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Upcoming Events
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July 18, 2014
Tom C. Clark Bldg.
205 West 14th St., 6th Floor
Austin
July 25, 2014
Texas Association of Counties
1210 San Antonio
Austin, TX 78701
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On twitter?
Follow our new account @TXCourts - The twitter handle covers news and updates from the judicial branch.
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From the Office of Court Administration (OCA)
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Texas Judiciary to design a Judicial Civics and Education Center
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Texas' Judicial Branch will begin the design phase of a Judicial Civics and Education Center that will serve as a learning destination and empower visitors with legal history and the importance of an independent judiciary. Press release...
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JBCC Rules Approved
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Proposed rules for the Judicial Branch Certification Commission (JBCC) were sent to the Supreme Court of Texas for review and approval. On May 13, 2014, the Supreme Court issued Misc. Docket No. 14-9100, Order Approving Rules and Fees of the JBCC, effective September 1, 2014. The proposed rules will be published in the June issue of the Texas Bar Journal for public comment, which will end on August 1, 2014. The rules may be changed in response to comments received by that date. Interested parties may submit written comments to the Court's Rules Attorney, Martha Newton at rulescomments@txcourts.gov.
As reported in earlier editions of CourTex, the JBCC was created by Senate Bill 966 to handle certification and licensing for court reporters and court reporting firms, professional guardians, process servers, and court language interpreters beginning on September 1, 2014. On that date, the JBCC will be created, while the Guardianship Certification Board, Court Reporters Certification Board, and Process Servers Review Board will cease to exist. The Licensed Court Interpreter program at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will also be transferred to the JBCC on September 1. The Supreme Court will appoint the nine members of the JBCC, as well as members of an advisory board for each of the professions that will be regulated by the JBCC and will advise the JBCC on policy and regulatory matters.
Follow this link to view the Supreme Court's May 13 order and the rules:
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County and district clerks across the state tackle the E-Filing mandate
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May 27, 2014
By Maria Sprow
County and district clerks across the state are beginning to embrace - or at least shake hands with (metaphorically speaking) - the Texas Supreme Court order requiring electronic filing of almost all documents in civil, family and probate cases and in appellate courts, district courts, statutory county courts, constitutional county courts and statutory probate courts. The goal of the mandate was to create a statewide system for electronic filing - a uniform portal for accessing court case information. Too many disparate systems across the state were creating too many headaches for attorneys, and the Court saw a need for the increased efficiency, reduced costs, greater security and increased transparency a centralized system could provide.
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New Resource for Caregivers
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We want to make you aware of a new resource developed by Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to improve caregiver participation in the mental health care being provided to children in the foster care system:
Baylor College of Medicine recently published a new handout for foster care parents and caregivers, titled "Mental Health Problems in Foster Care Children." The handout provides guidance on how to prepare for doctor visits, recommends questions to ask the doctor, explains informed consent, and describes the steps the doctor will take in diagnosing and treating the child and features some of the work we are doing here in Texas. Funding for this handout was provided through the Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) program*, which is part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)***.
The handout is a companion to "Psychotropic Medication Utilization Parameters for Children and Youth in Foster Care," the guidelines produced by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy to serve as a resource for physicians and clinicians who care for children diagnosed with mental health disorders. The "Parameters" provide recommendations for the appropriate use of psychotropic medications in foster children. The "Parameters," first published in 2005 and most recently updated in September 2013, have served as a widely used point-of-reference for programs in other states and are credited with improving prescription patterns of psychotropic medication among Texas children in foster care.
* Read the handout online, or download the PDF version from the CHAIN Online website:
http://chainonline.org/patient-tools/mental-health-problems-foster-children/.
* Read an interview with Dr. Stephen Crystal, the principal investigator of the Rutgers State University CERT about Rutgers' role in developing the 2013 "Parameters" update on CHAIN Online: http://chainonline.org/practice-tools/foster-children-psychotropic-use/.
* Access the "Parameters" on the Texas DFPS website at:
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/Medical_Services/guide-psychotropic.asp.
* The Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) conduct research and provide education to advance the optimal use of therapeutics (i.e., drugs, medical devices, and biological products) to address the limited comparative information on the risks, benefits, and interactions of new and older agents and to provide guidance to health professionals on the appropriate and cost-effective use of therapeutics. The CERTs program is funded and run as a cooperative agreement by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The program receives funds from both public and private sources, with AHRQ providing core financial support. (Learn more about the CERTs at: http://chainonline.org/about-the-certs/about-the-certs/.)
***The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a public health service agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Its mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher in quality, more accessible, more equitable, and more affordable and to work with HHS and other partners to insure that the evidence is understood and used. (Learn more about AHRQ at: http://www.ahrq.gov/about/index.html.)
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Legal Assistance for Victims of Crime
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Deadline: June 9, 2014
The Office of Victims of Crime would like to create networks to provide holistic, no-cost legal assistance to crime victims at the state, regional and local levels. Legal services may include: representation in the enforcement of victims' rights in criminal court; a wide range of civil legal assistance directly related to victimization; immigration assistance, and assistance for victims of financial fraud and identity theft. Eligibility is limited to states administering Victim of Crime Act formula grants, nonprofits, public and private colleges/universities and public agencies. There will be $2.3 million available for four awards. Three states will receive $500,000 awards and an $800,000 grant will go for a technical assistance provider, which will be a nonprofit, college/university or public agency.
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Establishing a Center for Legal and Judicial Excellence in Child Welfare
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Deadline: June 23, 2014
The Administration for Children and Families is looking to create a National Center for Legal and Judicial Excellence in Child Welfare. They are looking to issue $1.1 million to a government, nonprofit, for profit or public housing authority to create the center. The center will provide technical assistance to state and tribal court improvement programs focused on better outcomes for children involved in the legal system.
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Variety of State Justice Institute Grants to Improve Quality of Justice in State Courts
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Deadline: August 1, 2014
The State Justice Institute (SJI) is announcing the availability of five grant categories for state courts, nonprofits and educational assistance to judges. The categories are as follows:
Project Grants (up to $300,000 each): to support innovative education and training, demonstration and technical assistance projects to improve the administration of justice in the nation's courts.
TA Grants (up to $50,000 each): to provide state and local courts with funding to obtain expert assistance to diagnose a problem, develop a response to that problem and initiate implementation of any needed changes.
CAT Grants (applicants are required to match not less than 50% of the grant amount requested, of which 20% must be cash): enables courts to modify and adapt or revise curriculum, train instructors, pilot test the new or revised curriculum and conduct judicial branch education and training programs.
Partner Grants: allows SJI and federal, state, local and private entities to combine financial resources in pursuit of common interests.
ESP ($1,000 awards): provides tuition assistance for state court judges and court managers.
Information: SJI 571/313-8843; email: contact@sji.gov; for more on funding opportunities: http://www.sji.gov/grants.php
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Judicial Training Resource Links
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About the OCA
OCA is a state agency in the judicial branch that operates under the direction and supervision of the Supreme Court of Texas and the chief justice and is governed primarily by Chapter 72 of the Texas Government Code. www.txcourts.gov
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