CAN masthead
CANews
July 10, 2013
community dashboard logo 
  
21% of of those under age 65 in Travis County have no health insurance
  
When people have no health insurance, they are more likely to delay medical care until a medical emergency. The cost of providing care to the uninsured is absorbed by hospitals, local governments, taxpayers and patients with insurance.
 
At  cancommunitydashboard.org, you will find data and information about people in our community who have no public or private health insurance.  
 
In This Issue
Austin Employment Picture
Opportunity Mapping
2040 Transportation Plan
Kids Count Data Book
Report on Aging Population
Final Hispanic Quality of Life Report
Missing School Matters
Summer Food Programs for Children
Clean Air Survey
Back to School Bash
Conversation on Racism
Health Literacy for Case Managers
Summit on Reentry
CAN Board focus on health care
  
The CAN Board of Directors meeting this Friday will feature discussion on health and behavioral health.  Presentations will feature information on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and navigation services to help people obtain health insurance.  The meeting begins at 1 p.m. Friday, July 12th in the Boards and Commissions Room of Austin City Hall and will be televised on Cable Channel 6
    
To access agendas, minutes and presentations shared at  Board meetings, click here.
 
Video now available en Espanol
  
Growth and other demographic changes pose great challenges and opportunities for Central Texas.  A video produced by CAN with the help of many Central Texas leaders and KLRU has now been translated into Spanish. 
Centro de Texas: Creando la Futura que Queremos
Centro de Texas: Creando la Futura que Queremos
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. 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
Follow us!
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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

  
Austin Employment Picture
Fourth lowest unemployment rate among large metros

 

The Austin Chamber's Central Texas Economy in Perspective notes that the Austin metro unemployment rate of 5.4% for May was the fourth lowest in the nation.  Not only is Austin's unemployment rate down from one year ago, but the number of people who are unemployed and actively seeking employment is also down.
  
According to the Chamber report, the industries adding jobs at the fastest rate were construction and natural resources.   The largest number of new jobs were added by professional and business services, which added 7,100 jobs over the last 12 months. Education and health services added 6,100 jobs and leisure and hospitality added 5,800.  The most sluggish growth was in manufacturing, which added only 400 jobs.
The Geography of Opportunity
Maps depict areas of high opportunity and low opportunity

 

Opportunity sign The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and Green Doors Austin, in collaboration with several community partners, including CAN, has released a report on the Geography of Opportunity in Austin and How it is Changing.  The report, maps, and online mapping tool are a follow-up to a 2007 opportunity mapping effort.  
  
The report defines opportunity as a situation or condition that places individuals in a position to be more likely to succeed or excel. Opportunity is mapped across the five county region according to a number of indicators such as education, economic mobility, and housing, and displays them through static and online maps. The interactive map allows you to hover over a specific zip code to see how the area fared on the indicators.The purpose of the effort is to better understand equity and opportunity and how policies can help expand opportunity to more people.  
2040 Transportation Plan 
CAMPO survey seeks input on new plan

 

CAMPO Regional Mobility 
CAMPO Regional Mobility

 

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is seeking public input on the development of the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan.  An online survey, available in English and Spanish, allows people in the ten county region to provide input on the goals and challenges of the regional transportation system.

 

The 2040 Transportation Plan will help guide transportation investments and projects for the next 25 years. Click here to learn more about the CAMPO Plan.
Kids Count Data Book
Texas kids fair poorly compared to other states
 

kids count databook

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count Data Book notes that gaps in educational achievement between racial and ethnic groups have narrowed while the gap between children of varying economic status has widened.

 

 

The report also notes that children in Texas rank 42nd among the 50 states in overall well-being.  The Data Book reports that nationwide, children have suffered the most in the economic recession with poverty rates the highest among the youngest populations.

Growing Senior Population 
Report cites challenges and opportunities
 
The older adult population in Central Texas is growing rapidly. During the first decade of this century, the Austin metro area had the fastest growing pre-senior population in the nation and the second fastest growing senior population.  A new report by the Aging Services Council of Central Texas notes that by 2040, almost one-fifth of the metro area's population will be over the age of 65.  This fast-growing aging population will present regional challenges in health care, housing, transportation and support for the people who care for aging relatives.  Download the report.
Hispanic Quality of Life
Final report presented to Austin City Council 
 
The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Initiative began as a Council resolution in 2008 to measure how Hispanics/Latinos were faring in relation to other Austin residents.  Eventually the Mayor and Council appointed a seven-member Oversight Team to develop recommendations with input from the community.  On June 27, 2013, the Council was presented with this final report that provides recommendations related to economic development, health, housing, education, cultural arts, youth services, civic engagement and transportation.   One key recommendation was for the Austin City Council to create and appoint a Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission.
Missing School Matters
Acute illness is a major reason students are absent from class

empty desk

Central Texas schools lose millions of dollars and students miss important instruction time each year due to student absences.  A study by E3 Alliance and Children's Optimal Health reveals that almost half of the 16,800 absences at nine schools in Central Texas were due to acute illness.  The most common other causes for missing school were routine appointments or family travel plans. 

 

The study took place at nine schools across two Central Texas school districts where parents provided detailed information about the reasons for student absences over an eight week period. The schools chosen for the study were statistically representative of the demographics and geography of the Central Texas student population.  Visit e3alliance.org to learn more about the report and about the Missing School Matters campaign to let people know that school attendance is critical for school success.
Summer Food for Children
Web site finds locations by zip code

school lunchMany low-income children rely on the free and reduced breakfasts and lunches they received at school during the school year to supplement their nutrition.  Summer food programs are also available but it is estimated that only 10% of the children who qualify for summer food assistance are fed. 

 

The www.squaremeals.org website includes a listing of summer food programs with an interactive map.  Type in a zip code and sites, locations and times appear.

Clean Air
Survey solicits input on efforts to improve air quality

The CLEAN AIR Force of Central Texas is surveying people to find out their attitudes about air quality and efforts to improve air quality in Central Texas.  The non-profit group seeks to educate the public on air quality issues and to support air quality planning in the private sector. The organization is focused on motivating citizens, businesses and government to take action to reduce air pollution to protect public health and the health of the Central Texas economy. Find a link to the survey at www.cleanairforce.org.

Back to School Bash
Highlight your programs for students  

 

Austin Independent School District, in collaboration with the City of Austin, invites child serving organizations to help kick-off the 2013-2014 school year at AISD's annual Back to School Bash and Safety Fair on Saturday, August 24th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Austin Convention Center.

 

Organizations are invited to share with AISD's community the services and resources they offer to help students achieve academic success. Child friendly activities and at least one Spanish-speaking representative at each booth are encouraged.

 

Exhibitor space is limited.  Reserve your exhibitor space early, by completing the online registration form by Friday, July 12, 2013. Due to limited exhibitor space, not all registrants are guaranteed a space.

Courageous Conversations
Free training examines racism in our community

 

Courageous Conversations are quarterly trainings that explore the root causes of disproportionality and disparities through an examination of institutionalized racism and its impact on communities of color and people living in poverty. Join in the conversation on Wednesday, July 17th from 9 a.m. to noon at 4900 North Lamar. The training, provided by the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities, is free and open to the public. Registration  is required.

Health Literacy Work Shop
for social service case managers
 

Low health literacy is the strongest predictor of poor health status.  Improved patient to provider communication is directly linked to patient satisfaction, patient safety, and reduced healthcare costs.  The Social Services Case Management Network will provide a workshop on the role of case managers in clear healthcare communication. The workshop will be led by the Director of Health Literacy at the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas. 

 

The training will take place Friday, July 19th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Goodwill Community Center. Continuing Education Units are sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Central Texas. RSVP to  

nico[email protected].

Vision Summit on Reentry
Efforts to help people leaving jail or prison be successful in their community
  

The Travis County Sheriff's Office will host a "Vision Summit:  Looking Toward the Future of Reentry" in Austin on September 10th - 13th. Criminal justice reform has ignited conversations and efforts across the country to help people leaving jails and prisons be successful upon release.  Successful reintegration into the community can reduce recidivism and make communities safer. The Vision Summit will highlight effective programs and offer workshops that empower attendees to replicate successful programs in their own communities.  Learn more and register at www.tcsheriff.org.

 
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