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On August 16, 2019 Joel Levine, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Executive Director, delivered a Keynote address to staff at the bi-annual Employee Appreciation Ceremony. Within his remarks, Mr. Levine addressed agency accomplishments, challenges and his vision for the future.

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION CEREMONY
August 16, 2019
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Joel Levine

There were two young service man that enlisted in the Australian Navy. After many months at sea, they finally received a pass to spend the night in town when they docked at port. Naturally, the young men had too much to drink and were stumbling around trying to find their way back to the ship, when they bumped into a man in a decorated uniform, obviously a very ...

HAY Center Prom Event outfits foster youth

Published on March 30, 2017 by in Newsletter

Five years ago, Phyllis Ocean fitted a vision-impaired teenager in a maroon dress. She and another volunteer at The HAY Center Prom Readiness Event had helped the foster youth pick out the dress, silver shoes and accessories.

“She just lit up; she looked radiant,” Ocean recalled recently. “All teenagers deserve to have that special moment” of finding the perfect prom outfit.

Ocean, a member of the Houston Bar Association, was one of more than 90 volunteers who helped nearly 80 foster youth prepare their night-to-remember garb on March 27.

Volunteer groups also included the Houston Young Lawyers Association, Benefit Bettie and Bellaire United Methodist Church.

“We extend the most heart-felt thank you to every volunteer, staff member and donor who has contributed to this event for the past six years,” said Mary Green, director of The HAY Center. “Without their generosity, this event could never happen.”

The HAY Center converted its entire West Clay Street building into a mini store, complete with racks of donated dresses and suits, ties, shoes, undergarments and jewelry. Each foster youth was treated to a personal shopper to help select a full outfit.

“It’s especially good for girls in CPS (care) to feel beautiful, because of the trauma we’ve been through,” said Carla W., 18, casually sitting in a long shimmery dress 20 minutes after her find.

As the teens ate lunch, watched movies and received lessons in tie-tying and make-up, an office full of volunteer seamstresses like Ocean altered each item to fit just right.
The alterations aren’t always easy – as a handful of seamstresses tackle dozens of hems in five hours, but Ocean said she’ll be back next year “because of the kiddies.”

The HAY (Houston Alumni & Youth) Center is a public/private partnership under the umbrella of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults that helps older foster youth transition to independence. The program focuses on employment and education.

To learn more about The HAY Center and how you can help, visit The HAY Center page and website.

Jobs Help Foster Youth Overcome Legal Challenges

Every year approximately 200 foster youth in Harris County age out or emancipate from the foster care system. Children who age out of care are more susceptible to negative outcomes due to a lack of traditional family support and opportunities. The challenges they face such as homelessness, unemployment, poverty and even incarceration can hinder a successful transition to adulthood.

The HAY Center, a program of Harris County Protective Services, is pleased to announce that it has received a $10,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation in support of Overcoming Legal Challenges Faced by Current and Former Foster Care Youth to Gain Stability and Self-Sufficiency. The support from the Texas Bar Foundation will allow the HAY Center to offer foster youth involved with the courts and judicial system with paid internship opportunities to earn money to pay court related costs, fees, and fines; thus avoiding additional complications. This also allows youth to gain valuable workforce experience, and help build skills needed for employment. Mary Green, Director of the HAY Center states: “We are so grateful to the Texas Bar Foundation for their support of the HAY Center and our mission. Giving youth the opportunity to pay off their court fees through employment will allow them to move forward with their goals of education and employment.”

The HAY Center provides an array of services and supports to more than 1,100 current and former foster youth each year ages 16 through 25. These youth and young adults are often times navigating the transition to adulthood with little in the way of family support. Through the support of the Texas Bar Foundation the HAY Center is able to help youth earn money to become responsible for their obligations under the law and become contributing members of the community.

Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation's largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
Champion for foster youth recognized

Mary Green, director of Transitional Services at Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, received the June Bucy Award for Excellence from the Texas Network of Youth Services for contributions to foster youth at The HAY Center.

Mary has led The HAY Center since 2010. Under her direction, The HAY Center has expanded its programming for foster youth transitioning out of foster care. She was instrumental in establishing Transitional Coaching mentors, securing vouchers for affordable housing and initiating youth leadership programs.

The HAY Center is one of several Harris County Resources for Children and Adults programs that assists children and youth in the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The public/private partnership is a one-stop shop to help foster youth transition to independence, with a focus on education and employment.
Summer Jobs program kickstarts foster youth job experience

For the first time in the history of The HAY Center’s Summer Jobs Program, a youth worked in a restaurant setting this summer.

“She got to work in every position, front and back of the house, to determine if this was something she’d like to do for a career,” said Sherri Lee, Employment and Career Development Coordinator at The HAY Center.

The youth, who worked for Longhorn Steak House, was one of more than 40 who The HAY Center placed in summer positions. The program aims to build job skills in foster youth, as well as aid them in their career path.

The HAY Center, a public/private partnership that is also a Harris County Resources for Children and Adults program, helps older foster youth transition to independence.
Foster Care Center of Excellence Awarded to Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Clinic

HOUSTON -- In Harris County, there are over 4,000 children in the custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

The Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Clinic, a unique clinic dedicated to treating the trauma of children in foster care, is now the first Foster Care Center of Excellence in Harris County.

Superior Health will announce the Center of Excellence designation Tuesday at a special ceremony celebrating the collaboration between Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, UTHealth, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Superior Health. To qualify as a Foster Care Center of Excellence, a clinic must meet 47 criteria and the highest standards of care for foster children and their caretakers. The Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Clinic is now the only clinic in Harris County to receive the designation and the second in Texas.

“We are proud to receive this designation,” said Joel Levine, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults executive director. “It is a reflection of the hard work our staff has done to ensure foster children with visible and invisible wounds can heal in a safe, inviting atmosphere.”

As the oldest and first program of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, the clinic was established in 1972 to provide medical services to children who have experienced trauma and are involved with Child Protective Services. It has been recognized as a one-of-a-kind clinic that brings experts together in one location to provide medical, dental and behavioral health care exclusively to children in foster care.

“Treating these children, who have been victims of abuse and neglect, by physicians using trauma-informed practices is very important for their whole-health healing,” said Dr. Kim K. Cheung, associate professor of pediatrics at UTHealth.

For more information, contact Estella Olguin at 713.410.9773.
Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Clinic becomes first Center of Excellence in Harris County

The Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Integrated Healthcare Clinic, a unique clinic dedicated to treating the trauma of children in foster care, is now the first Foster Care Center of Excellence in Harris County.

“You really are willing to go the extra mile to provide quality services to children who are in foster care,” said Robert Wells, Superior Health Services Transformation projects manager.

Wells presented the Center of Excellence designation Tuesday at a special ceremony celebrating the collaboration between Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, UTHealth, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Superior Health.

“We are proud to receive this designation,” said Joel Levine, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults executive director. “It is a reflection of the hard work our staff has done to ensure children with visible and invisible wounds can heal in a safe, inviting atmosphere.”

Superior Health gives the Center of Excellence title to clinics that meet a higher standard of care for children in DFPS custody covered through the Superior Health Medicaid plan. The Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Clinic is now the only clinic to receive the designation in Harris County and the second in Texas.

“We’ve developed the clinic into a true comprehensive medical home for children with CPS involvement by providing competent and compassionate pediatric care for the whole child,” said Dr. Kevin Lally, UTHealth chairman of the Pediatric Department and Pediatric Surgery.

UTHealth provides pediatric services to the clinic through Dr. Kim Cheung, who has worked there since 1994, and psychiatric services through Dr. Chris Frederick.

The Integrated Healthcare Clinic was established in 1972 to provide specialty services to meet the needs of children who have experienced trauma and been placed in DFPS care. It has been recognized as a one-of-a-kind clinic for offering medical, dental and mental health services in one location to all foster children in Harris County.

“What sets the Harris County Resources for Children and Adults clinic apart from others is its wide range of services through a team of providers who are specially-trained to work with traumatized children and their caregivers,” said Charlotte Donner, Clinical Services manager. “We treat the whole child and provide support to their caregivers.”

The Family Support Navigator program – added in 2015 as the clinic’s newest component – provides caregivers of children in state care with a personalized service utilizing parents who have first-hand experience with the complex social services system. The navigators become one-on-one coaches to relatives caring for children in DFPS care, aiming to reduce caregiver stress by providing community resources, parenting education and emotional support.

CJ Broussard-White, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Region 6A (Harris County) director, spoke during Tuesday’s event about the many ways Harris County Resources for Children and Adults aids the children in DFPS care, pointing out the difficulty of the work by the clinic staff.

“I know that it has not been easy, because when you think about the population that you serve, it can’t be easy,” Broussard-White said. “I know that you see a lot of things and you hear a lot of different things, but you have not given up. And because you have not given up, you have been recognized as a Center of Excellence.”

If you or someone you know cares for children in DFPS care, contact the clinic at 713-295-2570.
Youth organizing toiletry drive

Harris County Resources for Children and Adults clients often find themselves in need of basic supplies, leading the Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Youth On B.O.A.R.D. to step in with the “Everything But Food” toiletry drive.

The youth, partnering with Hearts & Hands, are asking the community to donate basic necessities – such as soap and first aid supplies – by the May 1 deadline.

Hearts & Hands partners with Houston Food Bank and local grocery stores to secure food items for families, “but they have a hard time securing the non-food items that can help alleviate the financial strain on families that fall below the poverty line,” said Craig Cormier, vice president of Youth On B.O.A.R.D.

“I’m hoping that everyone will see this as a worthy cause and will help support families – particular the children in these families – to do things we take for granted, like having toothpaste to begin their day and sponges to wash their dishes,” Cormier said.

Donations to the “Everything But Food” toiletry drive can be dropped off at the Youth Services Center at 6300 Chimney Rock Rd. and 2525 Murworth Dr. Checks, made out to Hearts & Hands, are also accepted.

The Youth On B.O.A.R.D. is an Harris County Resources for Children and Adults youth leadership group that offers a youth voice to the Harris County Resources for Children and Adults Board of Directors and encourages community involvement.

For more information or questions about the toiletry drive, the community can call Cherease W. Glasper at 713-295-2514.