce Solutions' WIA Program Helps Adults Get Back to Work
Workforce Solutions administers the Workforce Investment Act program which is beneficial to Adult (ages 18 or older) Travis County Residents that are economically disadvantaged or Laid Off and receiving Unemployment Benefits. A large majority of customers who received training have regained employment as a direct result of the training they received. Please share this information with individuals who are in need of additional training certifications to get them back to work. Current targeted occupations for the Capital Area are listed here.
Contact Information for all three offices below:
South Austin Office 6505 Burleson Road
Austin, TX 78741
(512) 381-4200
North Austin Office
6505 Airport Blvd, Suite 101 A
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 454-9675
East Austin Office
3401 Webberville Rd, Bldg. 1000
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 223-5400
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A Place at the Table
Screening of documentary on food insecurity
A Place At The Table, a documentary starring actor Jeff Bridges, tells the story of food insecurity in the United States through the voices of American families trying to make ends meet. Right now, 50 million Americans, and 1.6 million households in Texas, don't know where their next meal is coming from and struggle to feed themselves and their children the nutritious, healthy food needed for a better life.
A Place At The Table poignantly shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social, and cultural implications for our nation, and it illustrates how we can solve the hunger crisis and make healthy, affordable food options available for all of us. Click here to learn more about the screening of this documentary on Thursday, June 20th at 7 p.m. at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
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World Refugee Day
Event to welcome Texas' newest residents
Some of Texas' newest citizens will be welcomed and celebrated at World Refugee Day on Saturday June 22nd. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bob Bullock State History Museum. The free celebration will feature live music and performances, a citizenship ceremony, and family-friendly games and activities. For more information, visit theStoryofTexas.com.
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Discretionary Referrals at AISD
Building Bridges Brick by Brick Town Hall meeting
The Travis County Sheriff's Office and Austin ISD will host a Town Hall meeting on efforts to reduce student referrals to the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. A landmark study, Breaking Schools Rules, tracked public school students throughout Texas and found that African American students were disproportionately removed from the classroom and placed in alternative education settings. The report also found that students with these placements were more likely to later appear in the criminal justice system.
Building Bridges Brick by Brick is an effort to reduce crime and violence and to rebuild positive relationships between the minority community and law enforcement. The Town Hall meeting on Saturday, July 6th at 1:30 p.m. at the Millenenum Center, 1156 Hargrave, will focus on efforts to address the issues raised in the Breaking Schools Rules report. For more information, contact Mike Manor at 512-854-9172.
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Latest on Alzheimer's
Free seminar on treatments and trials
An estimated 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease or a related type of dementia. While there is no cure at the present time, there is an accelerating worldwide effort to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing.
Austin Groups for the Elderly will host a free seminar for caregivers about the latest medical treatments and clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias on Saturday, June 29th at the Round Rock Library. Presenter Cherie Simpson, PhD, APRN, CNS-BC, is a clinical nurse specialist for a local geriatric psychiatric practice who also teaches and conducts research at the UT School of Nursing.
Space is limited and registration is required. Contact Bruce Kravitz at 512-451-4611, ext. 236, bkravitz@ageofcentraltx.org.
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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 |
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