Bexar County Community Plan - Alamo Area Council of Governments

Transcription

Bexar County
Community Plan
2014 - 2015
Date approved by Bexar County Commissioner’s Court:
April 8, 2014
Bexar County Community Plan 2014-2015…….………………………………………………………Page 1
Table of Contents
(Click on any topic to go directly to that section)
Mission Statement
Goal Statement
Geographic Areas
County Demographics
Community Planning Team
Community Planning Chairpersons
Juvenile Services
Victim Services
Criminal Justice Services
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
AACOG Planning Liaisons
Juvenile Issues
Priority 1
Victim Issues
Priority 1
Priority 2
Criminal Justice Issues (law enforcement, courts, corrections)
Priority 1
Priority 2
Priority 3
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues
Priority 1
Resources Available
Interagency Cooperation
Historical Information
Mission Statement
“To articulate the needs and wants of the community by setting Bexar County’s priorities and
guiding the funding procurement process.”
Goal Statement
 Juvenile Issues Committee: To educate the community about the critical needs of
children and the urgency for adequately funded resources that help them to become
healthy, contributing members of society.

Victims Services Committee: Victims in Bexar County are entitled to crisis/intervention
services, as well as recovery and long-term services, in order to restore their lives and
provide healing and hope for the future.

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Committee: To protect the citizens of our community
and ensure justice is done: programs need to be developed to address not only the
demands required of fighting “ordinary” crime, but also fighting the more complex crimes
which are emerging; law enforcement and correction personnel need to be highly trained
and well-equipped; and the “revolving” door phenomenon of the criminal justice system
needs to be minimized.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee: To support the delivery of effective
prevention initiatives and treatment programming for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
that improve public safety by decreasing incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, restore
individuals and families through compassionate and accountable programming, and
maximize the efficiencies of strategic partnerships and collaboratives.
Return to Table of Contents
Geographic Areas Represented
Incorporated Communities:
Alamo Heights
Hill Country Village
Balcones Heights
Hollywood Park
Castle Hills
Kirby
China Grove
Leon Valley
Converse
Live Oak
Elmendorf
Lytle (partial)
Fair Oaks Ranch
Olmos Park
Grey Forest
San Antonio
Helotes
Schertz
Unincorporated Communities:
Adkins
Leon Springs
Atascosa
Lone Oak
Buena Vista
Macdona
Cassin
Parita
Kirk
Independent School Districts:
Alamo Heights
Judson
Boerne (partial)
Lackland
Comal (partial)
Lytle (partial)
East Central
Medina Valley (partial)
Edgewood
North East
Selma
Shavano Park
Somerset
St. Hedwig
Terrell Hills
Universal City
Von Ormy
Windcrest
San Geronimo
Saunders
Sayers
Southton
San Antonio
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City
Somerset
South San Antonio
Southside
Fort Sam Houston
Harlandale
Northside
Randolph
Southwest
County Demographics:
Bexar County (the San Antonio Metropolitan Area) covers approximately 1,247 square miles
in the interior belt of the Coastal Plain of South Central Texas crossing the Balcones
Escarpment. Bexar County is bound by Comal and Kendall Counties to the North; Bandera
and Medina Counties to the West; Guadalupe County to the East; and Atascosa and Wilson
Counties to the South. It is strategically located to benefit from commerce across the states
and between countries. Interstate Highway 10 provides Bexar County with direct access to
the East and West Coasts of the United States while Interstate Highway 35 links Bexar
County with direct access to Mexico and Canada.
Based on the 2012 Census Estimate, the City of San Antonio was the 7th largest city in the
United States. Bexar County is currently the 4th most populated County in Texas (out of 254
counties) and the 19th most populous County in the country.
Additional demographic facts and figures are as follows
(see: http://quickfacts.census.gov/):
Overall Population
Population, 2012 estimate
Population, percent change, April 1,
2010 to July 1, 2012
Population, 2010
Population by Age Group
Persons under 5 years old, percent
2012
Persons under 18 years old, percent
2012
Persons 65 years old and over, percent
2012
Population by Education
High School graduates, percent of
persons age 25 years and above, 20072011.
Bexar County
1,785,704
4.1%
Texas
26,059,203
3.6%
1,714,773
Bexar County
7.4%
25,145,561
Texas
7.5%
26.5%
26.8%
10.7%
10.9%
Bexar County
81.7%
Texas
80.4%
Population by Education (cont.)
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of
persons age 25 years and above, 20072011.
Population by Sex
Female persons, percent 2012
Bexar County
25.6%
Texas
26.1%
Bexar County
50.8%
Texas
50.3%
Male persons, percent 2012
49.2%
49.7%
Population by Income
Bexar County
Texas
Median household income, 2007-2011
$48,083
$50,920
Per capita money income, 2007-2011
$23,866
$25,548
Persons below poverty, percent 200717.1%
17.0%
2011
Population by Housing
Bexar County
Texas
Housing Units, 2011
672,307
10,098,750
Homeownership Rate, 2007-2011
61.6%
64.5%
Housing Units in multi-unit structures,
26.9%
24.0%
percent 2007-2011
Median value of owner-occupied
$121,200
$126,400
housing units 2007-2011
Households, 2007-2011
590,364
8,667,807
Persons per household, 2007-2011
2.79
2.79
Population by Race/Ethnicity/Culture
Bexar County
Texas
White persons, percent 2012 (a)
85.6%
80.6%
Black persons, percent 2012 (a)
8.1%
12.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native
1.2%
1.0%
persons, percent 2012 (a)
Asian persons, percent 2012(a)
2.7%
4.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
0.2%
0.1%
Islander, percent 2012 (a)
Persons reporting two or more races,
2.1%
1.7%
percent 2012
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin,
59.1%
38.2%
percent 2012 (b)
White persons not Hispanic, percent
29.8%
44.5%
2012
Foreign born persons, percent 200712.8%
16.2%
2011
Language other than English spoken at
42.8%
34.4%
home, percent age 5 years and above,
2007-2011
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, thus are also included in applicable race categories.
Community Planning Team
In developing this Community Plan, members of the team were divided into four major
taskforces for the purpose of narrowing the scope of research and data that are incorporated
into the Plan. Some members served in multiple capacities and categories.
Community Planning Chairperson:
Name
Dr. Allen Castro
Agency
Bexar County
Department
Budget and
Finance
Address
101 W. Nueva, 9th Floor
San Antonio, TX 78205
E-mail
acastro@bexar.org
Phone
210-335-0744
Juvenile Services:
Name
Jessica Govan
Co-Chair
Agency
Address
E-mail
Phone
1115 Mission Rd
jgovan@setonhomesa.org
210-533-3504
ext. 233
1115 Mission Rd
tiffanywalker@setonhomesa.org
210-533-3504
ext. 211
American Indians
of Texas at the
Spanish Colonial
Missions
TJJD Parole
1313 Guadalupe St. #104
americanindiansintexas@gmail.co
m
210-227-4940
1402 N. Hackberry
Erick.barrera@tjjd.texas.gov
210-335-8588
Dejah Behnke
Communities In
Schools
1616 E. Commerce St.
dbehnke@cissa.org
210-520-8440
Richard Davidson
Family Services
Association of
San Antonio
Seton Home
702 San Pedro
rdavidson@family-service.org
210-299-2423
1115 Mission Rd
grants@setonhomesa.org
210-533-3504
ext. 236
Tiffany Galvan
Big Brothers Big
Sisters
202 Baltimore
tgalvan@bigmentor.org
210-315-3980
Marissa Jimenez
San Antonio
Sports
100 Montana
mjimenez@sanantoniosports.org
210-820-2118
Theresa Leal
San Antonio ISD
1700 Tampico
tleal@saisd.net
210-554-2605
Gina Licata Adams
Bexar County
Juvenile
Probation
Southwest Key
301 E Mitchell
San Antonio TX 78210
glicataadams@bexar.org
210-335-7756
11643 Vance Jackson
San Antonio TX 78230
mswierc@family-service.org
210-299-2400
Bexar County
Juvenile
Probation
301 E. Mitchell
bmartinez@bexar.org
210-335-7661
Tiffany Walker
Co-Chair
Karla Aguilar
Ericka Barrera
Michele DziadikWillingham
Emily Martinez
Rebecca Martinez
Seton Home
Seton Home
Alma Ortiz
301 E. Mitchell
aortiz@bexar.org
210-335-7571
Gary Pollock
Bexar County
Juvenile
Probation
San Antonio ISD
1700 Tampico
gpollock@saisd.net
210-250-1251
Pamela Raines
Catholic Charities
202 W. French Place
praines@ccaosa.org
210-222-1294
Kari Stewart
Catholic Charities
202 W. French Place
kstewart@ccaosa.org
210-222-1294
John Strelchun
San Antonio ISD
1700 Tampico
jstrelchun@saisd.net
210-554-2535
Ramon Vasquez
American Indians
of Texas
ramondvasquez@yahoo.com
210-473-6661
ewheeler@bexar.org
210-335-1976
Ellen Walter
Bexar County
District Attorney
Office
235 E. Mitchell #245
Victim Services:
Name
Agency
Michael Malinas,
Chairman
Jewish Family
Service
Sara Alvarado
Boysville
Kitty Brietzke
SAILS
Jennifer Browne
Not Above the
Law
Janie Cook
Boystown
Michele Cammack
Suzanne Carter
Address
E-mail
Phone
12500 N.W. Military Hwy,
Ste. 250
8555 Loop 1604 North
Converse, TX 781090369
1028 S. Alamo
malinasm@jfs-sa.org
210-302-6949
salvarado@boysvilletexas.org
210-659-1901
kbrietzke@sailstx.org
210-281-1878
28906 Chartwell Lane
Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
78015
503 Urban Loop
jenbrowne@gvtc.com
210-508-3815
janie.cook@boystown.org
210-271-1010
Seton Home
1115 Mission Road, S.A.
TX. 78210
michellecammack@setonhomesa.o
rg
210-533-3504
ext. 236
Catholic Charities
Archdiocese of
San Antonio
Family Service
Association
7711 Madonna Dr.
scarter@ccaosa.org
210-377-1133
702 San Pedro S.A. TX.
78212
210-299-2423
Miriam Elizondo
The Rape Crisis
Center
7500 US Hwy 90 West,
melizondo@rapecrisis.com
210-349-7273
Cynthia Jahn
Bexar County
District Attorney’s
Office
Childsafe – San
Antonio
300 Dolorosa, 5th Floor
S.A. Tx, 78205
cjahn@bexar.org
210-335-2733
7130 West Hwy 90
randym@childsafe-sa.org
210-675-900
Richard Davidson
Randy McGibeny
Deborah C. Parrott
Pamela Raines
Gay Lynn
Schwenk
Bexar County
District Attorney’s
Office
Catholic Charities
Archdiocese of
San Antonio
Family Violence
Prevention
Services, Inc.
dparrott@bexar.org
210-335-2311
202 W. French Place
praines@ccaosa.org
210-242-3111
7911 Broadway, San
Antonio, TX 78209
gaylynn.schwenk@fvps.org
210-930-3669
Criminal Justice Services (law enforcement, courts, corrections):
Name
Agency
Address
E-mail
Phone
Lt. Jose Treviño,
Chairman
Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office
200 N. Comal St.
josetrevino@bexar.org
210-335-6043
Vickie Adams
San Antonio
Council on
Alcohol and Drug
Abuse
Windcrest Police
Department
7500 US Hwy 90 West
vadams@sacada.org
210-225-4741
8601 Midcrown
Windcrest, TX 78239
aballew@windcrest-tx.gov
210-315-4481
Kirk Boatright
Live Oak Police
Department
8022 Shin Oak Dr.
Live Oak, TX 78233
kboatright@liveoaktx.net
210-945-1781
Fritz Bohne
Olmos Park
Police
120 W. El Prado
policechief@olmospark.org
210-824-3281
John Correu
Schertz Police
Department
JCorreu@schertz.com
210-619-1245
Ken Evans
Live Oak Police
Department
1400 Schertz Parkway,
#6
8022 Shin Oak Dr.
Live Oak, TX 78233
kevans@liveoaktx.net
512-845-2449
Raymond Ford
Constable,
Precinct 2
rford@bexar.org
210-335-4877
Henry Hollyday
Bexar County
Crime Lab
7723 Guilbeau Road,
Suite 105
7337 Louis Pasteur
San Antonio, TX
hollyday@bexar.org
210-335-4103
Will Longoria
Bexar County
Judicial Support
Services
San Antonio
Police
Department
Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office
101 W. Nueva, Suite 310
wlongoria@bexar.org
210-335-8926
315 S. Santa Rosa
tony.muro@sanantonio.gov
210-207-3405
200 N. Comal St.
mpesses@bexar.org
210-335-6442
Balcones Heights
Police
Department
Alamo Heights
Police
Department
Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office
3300 Hillcrest Dr.
San Antonio, Tx78201
bhpd563@yahoo.com
210-735-9212
6116 Broadway
cpruitt@alamoheightstx.gov
210-822-6433
200 N. Comal St.
troach@bexar.org
210-335-6189
Al Ballew
Tony Muro
Michael Pesses
Joseph Pineda
Cindy D. Pruitt
Thomas Roach
Juan Sanchez
Js2067@aol.com
512-644-7481
Roland Schuler
Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office
200 N. Comal St.
rschuler@bexar.org
210-335-6185
Fred Solis
Bexar County
Criminal District
Attorney
San Antonio
Police
Department
San Antonio
Council on
Alcohol and Drug
Abuse
San Antonio
Police
Department
fred.solis@bexar.org
210-335-2872
315 S. Santa Rosa
anthony.trevino@sanantonio.gov
210-207-7360
7500 US Hwy 90 West
cvillafranca@sacada.org
210-225-4741
315 S. Santa Rosa
roy.waldhelm@sanantonio.gov
210-207-7405
Anthony Treviño
Charles Villafranca
Roy Waldhelm
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:
Name
Jocelyn Van
Coney,
Chairwoman
Vickie Adams
Andrea Arellano
Ericka Barrera
Kristine Brown
Suzanne Carter
Audrey Cavazos
Melanie Cawthon
Angelica
Cervantes
Ken Confer
Janie Cook
Agency
Address
E-mail
Phone
Alpha Home
300 E. Mulberry
jvanconey@alphahome.org
210-735-3822
San Antonio
Council on
Alcohol and Drug
Abuse
Bexar County
Misdemeanor
Reentry Court
Texas Juvenile
Justice
Department
Voices for
Children
7500 US Hwy 90 West
coalition@sacada.org
210-225-4741
101 W. Nueva, 3rd Floor
andrea.arellano@bexar.org
210-335-0472
321 N. Center St., W-200
ericka.barrera@tjjd.texas.gov
210-335-8588
1 Haven for Hope Way,
Bld. 3.323
7711 Madonna Dr.
kbrown@voicessa.org
210-220-2585
scarter@ccaosa.org
210-377-1133
acavazos@bexar.org
210-335-0682
6336 Montgomery Drive
Melanie@rmihomes.org
210-656-6674
x 101
1115 Mission Road
acervantes@setonhomesa.org
210-533-3504
ext. 241
10290 Southton Road
503 Urban Loop
kconfer@lifetimerecoverytx.org
210-633-0201
janie.cook@boystown.org
210-271-1010
Catholic Charities
Archdiocese of
San Antonio
Bexar County
Management and
Finance
Reaching
Maximum
Independence
Seton Home
Lifetime
Recovery
Boystown
Richard Davidson
Family Service
Association
702 San Pedro
210-299-2423
Ad’m Dusenbury
Voices for
Children
adusenbury@voicessa.org
210-220-2584
Kathleen Fletcher
Voices for
Children
kfletcher@voicessa.org
210-220-2584
William Hastings
Lifetime
Recovery
Bld. 3.323
Bld. 3.323
10290 Southton Road
whastings@lifetimerecoverytx.org
210-273-2162
Debra A. Jordan
Bexar County
Judicial Services
222 S. Comal
debra.jordan@bexar.org
210-335-8744
Pat Keebaugh
Bexar County
Family Drug
Court
Chrysalis
Ministries
100 Dolorosa, 3rd Floor
pkeebaugh@bexar.org
210-289-7142
503 San Pedro
nlizarralde@chrysmin.org
210-299-4540
ext. 115
Will Longoria
Bexar County
Judicial Services
101 W. Nueva, Suite 310
wlongoria@bexar.org
210-335-8926
Jane Nolasco
Seton Home
1115 Mission Road
jnolasco@setonhomesa.org
210-533-3504
ext. 241
Pamela Raines
Catholic Charities
Archdiocese of
San Antonio
Family Treatment
Court
202 W. French Place
praines@ccaosa.org
210-242-3111
300 Dolorosa, 3rd Floor
bschafer@bexar.org
210-335-2959
San Antonio
Council on
Alcohol and Drug
Abuse
Bexar County
Juvenile
Probation
Department
Bexar County
Criminal District
Attorney
Bexar County
Felony Treatment
Courts
7500 US Hwy 90 West,
Suite 100
cvillafranca@sacada.org
210-225-4741
Frank M. Tejeda, Jr.
Juvenile Justice Center
301 E. Mitchell St.
235 E. Mitchell, Suite 245
jvonstultz@bexar.org
210-335-7515
ewheeler@yahoo.com
210-335-1976
101 W. Nueva, 3rd Floor
dzamarron@bexar.org
210-335-3063
Natalie Lizarralde
Barbara Schafer
Charles Villafranca
Dr. Jeannie Von
Stultz
Ellen WalterWheeler
Diana Zamarron
Alamo Area Council of Governments Community Planning Liaisons:
Name
Agency
Address
E-mail
Marcela Medina
Alamo Area
Council of
Governments
8700 Tesoro, Suite 700
mmedina@aacog.com
Jennifer Forbes
Alamo Area
Council of
Governments
8700 Tesoro, Suite 700
jforbes@aacog.com
Phone
210-362-5250
The Bexar County Community Plan is available on-line at www.aacog.com
Identification of Community Priorities
In each of the areas below, problems are identified and data is included that supports both the existence and
severity of the problems as they are found in Bexar County. Below is a discussion of the prioritized problems,
data and statistics that explain the manner in which the problems are being reported, and strategically how
responses to these community problems could be improved.
Juvenile Issues (listed in order of priority, greatest need first)
Priority 1: The Juvenile Issues Committee identifies the following high risk behaviors
and circumstances as critical needs of youth in the community:

Truancy and Academic Failure Prevention and Intervention.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Intervention.

Physical Inactivity, Poor Nutrition, and Related Academic Failure Prevention &
Intervention.

Violence Prevention and Intervention.
The committee analyzed Bexar County data related to above mentioned needs and proposed
objectives that are best practices with a desired outcome of healthy youth that are contributing
members of the community.
Risk Factor #1: Truancy and Academic Failure Prevention and Intervention:
The Juvenile Services Subcommittee carefully analyzed the current issues challenging Bexar
County and once again concluded that the most significant problem continues to be truancy
and academic failure, with over 47% of the total public school population being at risk of not
graduating from high school. It is well known that dropouts face significant barriers to decent
employment for the rest of their lives, as well as increased risks for delinquency, drug use, teen
pregnancy and poor health. Less often acknowledged are the costs that these personal
tragedies impose on the community as a whole: limited economic growth, millions of dollars in
taxes and criminal justice expenditures, healthcare, welfare and work training, and increasing
numbers of citizens dependent upon scarce social services. The difficulties dropouts face
become, in one form or another, difficulties faced by all of us. Truancy may be the beginning of
a lifetime of problems for students that routinely skip school:

Because they fall behind in their schoolwork.

Many dropout of school because dropping out is easier than catching up.

Truancy is universally seen as a stepping stone to delinquent and criminal activity. Of
the risk factors contributing to juvenile delinquency, chronic absenteeism is the most
powerful predictor of delinquent behavior.

Truant students are at higher risk of being drawn into behavior involving drugs, alcohol,
gangs, violence, or early sexual activity resulting in teen pregnancies and/or sexually
transmitted diseases.

Truancy is costly:
o It costs students an education, resulting in lifelong reduced earning capacity.
o It costs businesses, which must pay to train uneducated workers.
o It costs taxpayers, who must pay higher taxes for law enforcement and welfare
costs for dropouts who end up on welfare rolls or underemployed.
o Each year, high school dropouts in the state of Texas cost taxpayers about $377
million in lost tax revenue, increased incarceration costs and increased Medicaid
costs (The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Texas, National
Center for Policy Analysis, February 13, 2012). With an expected lifetime cost of
$19 billon coming from three sources: lost revenue from tax fees, increased
Medicaid cost and increased incarceration.
Years of research show that greater family and parent involvement in children’s learning is
crucial to achieving a high quality education. Parent involvement is important to the educational
success of a young adolescent and yet generally declines when a child enters the middle
grades (Epstein, 2005, Jackson & Andrews, 2004; Jackson & Davis, 2000; NMSA, 2003).
Among Hispanic families, research has demonstrated a consistent decline among parental
involvement in their children’s education, often starting around the 3 rd grade, (Valdez, 2002).
High school students from low income families are six times more likely to drop out than those
from higher income families, and Hispanics have the highest dropout rates of all ethnic groups.
Parent involvement leads to improved educational performance (Epstein et al., 2002; Fan &
Chen, 2001; NMSA, 2003; Sheldon & Epstein, 2002; Van Voorhis, 2003). Parent involvement
improves school attendance (Epstein et al., 2002). The best dropout prevention models target
the child and his/her home environment and the obstacles to success.
Supporting Data:
Truancy is defined by law as either three unexcused absences in a four-week period or 10
unexcused absences in a six-month period. Once this occurs, a warning letter is generated by
the school and sent to the child’s parent.
On any given day in Bexar County, an estimated 4,885 high school students are absent from
school, many with no valid excuse (2009 Region 20 AEIS Report, Texas Education Agency;
American Community Survey, 2008 Data Profile of Bexar County, U.S. Census Bureau).
There are approximately 322,213 public school students in Bexar County, according to the
Texas Education Agency (TEA). Over 47% (318,354) of those students are considered at-risk
for academic failure. At-risk factors include; poverty; low academic achievement; teen
pregnancy and parenting; lack of attachment to the school and/or the family; family dysfunction;
and limited English proficiency.
While the distribution of the largest at-risk population by grade varies with each school district,
the following latest-available figures from TEA 2012-2013 AEIS Data demonstrate the number
of “at risk” students for Bexar County’s largest school districts:
Percentage of At Risk Students by School District 2012-2013
District Name
Total
#Economically
%
#At
Students Disadvantaged Economically
Risk
Disadvantaged
Alamo Heights
4,808
1,063
22.1%
930
East Central
9,603
6,380
66.4%
4,484
Edgewood
11,937
11,419
95.7%
8,136
Harlandale
15,175
13,313
87.7%
8,846
Judson
22,606
14,092
62.3%
12,594
North East
67,901
31,247
46.0%
21,937
Northside
100,159
53,317
53.2%
34,869
San Antonio
54,268
50,429
92.9%
37,120
Somerset
3,903
3,055
78.3%
2,172
South San Antonio
9,872
8,745
88.9%
7,332
Southside
5,128
4,117
80.3%
2,832
Southwest
13,024
10,804
83.0%
8,506
2012-2013 Bexar
318,354
207,981
65.3%
149,758
County 12 District
Totals
% At
Risk
19.3%
46.7%
68.2%
58.3%
55.7%
32.3%
34.8%
68.4%
55.6%
74.5%
55.2%
65.3%
47.0%
Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA). Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) Standard
Reports available at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/adhocrpt/. Date 12.17.2013 Prepared by P16.
Determining the full extent of the truancy and dropout problem in Bexar County continues to
remain difficult due to several factors, including discrepancies in data collection among schools,
lack of automation in some districts, and exclusionary definitions that emanate from state
agencies. For example, the definition of “completion rate without GED” includes students who
graduated in four years and students who continued in high school; it does not include students
who moved out of state or students who just left school without explanation.
For this reason, attrition rates are often analyzed to determine the true extent of the dropout
problem. Attrition rates for Texas High School students are based on the percentage of 9 th
graders who leave high school before graduation.
Attrition Rate in Bexar County, according to IDRA:
Attrition
99 00 01 02
03 04 05 06
Rate
00 01 02 03
04 05 06 07
African
39 40 41 38
38 35 34 37
American
Hispanic
48 49 47 45
43 40 41 43
White
26 27 26 23
20 21 19 23
Total
41 42 41 39
36 35 35 38
07
08
40
08
09
42
09
10
41
10
11
34
11
12
33
12
13
28
46
23
40
45
24
39
42
22
37
40
16
35
36
16
32
33
14
29
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), http://www.idra.org/Research /Attrition/. July 2013.
Bexar County Hispanic youth are at the greatest risk for dropping out of school, with a 33%
attrition. The 28% attrition rate among African-Americans is double that of white youth.
These findings are echoed in a national report, “The Consequences of Dropping Out of High
School-Joblessness and Jailing for High School Dropouts” and “The High Cost for Taxpayers”
(Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, October 2009), which focus on
young high school dropouts, 16-24 years old:

The incidence of institutionalization problems among young dropouts was more than 63
times higher than among young college graduates.

Nearly 1 in 10 young dropouts were institutionalized on a given day in 2006-07 versus
fewer than 1 in 33 high school graduates.

Female dropouts were six times as likely to have given birth compared to their peers who
were college students or four-year college graduates, and nine times as likely to have
become single mothers.

This group had an average jobless rate during 2008 of 54%. This was 22% below high
school graduates and 33% below those who had some post-secondary education.
Over a working life the average dropout will:

Have a negative net fiscal contribution to society of nearly $5,200; and,

Cost taxpayers over $292,000 in lower tax revenues, higher cash and in-kind transfer
costs, and imposed incarceration costs.
This report concludes that “Given the current and projected deficits of the federal government,
the fiscal burden of supporting dropouts and their families is no longer sustainable. There is an
overwhelming national economic and social justice need to prevent existing high school
students from dropping out without earning a diploma and to encourage the re-enrollment and
eventual graduation of those dropouts who have already left the school system.”
The IDRA’s attrition study found the below results:

IDRA’s annual study finds that in 2012-2013, Texas schools lost 25% of their students.
In IDRA’s 1985-86 inaugural study, 33% of students were lost.

Since IDRA’s first study, more than 3.3 million students have been lost from public
school enrollment prior to graduation.

Texas schools are failing to graduate one out of every four students.

At the current pace, the state will lose an additional 2.3 million to 6 million students
before reaching an attrition rate of zero in 2036.

Out of 254 Texas counties, Bexar County ties for the eighteenth highest attrition rate;
and,

Of Texas’ 10 largest counties, Bexar ties for the second-highest attrition rate, outpaced
only by Hidalgo which is a border county with half as many residents.
Students lost in Bexar County, according to IDRA:
Students Lost
9900
0001
0102
02-03
03-04
04-05
05-06
06-07
07-08
08-09
09-10
10-11
11-12
12-13
African
American
785
741
788
776
766
677
703
759
893
1055
1058
759
704
545
Hispanic
6997
7578
7629
7372
6637
6141
6292
6925
8139
8304
8045
7966
6973
6219
White
1585
1606
1535
1416
1108
1117
1030
1241
1308
1345
1246
744
744
632
Total
9439
9989
9977
9639
8566
8008
8124
8991
10363
10742
10400
9583
8616
7545
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA),
http://www.idra.org/dropout/attrition.php?CountyID=15&Submit=Submit#sthash.NvE0auFy.dpuf
According to IDRA’s cost benefit analysis, for every dollar invested in keeping kids in school,
nine would be returned.
According to P16 Plus, students that stay in attendance save the county money. Based on the
Strive Cincinnati Milestones Model, the P16 Plus Milestones to Educational Success framework
illustrates where critical gaps can occur. P16 focuses on key transition areas in a child’s
academic progression from Pre-K and beyond. The cradle to career education vision
incorporates a student’s successful path with critical academic benchmarks, family relationships
and community support milestones. The education of a child is a many-faceted journey. The
below model indicates1, 2, or 3 more days present than if the student dropped out of school.
P16 Student Attendance Savings 2013
Bexar 15 ISD Total Bexar 15 ISD
Enrollment(Services Total
Provided) February Enrollment
8, 2013
Early Education
Pre-Kindergarten
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
Ninth Grade
Sophomore Year
Junior Year
Senior Year
1,458
14,941
24,585
25,037
24,945
24,766
24,257
23,927
23,506
23,730
23,164
26,113
22,532
20,617
18,635
1 Day at School
$45 per student
per day) Time
Enrollment
2 Days at
School ($90 per
student Time
Enrollment
32,805
336,173
1,106,325
1,126,665
1,122,525
1,114,470
1,091,565
1,076,715
1,057,770
1,067,850
1,042,380
1,175,085
1,013,940
927,765
838,575
65,610
672,345
2,212,650
2,253,330
2,245,050
2,228,940
2,183,130
2,153,430
2,115,540
2,135,700
2,084,760
2,350,170
2,027,880
1,855,530
1,677,150
3 Days at
School ($135
per student)
Time
Enrollment
98,415
1,008,518
3,318,975
3,379,995
3,367,575
3,343,410
3,274,695
3,230145
3,173,310
3,203,550
3,127,140
3,525,255
3,041,820
2,783,295
2,515,725
Total
322,213
14,130,608
28,261,215
42,391,823
*Early Education and Pre-Kindergarten only reimbursed for half-day by the state of Texas, therefore the daily
estimate of $45 was divided in half. Sources: Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) (20122013 School Year). PEIMS Standard Reports, Enrollment. Available online at: http://goo.gl/38Uf6.
High School Dropouts:
By the end of Grade 10, Bexar County has lost over one-third of our students, and in some
urban areas, the loss is over 60 percent. This tragic loss of human potential is now being called
“The Silent Epidemic.”
According to the 2006 report “The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives on High School Dropouts by
Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation,” there are multiple reasons why students drop out of school. The report
found that the students’ reasoning for dropping out appear to be in clusters of common
responses that relate to the academic environment, life events, a lack of personal motivation, as
well as a lack of external sources of motivation and guidance.

69 % of dropouts reported not being motivated or inspired, and of that 69%, 75%
dropped out in the 9th and 10th grades.

The top 5 major factors that dropouts identified for leaving school were:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Classes were not interesting;
They missed too many days and couldn’t catch up;
They spent time with people who were not interested in school;
They had too much freedom and not enough rules; and,
They were failing in school.
The study states that despite all the challenges that dropouts recognized “indicators are strong
that these barriers to graduation are not insurmountable.”
According to America’s Promise Alliance
(http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Dropout-Preventon.aspx):

In total, approximately 1.3 million students dropout each year, averaging 7,200 every
school day or one every 26 seconds.

Among minority students, the problem is even more severe with nearly 50% of African
American and Hispanic students not completing high school on time.

According to a report by Pew Partnerships for Civic Change titled “The School Dropout
Crisis: Why One-Third of All High School Students Don’t Graduate”: Children who drop
out of school are 3 times more likely to live in poverty than high school graduates.
According to a study conducted by the Texas Legislature:
 90% of the inmates in the Texas prison system quit school without graduating and onethird are functionally illiterate.

Prison officials have found that they can use the rate of illiteracy to help calculate future
prison needs.
According to a report titled “Re-framing school dropouts as a public health problem” by Nicholas
Freudenberg of Hunter College:

Dropouts have lower life expectancies and more health problems than graduates; and,

Gang members and domestic violence perpetrators almost always have histories of
school failure, early use of drugs, alcohol dependency, and low self-esteem.
Proposed Objectives:
School and Community Collaborative:
The Center for Public Policy Priorities KIDS COUNT Investing in Our Future (July 2013),
confirms what we all know, “too many students are leaving school without the knowledge and
skills they need to meet the demands of 21st century workplaces and communities. By any
measure, the problem is particularly pressing in urban school districts, and most strongly affects
students of color and males.”
Truancy and dropout prevention require strategies that address both school level and
community level issues. Effective efforts will reflect not only risk factors, but also the factors
that foster resiliency and help students stay on track despite difficulties. This brief outlines five
broad strategies for addressing this issue:

Adopt a long-term approach that begins with strengthening school readiness.
o Improve access to health care, beginning with prenatal care.
o Address families’ access to resources and services in children’s early years.
o Expand access to high-quality early education programs.
o Provide intensive support to students who struggle in elementary and middle
school.
o Strengthen middle schools.

Enhance the holding power of schools, with intensive focus on ninth grade.
o Sustain a focus on quality of instruction.
o Support students’ resiliency.
o Establish effective early warning systems.
o Focus on 9th grade.
o Provide credit recovery programs.
o Root out policies that tacitly permit (or encourage) students to leave school.
o Strengthen accountability systems and data collection.
o Focus on school-level factors and address local conditions
o Provide service-learning opportunities.
o Strengthen students’ understanding of the connection between education and job
opportunities.

Focus on the forces outside of school that contribute to dropping out.
o Promote awareness of the links between staying in school and the resources
available to families and communities.
o Address social and emotional conditions associated with poverty.
o Address the correlation between residential mobility, school mobility, and dropping
out.
o Address minor problems before they snowball into issues that keep students out
of school.

Address the needs of those groups at highest risk of dropping out.
o Focus intensively on strategies to help Hispanic students stay in school.
o Provide intensive support to students from immigrant families.
o Investigate the potential of providing incentives for students to stay in school.
o Focus intensively on dropout prevention for high school students with disabilities
and other special needs.

Strengthen the skills and understanding of the adults who affect teens’ motivation and
ability to stay in school.
o Expand access to parent education and family support programs geared to the
challenges of raising adolescents.
o Include strategies for helping at-risk youth stay on track in teacher education,
leadership preparation, mentoring programs, and professional development
programs.
o Promote an understanding of the relationship between health and dropping out.
o Use a variety of formats to offer more and better information to the parents of
teens.
Applicants for funding under this priority should present projects that demonstrate relevant
aspects of best practices components, and should establish and demonstrate prevention or
intervention strategies that have established their foundation modes as an evidence-based
practice. For the purpose of all priorities under Juvenile Issues in the 2014-2015 Bexar County
Community Plan, whenever the term “evidence-based” is used, its meaning shall correspond to
that of the Emerging and Evidence Informed Programs and Practices Evidence-Based
Programs as defined by the Federal Children’s Bureau.
The following are recognized as best practice components that should be incorporated, as
practicable, into any truancy reduction effort:

Services based at school and/or coordinated with services offered by school. Truancy is
a problem that must be addressed promptly and within the schools. Unfortunately most
youth are referred to the Juvenile Probation Department months after they received their
initial truancy warning letter from the school. So, by this time, their truant behavior has
become chronic. Ideally, services should be directed to at-risk teens before they become
truant. Early Intervention School Campus Based strategies need to be implemented
especially during early childhood years.

Meaningful parental involvement. Strong family-centered support and intervention
should be included.

Evidenced-Based Mentoring models that focus on the prevention of truancy and juvenile
delinquency as well as the empowerment of youth to achieve academic success.

Special attention to health, including early identification of mental health, substance
abuse, and learning disability issues.

Focus on school transition years.

A continuum of prevention and intervention services, along with incentives and
graduated sanctions for students and parents.

Consistent attendance policy and practice, known to all students, parents, staff, and
community agencies.

Data-driven decision-making with emphasis on improvement in school performance.

Student attendance review boards.

Quasi-judicial proceedings.

Business involvement.

Public awareness campaigns (including efforts that promote educational value with
parents).
Evidenced-Based and Best practice models include programs that have been shown, through
evaluation and replication, to be effective at preventing or reducing juvenile delinquency or
related risk factors. The following websites provide assistance in determining, in the context of
this or any other juvenile issues priority, whether your program is implementing a best practice
model:
Works Cited:
America’s Promise Alliance. http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/DropoutPreventon.aspx. 2013.
Bridgeland, John M., John J. DiIulio, Jr., Karen Burke Morison. The Silent Epidemic:
Perspectives on High School Dropouts by Civic Enterprises in association. Peter D. Hart
Research Associates. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. March 2006.
Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University . The Consequences of Dropping Out
of High School-Joblessness and Jailing for High School Dropouts; The High Cost for
Taxpayers. October 2009.
Epstein, 2005, Jackson & Andrews, 2004; Jackson & Davis, 2000; NMSA, 2003; Valdez, 2002
Epstein et al. 2002; Fan & Chen, 2001; NMSA, 2003; Sheldon & Epstein, 2002; Van Voorhis,
2003
Freudenberg N, Ruglis J. Reframing school dropout as a public health issue. Prev Chronic Dis
2007; http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), http://www.idra.org/Research
/Attrition/. July 2013.
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA),
http://www.idra.org/dropout/attrition.php?CountyID=15&Submit=Submit#sthash.NvE0auFy.dpuf.
2013
Melville, Keith, Ph.D. The School Dropout Crisis: Why One-Third of All High School Students
Don’t Graduate. Morse, Suzanne, Ph.D. 2006
National Center for Policy Analysis. The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in
Texas. 13 Feb. 2012
Texas Education Agency. American Community Survey. 2009 Region 20 AEIS Report. 2008
Data Profile of Bexar County, U.S. Census Bureau
Texas Education Agency (TEA). Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS)
Standard Reports available at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/adhocrpt/. Date 12.17.2013 Prepared
by P16.
Texas Education Agency. Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). P16
Student Attendance Savings. PEIMS Standard Reports, Enrollment. http://goo.gl/38Uf6. 2013
The Center for Public Policy Priorities. KIDS COUNT: Investing in Our Future. July 2013.
http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT.aspx.
Risk Factor # 2: Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Intervention:
Teen pregnancy remains a community priority for many reasons. Teen pregnancy impacts,
increases and often causes many other critical issues including academic failure, poor health,
violence, mental health problems, high risk behaviors, and poverty. Although rates have
nationally decreased, rates at the county and state level continue to be disproportionally higher
than the national average. Subsequent births and higher rates of pregnancy among at-risk
populations such as foster care youth further perpetuate the impact of teen pregnancy on the
community. Teen pregnancy impacts the adolescent parents, the child, and the community as a
whole.
It is important to note that teen pregnancy has many underlying factors. Teens who give birth,
become pregnant for numerous reasons. Based upon intake data at Seton Home, the reasons
teens who have become pregnant and/or given birth include having put misplaced trust in family
members or family friends who convince them it is all right to touch them inappropriately and
have sex, sexual exploitation by older men, human trafficking, and rape. Teen pregnancy in
Texas overall and Bexar County significantly exceeds the national average and occurs for
serious reasons that have broad impact. Therefore, the issue of teen pregnancy must be
addressed by the community. Many pregnant teens and their children are voiceless victims
who, without intervention and assistance, likely face a bleak future .
Due to the complexity of the factors and causes associated with teen pregnancy, effective
interventions must be both evidence-based as well as culturally sensitive. To diminish the
prevalence of teen pregnancy among Bexar County, communitywide efforts must be
implemented through targeted prevention and intervention efforts.
Supporting Data:
The national rate of teen pregnancy has continually decreased since 1990. Although progress
has been made in reducing teen pregnancy, the United States continues to have a significantly
higher teen pregnancy rate in comparison to other developed countries such as Canada and
the United Kingdom. Aware of the significant impact teen pregnancy has on society, the US
Department of Health and Human Services has identified reducing teen pregnancy and
unwanted pregnancies as one of its top priorities in addressing public health (Wildsmith, E.,
Barry, M., Manlove, J., Vaughn, B. “Child Trends, Adolescent Healy Highlight: Teen Pregnancy
and Childbearing”. Publication # 2013-5, December 2013).
In 2012, the teen pregnancy birth rate at the national level was 29.4%. Teen pregnancy can
also be measured by the number of teen pregnancies regardless if the result of the pregnancy
ended in birth. The most recent national data shows that 58% of teen pregnancies resulted in
birth, 17% ended in miscarriages and 25% ended in abortion; therefore, the actual number of
teen pregnancies is more prevalent than what the teen pregnancy birth rate demonstrates
(Wildsmith, E., Barry, M., Manlove, J., Vaughn, B. “Child Trends, Adolescent Healy Highlight:
Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing”. Publication # 2013-5, December 2013).
According to The Centers for Disease and Control, Texas ranked 3 rd highest among teen birth
rates in the United States in 2011. At 43.9%, the Texas rate is significantly higher than the
national rate of 29.4%. The state of Texas reports having a rate of 35.2 births per 1000 female
adolescents (Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Osterman, M.J.K., Curtin, S.C. & Matthews, T.J.
(2013). Births: Final Data for 2012. National Vital Statistics Reports, 62 (9). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_09.pdf).
The Bexar County teen pregnancy trends align with the national decrease in teen pregnancy
births. The Metropolitan Health District released a report revealing a continued, steady
decrease in teen pregnancy birth rates in Bexar County with the rate having dropped from
68.8% in 2000 to 42.8% in 2012 (Berlanga, J. and Mangla. A. “2012 Bear County Teen
Pregnancy Report. Retrieved from
http://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/health/HealthyLiving/TeenPregnancyReport.pdf).
Although the county rate is slightly less than the Texas rate of 43.9%, Bexar County’s teen
pregnancy birth rate continues to be significantly higher than the U.S. average. Analysis of
data shows Bexar County having a rate of 38.4 births per 1,000 which is 46% higher than the
national average (Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Osterman, M.J.K., Curtin, S.C. & Matthews, T.J.
(2013). Births: Final Data for 2012. National Vital Statistics Reports, 62 (9). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_09.pdf). When comparing the data across
racial lines, in 2008 Bexar County Hispanic teens have a much higher rate of school-age
pregnancy and childbearing representing 86% of total teen births, followed by African
Americans and non-Hispanic whites at 7% each (Berlanga, J. and Mangla. A. “2012 Bear
County Teen Pregnancy Report. Retrieved from
http://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/health/HealthyLiving/TeenPregnancyReport.pdf). As
previously mentioned, measuring teen pregnancy rates based solely on birth rate data
neglects to account for teen pregnancies that result in miscarriage or abortion which can
represent a large portion of the overall number of teen pregnancies. Therefore, teen
pregnancy rates at the county level could be higher than what is indicated by teen birth rates.
2010 Bexar County Indicators for Births for Mothers <18 Years of Age
Low Birth Weight Infants <2500 grams
115
9.7%
Estimated Premature <37 Weeks
125
10.5%
Births to Mothers Receiving Early Prenatal Care
657
62.3%
Births to Single Mothers
1,129
95.3%
Birth to Mothers with <HS/GED
1,026
86.6%
Private Insurance Funded Births
114
9.6%
Births occurring within 24 months of previous birth
82
6.9%
Births to mothers ≥ BMI 30 Before Pregnancy
156
13.2%
% of women receiving 4 or fewer prenatal visits
147
13.9%
2010 Bexar County Births by Mother <18 and Race/Ethnicity
<18 Years
% of
Total
Number
Total Births
1,185
Hispanic Births
10 %
1,040
87.8%
Non Hispanic White Births
62
5.2%
African American Births
72
6%
Other Births
11
1%
2010 Bexar County Births by Mother <18 & Birth Order
Birth
Order
1
2
3
4
5
Total
Age of
Mother
12
1
-
-
-
-
1
13
6
-
-
-
-
6
14
38
1
-
-
-
39
15
126
5
-
-
-
131
16
323
29
-
-
-
352
17
570
73
12
1
-
656
1,064
108
12
1
-
1,185
Total
2010 Bexar County Births to Mothers <18 by Age of Father
Age of Mother
12
13
14
15
13
-
-
-
-
14
-
-
15
-
16
-
17
-
18
-
16
17
Total
Age of Father
1
1
-
1
-
1
1
3
3
2
9
11
9
19
5
45
5
23
24
19
71
2
18
53
82
156
2
15
57
107
181
19
- 1
4
35
83
123
20
-
-
-
2
19
65
86
21
-
-
-
2
5
33
40
22
-
-
6
17
24
23
-
-
-
4
7
12
24
-
-
-
1
12
13
25
-
-
-
9
10
26
-
-
-
-
2
1
3
27
-
-
-
-
1
3
4
28
-
-
-
-
5
5
29
-
-
-
-
1
2
3
30
-
-
-
1
1
3
32
-
-
-
-
-
2
2
33
-
-
-
-
-
2
2
39
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
3
Missing Data*
Total
1
1
1
-
1
-
1
4
16
52
120
198
1
6
39
131
352
656
1,185
* Did not provide the age of the father on the birth certificate
All tables: Source, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Health Profiles 2010 available on
http://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/health/News/HealthProfiles-2010.pdf
Subsequent Teen Births
Subsequent births to teen parents is becoming a growing trend. The national average of
repeat teen pregnancies is 17% which equates to almost one out of five teen births (Martin,
J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Osterman, M.J.K., Curtin, S.C. & Matthews, T.J. (2013). Births: Final Data
for 2012. National Vital Statistics Reports, 62 (9). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_09.pdf). For the past three years, Texas has
ranked highest for repeat pregnancies in the nation. In 2008, the rate of repeat pregnancies in
Texas was 23%. San Antonio’s repeat birth rate was 22% during the same period (Berlanga, J.
and Mangla. A. “2012 Bexar County Teen Pregnancy Report. Retrieved from
Subsequent births to teen parents can negatively impact both the teen parents and children.
Teen parents with more than one child greatly increases her education and employment
barriers. Infants born from a repeat teen birth are often born too small or too soon, which can
lead to more health problems for the baby. The health and social risks associated with
subsequent teen births affect both the parent as well as the child’s well-being.
Foster Care Youth and Teen Pregnancy:
Young women in foster care and those who have “aged out” are more likely to experience
teenage pregnancy than their peers in the general population. Repeat pregnancies by age 19
is common among this population. The Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of
Chicago conducted a study which evaluated the functioning of adult former foster care youth in
the mid-West. This rigorous study entitled the Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of
Former Foster Youth, researched more than 700 young people in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
According to this longitudinal study 33% of females in foster care had been pregnant by age
17 or 18, compared with just 14% of their peers in the general population. Furthermore, repeat
pregnancies are also more common among foster care youth. By age 19, 46% of those who
had ever been pregnant had experienced more than one pregnancy, compared with 34% in
the general population. (Teen Pregnancy Among Young Women In Foster Care: A Primer By
Heather D. Boonstra Guttmacher Policy Review Spring 2011, Volume 14, Number 2).
Factors Associated with Teen Pregnancy:
Numerous factors contribute to the prevalence of teen pregnancy. Research indicates that
common factors associated with teenage pregnancy include: inadequate sex education among
teenagers, substance abuse, sexual abuse, higher rates of poverty, lower education levels,
lack of parental guidance, adolescent sexual behavior, inadequate knowledge about safe sex
and socioeconomic factors (The Center for Disease and Control. “Improving the Lives of
Young People and Strengthening Communities by Reducing Teen Pregnancy. CDC At A
Glance 2011”, Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2011/Teen-PregnancyAAG-2011_508.pdf). Teen pregnancy is a complex issue that goes beyond the assumption
that recreational sex among teens results in teen pregnancy. Various social disparities largely
impact the prevalence of teen pregnancy especially among vulnerable populations. Additional
high risk population characteristics are also underlying factors contributing to teen pregnancy
and include: residing in geographic areas with high teen birth rates, adjudicated youth, youth in
foster care, minority youth, and pregnant or parenting teens (Zief, S., Shapiro, R., Strong, D.
2013, October. “The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP): Launching a
Nationwide Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Effort”).
Impact of Teen Pregnancy:
Teen pregnancy impacts the entire community as well as the teen and his/her children. Teen
parents are more likely to drop out of school, live in poverty, earn less income, be a single
parent, and fathers are less likely to be involved in their child’s life (Berlanga, J. and Mangla.
A. “2012 Bexar County Teen Pregnancy Report. Retrieved from
These outcomes further perpetuate teen pregnancy by placing the child at risk of becoming a
teen parent themselves due to experiencing several of the risk factors that contribute to teen
pregnancy. Approximately 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended meaning that the
pregnancy was either unwanted or occurred before the teen was prepared to become a parent
(Wildsmith, E., Barry, M., Manlove, J., & Vaughn, B. 2013, December. “Child Trends,
Adolescent Health Highlight: Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing”. Publication # 2013-5).
Unintended pregnancies further complicate the teen’s ability to parent, provide and cope with
the reality of becoming a parent at a young age.
Children of teen parents also face several risk factors that affect their social and physical
development. Compared with babies of older mothers, those born to teenagers are more likely
to have lower birth weights, increased infant mortality, be less prepared to learn then they
enter kindergarten, have behavioral problems and chronic medical conditions, rely more
heavily on publicly funded health care, be incarcerated at some time during adolescence, drop
out of high school and repeat the cycle of teen pregnancy (The Center for Disease and
Control. “Improving the Lives of Young People and Strengthening Communities by Reducing
Teen Pregnancy. CDC At A Glance 2011”, Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2011/Teen-PregnancyAAG-2011_508.pdf).
While there is a glaring lack of research of the impact of teen pregnancy specifically for males,
there are social patterns that contribute to increased risk factors for the young family due to
absentee fathers. Children who are raised without their fathers are far more likely to be
absentee fathers themselves. Traditionally there has been a lack of counseling services for
young men where they can work through the emotional scars of not being raised by their
fathers. There is also a marked importance for spaces that model positive fathering behaviors
that encourage fathers to be more present in the lives of their children. Additionally, by creating
an environment where both the male and female teen parents receive support, the family
increases its wealth both materially and socially so the child has a better chance at a healthier
upbringing.
Nationally, teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $10.9 billion each year while an updated
analysis from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that
teen childbearing in Texas cost taxpayers at least $1.2 billion in 2008. Project Worth reports
teen pregnancy costs $59.6 million annually in Bexar County taxpayer money to include cost
of incarceration, health care, child welfare, lost income. Bexar County Health Profiles 2008
indicates that 100% of births to girls under age 18 were Medicaid funded births, compared to
80% in 2007. In 2017, 125 kindergarten classes will be filled with children of teen parents.
Most of the costs of teen childbearing are associated with negative consequences for the
children of teen mothers, including increased costs for health care, foster care, incarceration,
and lost tax revenue. With the teen birth rate in Texas declining 20% percent between 1991
and 2008, the progress Texas has made in reducing teen childbearing saved taxpayers an
estimated $408 million in 2008 alone in comparison to the costs it would have incurred had the
rates not fallen (Berlanga, J. and Mangla. A. “2012 Bexar County Teen Pregnancy Report.
Retrieved from
The Bexar County Community Plan to prevent teen pregnancy includes five key components
based on Bexar County’s goal to decrease teen pregnancy to at least the national average.
The five key components include implementing programs that are evidence-based, provide
education on both abstinence and contraceptive use, and educate youth on transitioning to
adulthood. Efforts should also focus programming to serve high-risk populations, such as
youth residing in geographic areas with high teen birth rates, adjudicated youth, youth in
foster care, minority youth, and pregnant or parenting teens (Zief, S., Shapiro, R., Strong, D.
(2013, October). “The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP): Launching a
Nationwide Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Effort”).
Significant data and research on effective prevention and intervention strategies are available
as well as established organizations that address this priority. Based on such resources, the
following components remain crucial for effective program implementation of general teen
pregnancy prevention:

Objective 1: Community Mobilization and Sustainability
Engaging all sectors of the population in a communitywide effort to address teen
pregnancy prevention. Community mobilization supports the sustainability of teen
pregnancy prevention efforts by empowering community members and groups to take
action to facilitate change. This component includes mobilizing necessary resources,
disseminating information, generating support, and fostering cooperation across public and
private sectors in the community.

Objective 2: Evidence-Based Programs
Providing teens with evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, including youth
development and curriculum-based programs that reduce teen pregnancy and associated
risk factors.

Objective 3: Increasing Youth Access to Contraceptive and Reproductive Health Care
Services
Ensuring clinical partners are providing teen friendly, culturally competent reproductive
health care services that are easily accessible to all youth in the community, and
establishing linkages between teen pregnancy prevention program partners and clinics that
serve at risk youth from the target community.
Objective 4: Stakeholder Education

Educating civic leaders, parents, and other community members about evidence-based
strategies to reduce teen pregnancy and improve adolescent reproductive health, including
needs and available resources in the target community.

Objective 5: Working with Diverse Communities
Raising awareness of community partners about the link between teen pregnancy and
social determinants of health, and ensuring culturally and linguistically appropriate
programs and reproductive health care services are available to youth. (The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. 2013, February. “Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2010–
2015”. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/PreventTeenPreg.htm).
In addition to the five objectives previously mentioned, the following components need to be
incorporated in prevention and intervention efforts as a means to target subsequent teen
pregnancy prevention:

Increase protective factors which improve the family, social, and economic
circumstances. This includes education, employment, family stability, childcare, and


community connections.
Develop a clear understanding of pregnancy intentions within this group to ensure the
provision of appropriate services which deliver the best possible outcomes for them
and their child.
Connect teen parents with support services that can help prevent repeat pregnancies,
such as home visiting programs.
(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2013, April. “Preventing Repeat
Teen Births”. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/index.html).
The following components are recommended to target foster youth teen pregnancy
prevention in addition to the components listed previously:
Dedicated teen pregnancy prevention initiatives with requirement for all foster care
youth to participate and for the curriculum to be targeted to the unique population
needs.
Training for Caseworkers and Foster Parents on how to talk with foster youth about
sex, relationships, and prevention so that the youth sexual and reproductive health
needs are addressed.
Access to services to include informing foster care youth of available sexual and
reproductive health services. Special training for medical providers that work with
foster care youth.
Increasing understanding of the different and unique issues created by the absence of
a dependable family or social network, homelessness, and education delays.
Risk Factor # 3: Violence Prevention and Intervention
The Juvenile Issues Subcommittee believes that youth violence continues to be a serious
and pervasive problem in Bexar County. However, because the most recent statistics from
Juvenile Probation indicated a slight decline in incidents, and given the list of other urgent
priorities, the Subcommittee decided to re-prioritize it.
Youth violence is a complex public health problem with many risk factors, including:
individual beliefs and behaviors, such as early aggression and use of alcohol or other drugs;
family characteristics, such as spousal abuse and lack of parental supervision; peer and
school influences, such as associating with delinquent friends, bullying, gang membership
and hate assaults; and environmental factors, such as access to firearms. This complexity
presents many challenges for those who are working to prevent youth violence.
The United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, through the Developing Individual
Capacity for Success Issue Council and in partnership with six schools in the San Antonio
Independent School District, has found that after two years of a community partnership to
improve educational outcomes through increased parental involvement that student behavior
improved, particularly in middle school, where the number of students sent to alternative
school dropped 50%.
In addition to educational and life skills programs, Bexar County youth need assistance in
developing strategies and accessing services that will help them to deal with violence in their
families, at school and in other relationships (e.g., dating violence), and to recover from acts
of violence, abuse and neglect.
Supporting Data:
The San Antonio Police Department received more than 10,000 reports of family violence in
2013. These numbers belie the extent of the problem, as statistics show that only about 35%
of domestic violence is ever reported to law enforcement. In 2012, 3,894 individuals found
shelter from domestic violence at the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of Bexar
County, representing 2,098 children and 1,796 women.
It is estimated that over 55% of children living in homes where violence occurs have
witnessed or have become the primary victim of the violence. These children’s mental health
is often impacted severely, and many have functioned in a continued state of low-level fear
and hyper-arousal. Feeling out of control and frightened leads them to attempt to control
their environment in the only ways they can; by acting out, becoming withdrawn or
aggressive, and often defiant and without the ability to feel empathy for others. More than
half of the school age children in domestic violence shelters show clinical levels of anxiety or
post-traumatic stress disorder (Graham-Bermann, 1994). Without treatment, these children
are at significant risk for delinquency, substance abuse, failure in school, and difficulties in
their personal relationships. One long-term study found that as many as 80% of young adults
who were victims of domestic violence and/or abuse met the criteria for at least one
psychiatric disorder at age 21 (Teicher, 2000). According to a 2002 Casey Family Program
study, 25% of foster care alumni had been diagnosed with PTSD in the previous 12 months –
nearly twice the rate of U.S. war veterans.
Violence in the family continues to be a major problem in Bexar County. During 2013, 305
unduplicated juveniles were referred to the Juvenile Probation Department for family assault
offenses; subsequently, 13 entered a residential placement (excluding emergency shelters).
In 2008, 398 juveniles entered the department for family assault (BCJPD, 2013).
These statistics strongly suggest that many children and youth in San Antonio are at high risk
for domestic violence, and with no intervention, such incidents of violence often contribute to
school failure, maladaptive behaviors, delayed social and emotional development, substance
abuse, delinquent behaviors, teen pregnancy, and to the continued cycle of violence.
In most instances, the youths did not create the environment within which the violence
occurred and are merely reacting in a learned manner, often in an attempt to protect
themselves. Young victim/perpetrator in such situations may be but a symptom, rather than
the cause of the problem within the family unit. In this manner, the young victim/perpetrator
differs from the adult perpetrator of family violence.
Program models for adult perpetrators all ultimately involve the requirement that the
placement of blame resides squarely on the shoulders of the perpetrator; this requirement, in
turn, is based, according to the Youth and Family Violence Intervention Advisory Council,
upon the assumption that the adult perpetrator had the capacity to walk away from the
situation and chose to stay. Children do not have this capacity, and often do not know any
other way of life. They would most likely encounter even more dangerous risks if they ran
away from their home environment. Exposing the young victim/perpetrator to the criminal
justice system does not solve this problem in the family. If we do not adequately address the
commission of such victim/perpetrator assaults at the first instance, we as a society inevitably
run the risk of creating future perpetrators: an estimated 25-32% of youth in the juvenile
justice system have been either physically or sexually abused (Goldstrom 2000).
Data from the Bexar County Family Justice Center website shows the following statistics from
Texas Council on Family Violence:

74% of all Texans have either themselves personally, a family member, or a friend
experienced some form of domestic violence.

47% of all Texans report having experienced at least one form of domestic violence
with physical and/or verbal abuse and forced isolation from friends and family at some
point in their lifetime.

31% of all Texans report that they have been severely abused at some point in their
lifetime.

Women report severe abuse at a higher rate than men.

75% of all Texans report they would likely call the police if they experienced some
form of domestic violence.
Yet, only 20% indicated they actually did call the police when they or a family member
experienced domestic violence. C


As of January 2014, there were 7,377 documented gang members residing in Bexar County,
with the heaviest concentration reported in the shallow east and west sides of San Antonio.
Of these documented gang members, 114 are juveniles (San Antonio Police Department,
Strategic Intelligence and Analysis Office, 2014).
Justice Center
Many of these juvenile gang members commit crimes. Of the 2,269 juveniles processed in
2013 by the Intake Unit for holding within the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center, over
36% (835) voluntarily professed their affiliation with a gang (BCJPD 2009).
Many of these juvenile gang members commit violent crimes. Of the 113 juveniles assigned
to the Gang Intensive Supervision Probation (ISP) Unit of the Bexar County Juvenile
Probation Department last year, 81% (92) were referred for assaults and/or felonies. Overall,
in 2013, violent felonies committed by juveniles accounted for 31% of the total felony referrals
(BCJPD 2013).
Gangs and guns go hand in hand. While overall referrals to the Bexar County Juvenile
Probation Department have decreased since 2007, the proportion of violent felonies has not
decreased as rapidly as non-violent felonies. As a result, the proportion of felony referrals for
violent offenses has increased. In 2007 and the years prior, about 25% of all felony referrals
were violent, and as indicated above, in 2013, violent felonies were 31% of all felony
referrals. (BCJPD Referral Trends 2013).
The result of all this violence is inevitably devastating on a community. The latest available
data shows that of the 254 counties in Texas, Bexar County ranked the 4th highest in the
number of teen violent deaths, and 5th highest in the number of juvenile violent crime
(County, City, Community-Level Information on Kids, Annie E. Casey Foundation).
“Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey,” most recently published by
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention with support from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (October 2009) measured the past-year and life-time
exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger. The major categories covered in the
survey are: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings,
sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization, school violence and threats, and
Internet victimization.
The survey findings conclude that:
 More than 60% of the children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past
year, either directly or indirectly.

Nearly one-half of the children and adolescents surveyed were assaulted at least once
in the past year, and more than 1 in 10 were injured as a result.

Nearly one-quarter of the respondents were the victim of a robbery, vandalism, or
theft.

One-tenth of respondents were victims of child maltreatment (including physical and
emotional abuse, neglect, or a family abduction), and 1 in 16 were victimized sexually.
The research suggests further avenues of study into the long-term effects of violence on
youth and ways to improve policies to meet the needs of youthful victims of violence. Among
the ramifications of the research are the following:
 It illustrates more clearly the full extent of exposure and the cumulative effects of
multiple exposures to violence and how exposure to one form of violence may make a
child more vulnerable to other forms of violence.

The findings affirm that efforts should be made to reach across disciplines to identify
children who are at risk of exposure to violence, such as witnessing domestic violence,
and to coordinate the delivery of services to these children.

The study also demonstrates that there is a need for screening and assessment tools
to identify children who are suffering emotionally, socially, physically, and
developmentally from exposure to violence and would benefit from services and
treatment.

The research also demonstrates that a more comprehensive, coordinated approach is
needed to address the fragmented way in which federal, state, and local authorities
presently respond to children who have been exposed to violence.
Parental rejection, neglect and physical abuse have all been found to be related to
aggressive behavior and delinquency (Wilson and Herrnstein, 1985). Heavy illicit drug use,
lack of parental control, physical abuse, and friends’ drug use contribute to violent
delinquency. Family factors are indirectly linked to drug use and directly linked to violent
delinquency. While not as extensively researched as the parent involvement-student
achievement relationship, the relationship between parent involvement and student behavior
appears to be both strong and positive. All the research studies which address these areas
found that parent involvement has positive effects on student attitudes and social behavior
(Parent Involvement in Education, Kathleen Cotton and Karen Reed Wikelund). Parent
involvement fosters better student classroom behavior (Fan & Chen, 2001; NMSA, 2003).
The theoretical perspective tested in The Drug Use-Violent Delinquency Link Among
Adolescent Mexican-Americans (W. David Watts and Loyd S. Wright) is that family
dysfunction leads to value orientation and peer group formation conducive to drug use.
Applicants for funding under this priority should present projects that establish and
demonstrate relevant aspects of best practices associated with one or more of the following
strategies for combating the problem of youth violence (refer to CDC Best Practices for Youth
Violence Prevention):

Parent- and family-based programs;


Home-based programs;
School – and community- based programs;

Social-cognitive skills development;

Mentoring;

Offender re-entry transitional services; and,

Other model program approaches relating to youth violence, including mediation
and enhanced prosecution of violent offenders.
Risk Factor #4: Physical Inactivity, Poor Nutrition, and Related Academic Failure
Prevention & Intervention:
Too many of our children – in cities, towns, urban, rural or suburban – are unhealthy. Some
don’t get enough to eat or enough of the healthy, nutritious foods growing minds and bodies
need. Others eat too many of the wrong things. Many kids don’t get to play or be active every
day. Nearly 1 in 3 American children is overweight or obese and at a huge risk for several
diseases associated with obesity – diabetes, heart disease, even some types of cancer – that
will be with them throughout their lives. Childhood obesity and undernourishment are national
epidemics. These are not cosmetic issues. They are health, academic and economic issues.
(Action for Health Kids, 2010).
San Antonio Youth – Overweight and Obesity Rates. For years, San Antonio has been
ranked among the fattest cities in the nation. In 2010, nearly 70% of its residents are
overweight or obese – a figure that climbs to 80% in the poorest neighborhoods. There are
signs of hope for San Antonio. According to the City of San Antonio Metro Health department,
the obesity rate among adults has dropped to 65% in 2013. However, 30% of youth are still
considered overweight or obese. What is worse, the city's weight problem has spread to its
children, with 1 in 3 children considered overweight or obese (American Obesity Association,
2009).
Type 2 Diabetes. Overweight and obese children are at higher risk than their healthy-weight
peers for a host of serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, asthma and certain
types of cancer. Obese children are being diagnosed with health problems previously
considered to be “adult” illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The
incidence of diabetes in San Antonio is currently 13%, almost 45% above the national
average. That means more than 200,000 individuals in San Antonio are living with diabetes,
and of those, nearly 70,000 don't even know it. Nationally, diabetes kills more people
annually than breast cancer and AIDS combined. It's the leading cause of blindness, and the
risk of heart attack and stroke doubles in individuals with the disease. (American Diabetes
Association, 2010). In 2013, City of San Antonio Metro Health reported that the incidence of
diabetes is reduced by 50% if a person is a college graduate.
Poor Nutrition. There are a variety of reasons for poor nutrition, only one of which is the
chronic hunger and resulting malnourishment associated with poverty. However, children of
all socioeconomic levels are at risk for poor nutrition. Many children consume enough
calories, but have diets high in fat, sugar and sodium, which put them at risk for becoming
overweight and for developing chronic diseases as adults. In addition, as parents are entering
the workforce in increasing numbers since the 1990's, many children are on their now own for
meals and snacks. As a result, some children may skip meals altogether. Others choose their
own meals from only one or two food groups, which might temporarily appease their hunger
but does not meet their overall nutritional needs.
1991 research shows that 1 out of every 4 children under age 12 in the U.S. is hungry or is at
risk of hunger because their families are experiencing food shortage problems. Such chronic
hunger can result in inadequate nutrition and poor health. Most of the hunger in the U.S.,
however, is "transient hunger," which is short-term, occasional hunger eliminated by eating.
Although adults have learned compensatory behavior to cope with transient hunger, children
have not yet developed this ability. Transient hunger affects up to 50% of children from all
socioeconomic groups on any given school day. Both chronic hunger and transient hunger
have a profound effect on a child's physical and mental readiness for their school day,
significantly impairing their ability to learn.
Psychological Impact. Overweight children also face more psychological problems and
studies show these students may be victims of bullying or be bullies themselves, which can
interfere with readiness to learn and school attendance rates. According to the Surgeon
General (USDHH, 2001), social discrimination is perceived to be the greatest problem facing
overweight children and adolescents, and is contributing to the low self-esteem and
depression experienced by this population. Perhaps the most alarming trend is that the
majority of overweight adolescents will become obese adults (Bouchard, 1997; National
Center for Health Statistics, 1999; USDHH, 2001; Troiano & Flegal, 1998).
Obese children are four times more likely to suffer from depression. This can cause
overweight children to shy away from their studies. Depression can lead to social anxiety
disorders and also make it harder for students to do homework and study for tests.
Overweight students often report feelings of loneliness, isolation, low self-esteem, and a lack
of self-worth (Falkner et al., 2001; Mellin, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, Ireland, & Resnick, 2002;
Pearce, Boergers, & Prinstein, 2002, Strauss & Pollack, 2003; Young-Hyman, Schlundt,
Herman-Wenderoth, & Bozylinski, 2003).
San Antonio School Districts – Unhealthy Weight. The prevalence of obesity and
overweight in Bexar County children is alarming. Seven San Antonio school districts have a
student population with greater than 35% unhealthy weight with some schools as high as
67% (based on 2009-2010 FITNESSGRAM® scores). These school districts are: Edgewood
ISD, Harlandale ISD, San Antonio ISD, Somerset ISD, South San Antonio ISD, Southside
ISD, and Southwest ISD. According to the FITNESSGRAM, a healthy weight equals BMIs
ranging from 14.7 - 27.8% for boys and 16.2 - 27.3% for girls adjusted for age. The
FITNESSGRAM includes Grades 3-12 with approximately 175,000 Bexar County students
tested.
Children who are not physically fit tend to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels,
and other risk factors for chronic diseases. This represents a significant public health problem
because low physical fitness during adolescence tends to track into adulthood, and adults
who are less physically active are at a substantially increased risk for chronic disease
morbidity (illness) and mortality (death), as stated in the October 2006 issue of the Archives
of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Looking at the long-term consequences, overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of
becoming overweight or obese adults, which increases to 80% if one or more parents are
overweight or obese (Torgan, 2002). Obesity in adulthood increases the risk of diabetes, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and a general poor health status.
Preventing obesity during childhood is critical because habits that last into adulthood
frequently are formed during youth.
The registered levels of obesity among Latino children are cause for concern in Bexar
County. The following are the statistics from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Research Network to Prevent Obesity among Latino Children Fact Sheet (Salud America, the
National Latino Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Network, directed by the Institute for
Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
2008):

Mexican-American children are more likely to be obese or overweight than white or
African-American children.

Mexican-American children ages 6 to 11 are at a higher risk for obesity than any other
group of children.
Impact on Academic Achievement. Students come to school with a variety of family
backgrounds and life experiences that affect their readiness to learn. Just as there are
disparities in academic achievement along the lines of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic
status, there are disparities in health as well.
The Cooper Institute’s 2008 Youth Fitness Study correlated FITNESSGRAM® (annual
physical fitness assessment) statewide testing results and three main areas: academic
performance (TAKS scores), student attendance rates, and student disciplinary incidents.
The results for Bexar County were as follows:
Bexar County Academic Variables
*Healthy Fitness Zone
17.9% - 24.6%
TAKS Achievement Rate
68.3% - 73.9%
Attendance
91.9% - 95.5%
School Incidents
8.9% - 14.0%
Source: The Cooper Institute’s 2008 Youth Fitness Study.
http://www.texasyouthfitnessstudy.org
*The results are based on the percentage of Texas public school students in grades 3-12
who achieved the FITNESSGRAM grade-specific Healthy Fitness Zone standards in 20072008 on at least 6 tests.
Significant correlations were found between physical fitness and various indicators of
academic achievement. Higher levels of fitness were also associated with fewer disciplinary
incidents. The results also indicate a strong correlation between a student's fitness and their
scholastic success.
A review of the professional literature confirms that obesity can influence the academic
development of a student. In a comprehensive study of 11,192 kindergartners (Datar, Sturm,
& Magnabosco, 2004). Overweight children were found to have significantly lower test scores
in math and reading than their non-overweight classmates. Another study of adolescent girls
found that overweight girls were significantly more likely to report being held back a grade
and being a poor student than average weight girls (Falkner et al., 2001). The same study
reported that adolescent boys were significantly more likely to consider themselves poor
students and more likely to drop out of school.
Overweight children miss nearly four times as many days of school as normal-weight
children, presumably for medical appointments related to their weight. This time away from
the classroom may result not only in missed instruction, but also missed opportunities for
group work with other students, free study periods, and other supplemental work (Satcher,
David, 2005. Healthy and Ready to Learn. Educational Leadership: Vol 63, p. 26-30.).
Children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional health is linked to their readiness to learn and
ability to achieve academic success. Schools have to make difficult choices in an effort to
meet performance goals and manage effectively under financial constraints. To do so, many
are trying to fit as much classroom time as possible into the day. As a result, there is less
time available for physical education, recess, health education, or an adequate lunch period.
According to the 2013 Bexar County Community Health Assessment, rates of physical
activity among youth have been stable for several years. However, regular participation in
physical education in schools has declined from 55% in 2010 to 47% in 2013. Faced with
financial strains that threaten valued academic programs and important co-curricular and
after-school activities, schools sell foods and beverages and make exclusive contracts with
vendors in order to generate additional revenues. These practices contribute to poor eating
habits, can aggravate weight and other health problems, and undermine the nutritional
contributions of school meal programs. (The Learning Connection, Action for Healthy Kids,
Oct. 2004).
Disciplinary Actions. After analyzing disciplinary referrals, administrators at Whitefish
Central School in Montana noticed that most disruptive behavior occurred 40 to 60 minutes
after lunch, and they hypothesized that this may be the result of students eating unhealthy
foods that are high in fat and sugar content. The school made several changes, including
replacing vending-machine sodas with bottled waters and 100 percent juices, eliminating
candy from the lunch menu and vending machines, and increasing the nutritional content of
its vending machine items through the sale of sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, milk, bagels, and
salads. Within two years of making the change, disciplinary referrals after lunch have fallen
dramatically, from an average of six to eight per day to one or two per week. (The Learning
Connection, Action for Healthy Kids, Oct. 2004).
Teen Pregnancy. Large studies have found that girls who play sports have lower pregnancy
rates, engage in sexual intercourse less frequently, have fewer partners, and begin sexual
activity later than those not involved with sports (Wade, 1998). Female athletes were less
likely to have unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, or sex under the influence of
alcohol/drugs (Lehman & Koerner, 2004; Miller et al., 2002).
Impact on School Attendance. Overweight children are at greater risk of school
absenteeism than their normal-weight peers. A study of more than 1,000 4th, 5th and 6th
graders determined that body mass index, or BMI, is as significant a factor in determining
absenteeism from school as age, race, socioeconomic status and gender, formerly the four
main predictors. The study found that overweight children were absent on average 20% more
than their normal-weight peers. Children are missing school at a greater rate than their peers,
setting themselves up for the negative fallout that accompanies absenteeism. What's
keeping them from school, more than heath issues is the stigma and the bullying that
accompanies being overweight. (Childhood Obesity Indicates Greater Risk of School
Absenteeism, University of Pennsylvania Study Reveals, Penn State University, Aug. 2007).
Economic Impact. In addition to the economic toll on our nation, poor nutrition, inactivity,
and weight problems are beginning to take an economic toll on our school systems as well.
One burden comes from the potential reduction in funding in states where attendance helps
to determine the level of state funding for schools. A single-day absence can cost a district
between $9 - $20 per student.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reports the following:
•
Costs to Texas businesses due to adult obesity and obesity-related illnesses totaled more
than $3.3 billion in 2005, and these costs are growing. Health care expenditures and
decreased productivity at work (called “presenteeism”) accounted for most of these costs.
•
Projecting the costs of obesity out to 2025, and accounting for the increase in the
prevalence of obesity and the increase in the working population, obesity and obesityrelated illnesses could cost Texas businesses $15.8 billion annually by 2025.
Parental Support. Improving children’s health and their readiness to learn through better
nutrition and physical activity in schools will require the involvement of many sectors and
levels of society. Although national initiatives can play an important role, they are not
sufficient by themselves. Community-based initiatives are critical for reaching Americans
where they live, work, go to school, and play. Our chances for success will be greater if we
use multiple strategies to address multiple factors that contribute to poor nutrition and
physical inactivity if we involve multiple sectors of the community. Together, we can help our
young people enjoy good health now and for a lifetime. (Pediatrics Vol. 117 No. 5 May 2006,
pp. 1834-1842).
Supporting Data:
Poor Nutrition and Its Impact on Academic Achievement.
•
Among fourth grade students, those having the lowest amount of protein in their diet had
the lowest achievement scores (American School Food Service Association (ASFSA).
Impact of hunger and malnutrition on student achievement. School Board Food Service
Research Review 1989;(1,Spring):17-21).
•
Iron deficiency anemia leads to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty
with concentration. Consequently, anemic children tend to do poorly on vocabulary,
reading, and other tests (Parker, L. The relationship between nutrition and learning: a
school employee's guide to information and action. Washington: National Education
Association, 1989).
•
Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain's most formative years score
much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general
knowledge (Brown, L., Pollitt, E. Malnutrition, poverty and intellectual development.
Scientific American 1996;274(2):38-43).
•
6 to 11 year-old children from food-insufficient families had significantly lower arithmetic
scores and were more likely to have repeated a grade. Families were classified as fooddeficient if they self-reported as sometimes or often not having enough food to eat
(Alaimo, K., Olson, C.M., Frongillo Jr., E.A. Food insufficiency and American school-aged
children's cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. Pediatrics July
2001;108(1):44-53).
•
Morning fasting has a negative effect on cognitive performance, even among healthy,
well-nourished children. A test of the speed and accuracy of response on problem-solving
tasks given to children who did or did not eat breakfast found that skipping breakfast had
an adverse influence on their performance on the tests (Pollitt, E., Leibel, R., Greenfield,
D. Brief fasting, stress, and cognition in children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
1991;34(Aug):1526-1533;).
Proper nutrition enhances academic performance. In a 1990 Carnegie Foundation study,
more than half of the teachers surveyed report that poor nourishment among students is a
problem at their school. Recent research has shown that children who skip breakfast have
trouble concentrating at school and become inattentive and restless by late morning. A 1989
Tufts University study found that children who eat school breakfast perform better on
standardized tests and are late or absent from school less often than children who do not eat
breakfast at school. In addition, a 1996 Hebrew University study found that children who eat
breakfast at school -- closer to class and test-taking time -- perform better on standardized
tests than those who skip breakfast or eat at home much earlier. Other studies in children
have shown that consumption of a nutritious breakfast results in:
•
Improved attention in late morning task performance;
•
Quicker and more accurate retrieval of information (i.e. working memory);
•
Fewer errors made in problem solving activities; and,
•
Better concentration and ability to perform complex tasks.
Nutritionally, children who eat breakfast are much better off than those who skip it. Studies
have shown that children who eat breakfast have higher 24 hour nutrient intakes when
compared to those who skip breakfast. Breakfast skippers do not make up for the lost
nutrients later in the day, and average less than 2/3 of the RDA for many nutrients.
School breakfast programs have shown the effective role of nutrition in enhancing academic
performance. Studies demonstrate participation in School Breakfast Programs:
•
Improves school performance and reduces absenteeism and tardiness. (Pediatrics
1998;101(1):E3. Office of Research, Education, and the Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion, USDA. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998; 67(4):798S-803S).
•
Improves academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning and leads to increased math
grades, lowered absenteeism, and improved behavior (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report Recommendations and Report 1996 Jun 14; 45: RR-9; [15] Barnard, A. Study links
school breakfast, results. Boston Globe 2000 Nov 29).
•
Increases composite math and reading scores, improves student behavior, reduces
morning trips to the nurse, and increases student attendance and test scores (Minnesota
Department of Children Families and Learning. School breakfast programs energizing the
classroom 1998).
•
Strengthens children’s psychosocial outcomes, lowering anxiety, hyperactivity,
depression, and psychosocial dysfunction (Murphy, J.M. et al. Effects of a universally free,
in-classroom school breakfast program: results from the Maryland Meals for Achievement
Evaluation. Initial Report 1999 May 4).
•
Raises scores on basic skills tests and reduces tardiness and absenteeism among
participants [NASPE, Executive Summary, Shape of the Nation 2001).
Increased Physical Activity Leads to Higher Academic Achievement.
Recent studies show:
•
The Cooper Institute's 2008 Youth Fitness Study, correlated data between the statewide
FITNESSGRAM® testing results and three main areas: academic performance (TAKS
scores), student attendance rates, and student disciplinary incidents. Results indicated
the following:
o Higher levels of fitness are associated with better academic performance. At high
performing schools that have earned the state’s top rating of Exemplary, about 80
% of the students have healthy levels of cardiovascular fitness.
o At schools that received the state’s lowest rating called Academically
Unacceptable, slightly more than 40% of the students achieved cardiovascular
fitness.
o Higher levels of fitness were associated with better school attendance.
o Higher levels of fitness at a school were also associated with fewer disciplinary
incidents. Research looked at number of incidents involving drugs, alcohol,
violence and truancy.
o Counties with high levels of cardiovascular fitness tended to have high passing
rates on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
•
Academic achievement improves even when the physical education reduces the time for
academics. A reduction of 240 minutes per week in class time for academics to enable
increased physical activity led to consistently higher mathematics scores (National
Association for Sport and Physical Education [NASPE], Executive Summary, Shape of the
Nation 2001; [20] Shephard, R.J., Volle, M., Lavalee, M., LaBarre, R., Jequier, J.C., Rajic,
M. Required physical activity and academic grades: a controlled longitudinal study. In:
Limarinen and Valimaki, editors. Children and Sport. Berlin: Springer Verlag; 1984. 58-63;
[NASPE]. New study supports physically fit kids perform better academically. 2002).
•
A recent study has shown a correlation between the SAT-9 test results with the
FITNESSGRAM indicating that the physical well-being of students has a direct impact on
their ability to achieve academically. Students with the highest fitness scores also had the
highest test scores (Shephard, R.J. Curricular physical activity and academic
performance. Pediatric Exercise Science 1997; 9:113-126).
Intense physical activity programs have positive effects on academic achievement, including
increased concentration; improved mathematics, reading, and writing test scores; and
reduced disruptive behavior. (Symons,C.W., Cinelli, B., James, T.C., Groff, P. Bridging
student health risks and academic achievement through comprehensive school health
programs. Journal of School Health 1997; 67(6):220-227).
Just as the problems that have led to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and weight problems
among youth are multifaceted, so are the solutions. Tackling these problems is the
responsibility of every individual, community, and state in the nation. Therefore, public and
private stakeholders at all levels must join together.
Applicants for funding under this priority should present projects that establish and
demonstrate relevant aspects of best practices associated with one or more of the following
strategies to combat physical inactivity and poor nutrition. Programs should establish and
demonstrate intervention and prevention strategies that incorporate the following underlying
principles for combating physical inactivity and poor nutrition:
•
Promote excellence in teaching and learning of physical health, nutrition, and wellness
education.
•
Support efforts to make changes that will provide our students with an academic program
to challenge students cognitively and physically.
•
Provide opportunities for students to set goals, assess risks, and demonstrate behaviors
that protect and enhance their well-being.
•
Establish collaborative partnerships with school and community organizations in an effort
to deliver a high quality physical health, nutrition, and wellness curriculum.
•
Integrate physical activity and nutrition into the school day.
•
Incorporate nutrition and physical activity into after school programs.
•
Providing only healthy foods and beverages to students at school.
•
Engage learning through enhanced student awareness and appreciation for lifestyles that
are based on healthy attitudes and actions.
•
Offer a variety of innovative physical activities where students can learn criteria for a
healthy lifestyle and wellness practices that can be incorporated into their daily lives.
•
Increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity at school.
•
Encourage meaningful and strong family-centered involvement to support a healthy
lifestyle in the home.
Increase access to safe places where children can play, such as recreational facilities, and
parks and increase access to healthy foods (e.g., grocery stores) to reduce obesity and
increase physical activity among youth, particularly among African American and Latino
youth.
Victim Issues (listed in order of priority, greatest need first)
Priority 1: Crisis/Intervention Services, Recovery, and Transitional Crisis / Intervention
Services
Victims must have crisis / intervention services that provide immediate response for
safety, legal protection, and meeting basic needs. These services may incorporate
elements of prevention/education.

To provide shelter. – N/A

To provide crisis counseling.
The Rape Crisis Center worked with 1,135 survivors and their family members in the
Comprehensive Counseling Program. Of those 30.5% were younger than the age of 17;
87% were women; 38.9%% were Hispanic, 16.5% were Anglo; 4.1% were African
American; 4.9% were Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Multiracial; and 35.6%
chose not to report their ethnicity. Additionally, 41 victims of human trafficking were
provided services as a part of The Center’s counseling program including both clients
identified as foreign victims of human trafficking and domestic minor sex trafficking victims.
As a part of the collaboration with Alpha Home, counseling was provided for twenty nine
female victims of sexual violence who also are dealing with substance abuse issues.
● To Provide Advocacy.
The Rape Crisis Center provided medical accompaniment services to 911 victims last
fiscal year. Of those 57% were younger than 17; 86.3% were female; 62.1% were
Hispanic, 18.9% were Anglo; 8.8% were African American; 7.5% were Native American,
Asian/Pacific Islander or Multiracial; and 2.7% chose not to report their ethnicity.
● To Provide Hotline Access
The Rape Crisis Center operates a 24/7 sexual assault telephone hotline, in addition to
serving as the Lead National Supervisor for the RAINN Sexual Assault Online Hotline.
Last fiscal year The Center answered 8,672 crisis calls via the telephone and “chatted”
with 504 clients via the online hotline. Hotline callers are often reluctant to give
demographic information as a result of the fact that they are typically in crisis when they
contact the hotline and/or they are seeking anonymity. Of those we were able to collect
age data for (704); the large majority; 86% were over the age of 18. The majority of the
callers, 82%, were female, and of those providing ethnicity/race information (2,993) – 50%
were Hispanic, 39% were Anglo, and 9% were African American. The Center also
answers the phone line at the Bexar County Family Justice Center from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Monday through Friday and on weekends and Holidays.
● To Provide Crisis Safety Net.
The Rape Crisis Center provided medical accompaniment to 911 victims; 625 clients were
assisted with Crime Victim Compensation applications, 652 victims of sexual assault
received food and/or clothing, 97 received crisis transportation, and legal, court, and law
enforcement accompaniment services were provided for twenty individuals.

To provide protective legal services.
The Rape Crisis Center provided legal, court, and law enforcement accompaniment
services were provided for twenty individuals.

To provide crisis respite care. – N/A
● To provide financial assistance. – N/A
Recovery Services.
Victims need recovery or intermediate services after the initial crisis
that may also include prevention/education.

To provide child care. – N/A

To provide financial assistance. – N/A

To provide transportation.
The Rape Crisis Center provided crisis transportation services for 97 victims.

To provide substance abuse services.
The Rape Crisis Center, in a collaboration with Alpha Home, provided co-counseling for
victims of sexual violence who also are dealing with substance abuse issues. As a part of
the collaboration, counseling was provided for twenty nine survivors.

To provide mental health services.
The Rape Crisis Center worked with 1,135 survivors and their family members in the
Comprehensive Counseling Program. Of those 30.5% were younger than the age of 17;
87% were women; 38.9%% were Hispanic, 16.5% were Anglo; 4.1% were African
American; 4.9% were Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Multiracial; and 35.6%
chose not to report their ethnicity. Additionally, 41 victims of human trafficking were
provided services as a part of The Center’s counseling program including both clients
identified as foreign victims of human trafficking and domestic minor sex trafficking victims.
As a part of the collaboration with Alpha Home, counseling was provided for twenty nine
females.

To provide case management.
The Rape Crisis Center provided case management services to 2,342 clients.

To provide legal representation. – N/A

To provide legal advocacy.
The Rape Crisis Center provided legal, court, and law enforcement accompaniment
services for twenty individuals.

To provide services to build resiliency in children, families, and individuals to help
eliminate re-victimization. – N/A
Transitional Services
Victims need transitional services to move beyond the impact and effects of the trauma
so they can live functional and productive lives. This may also include
prevention/education.

To provide job training/placement. – N/A

To provide housing – transitional and permanent. – N/A

To provide training and education (parenting, independent living skills, mentoring,
GED, life skills, social skills, academic advancement. – N/A

To provide interview clothing, self-esteem building, case management, training on
interviews, resume development, financial literacy/wealth building, and life skills
training.
The Rape Crisis Center provided case management services to 2,342 clients.
Priority 2: Prevention/Education
Prevention through education and awareness is the key to avoiding victimization and
re-victimization, especially in the areas of child abuse, domestic violence, and dating
violence. Professionals and others who provide this service also need training on the
best practices for educating victims.

To provide prevention education in the community, in the schools, in religious
institutions, and to medical and other professionals.
The Rape Crisis Center provided education services including primary prevention multisession groups for middle/high school and college level students; community presentations
include general awareness presentations and professional trainings target victim serviing
professionals to improve the community’s response to sexual violence and ensure
appropriate referrals for service. The Center provided education sessions for 2,463
students, 1,611 community members, and 2,105 victim serving professionals, for a total of
6,179 participants.
Alamo Area Rape Crisis Center
Sexual Assault:
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of 2010, 1 in 5 women
and 1 in 71 men reported having been raped in their lifetime. Additionally 1 in 2 women and 1
in 5 men have experienced sexual violence incidents other than rape. Intimate Partner
Violence and Sexual Violence have lasting harmful effects on the victims, their friends,
families, and the surrounding community. IPV and SV disproportionately affect racial and
ethnic minorities.
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of 2010 also found that 42.2% of
females report experience there first completed rape before the age of 18 and 27.8% of males
reported experiencing their first completed rape before the age of 10. And according to ACE
Study – Prevalence – Adverse Childhood Experiences, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have an
unwanted
sexual
experience
prior
to
their
18 th
birthday.
(www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace/prevalence.htm). Based on these statistics, it is estimated that
approximately 20% of the children in Bexar County may experience sexual abuse. We are
only scratching the surface in reaching this population. Additional resources are needed to
increase the capacity of the agencies addressing this issue and working to reach this
population.
Every 2 minutes, someone is raped in the United States. In Texas 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20
men have been sexually assaulted (Busch, Bell, DiNitto & Neff, 2003). According to the UCR
data for San Antonio, there were 549 reported rapes to law enforcement in 2012 which was an
increase from 2011.
Agency Description
The Alamo Area Rape Crisis Center (dba The Rape Crisis Center) provides immediate
crisis care, support and hope to those individuals and families affected by sexual violence.
The Rape Crisis Center has been in existence for almost 38 years implementing its mission of
providing comprehensive services for victims of sexual assault; and conducting prevention
and education programs for youth throughout San Antonio and Bexar County. The Center is
one of approximately 169 independent rape crisis centers (IRCC) in the country. IRCCs are
designed to offer services specifically for those who are affected by sexual violence and due
to their single issue focus, are able to provide more comprehensive services than many of
their counterparts that have merged with other social service agencies or hospitals. The
following describes the service-delivery mix which is centered on the healing process for the
survivor and their loved ones.
Crisis Intervention - The crisis intervention component of the program provides crisis
counseling through a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline (via telephone and Internet) and
hospital accompaniment services. The hotline is the portal to other services and where most
survivors begin their healing process. The hotline is also the main source of contact for Bexar
County’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), which is composed of Sexual Assault
Nurse Examiners at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of
San Antonio (formerly CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital), as well as volunteer
advocates, Center staff and law enforcement agencies.
Hospital and law enforcement accompaniment and advocacy is offered as assistance to
victims who are about to encounter a difficult emotional and psychological journey during
which the victim (1) must report her/his sexual violence to a local law enforcement agency; (2)
be transported to a participating hospital for a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE), where
clothing is removed for evidence; (3) is asked to relay the entire event to a law enforcement
officer; and (4), then, is returned home, most likely, to where the assault occurred. A trained,
sensitive, and caring advocate available during this process can begin to help in the healing
process through providing information, referral, and emotional support.
Counseling - The first objective of counseling is to assist clients in finding healthy and same
ways to cope in the immediate crisis; which may be a few days after the rape or years after
the abuse. Either way, the client seeking services is usually in distress when he/she calls for
an appointment and requires immediate accessible services. The aftermath of rape can leave
a survivor with multiple trauma symptoms including re-experiencing the event through
flashbacks and nightmares, disrupting daily functioning of healthy relationships, and intrusive
memories. This reaction to trauma can cause significant changes in behaviors, emotionally,
and over all health. As a result, the RCC offers a variety of counseling services, including,
individual, family, couples, groups, and child play therapy. All of our counseling services are
free of charge, have no limit to available sessions and transportation will be provided on
special occassions. Services are also offered in Spanish and interpreters are utilized for other
languages.
Education - The RCC reaches out to the community by providing prevention and risk reduction
education sessions, which are scheduled at the request of individual schools/school districts.
These sessions provide age appropriate curriculum for youth in grades K-12 and are designed
to ensure students are educated on issues of risk-reduction and general steps they may take
to make themselves and their learning environments safer, as well as the community
resources available. This is achieved by conducting interactive educational seminars and
workshops consisting of lecture, group discussion, group exercise, videos, and handouts
about sexual violence.
Collaboration
The Center is a primary partner in the community’s SART (Sexual Assault Response Team),
and has become involved in several other partnerships and collaborations to ensure services
are provided to specialized populations. The San Antonio Sexual Assault Response Team,
which includes Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hospital (provides Sexual Assault Forensic
Exams to adults who report a sexual assault), Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (formerly
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital - provides Sexual Assault Forensic Exams to
children who report a sexual assault), San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sherriff’s
Office and various other law enforcement, military, medical and victim serving professional
agencies.
A partnership also exists with Alpha Home (a substance abuse treatment facility for women) to
provide on-site counseling services for clients who are also victims of sexual abuse, and with
the Bexar County Juvenile Justice System and the Human Trafficking Task Force to offer
comprehensive services for victims of human trafficking, both foreign and domestic. During
the last three years, the number of youth who have been identified as domestic minors who
have been victims of trafficking is increasing drastically, in particular within the Juvenile
Justice System. The Center works with Bexar County Juvenile Justice to ensure counseling
services are available for identified clients who are within the system.
The Center also answers the phone line at the Bexar County Family Justice Center from 5
p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends and Holidays. Lastly, middle and
high school education sessions are coordinated through a partnership with Communities In
Schools San Antonio, school districts, and youth serving agencies.
Recent Agency Data
In Fiscal Year 2012-2013 (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) The Center provided the following
services:
TRENDS AND GAPS
Trends
Change in UCR Definition: The Texas Penal Code Section 22.011 defines sexual assault as
“any penetration – be it oral, anal, or vaginal with a sex organ or any object by one person
against another without consent.” As a result of the limited definition used for UCR data,
traditionally these numbers have demonstrated a partial picture of incidents of sexual
violence. The definition was recently changed (January 2013) to reflect a broader description
of the sexual assault, and includes both genders. According to U.S. Attorney General Eric
Holder, “the new definition will lead to a more comprehensive reporting of rape in the FBI's
annual compilation of crime statistics.” For example, as of October 2013, there were 502
reported rapes in San Antonio; as compared to the 549 reported for all of 2012 under the old
definition.
In “Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and Investigate Rape Cases,” Dr.
Dean Kilpatrick estimates that after more than 30 years of education and increasing
awareness about sexual assault, over 80% of cases are still not reported. And while more
recent numbers reported in the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Surveys,
2008-2012, indicate an increase, still only 60% of sexual assaults are reported.
Increases in Service Delivery: Trends in service delivery specific to The Center include
more than 1,100 clients seeking counseling services for the fourth consecutive year. Clients
continue to be accompanied by friends, family, loved ones, or partners who, often, following
the assault/abuse of their loved one, also experience secondary trauma. Secondary trauma is
the phenomenon that occurs when someone closely associated with the rape victim begins to
feel similar symptoms associated with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the rape of
their loved one. Therefore, it is crucial to offer services to both victims and their loved ones.
The majority of The Center’s therapists are trained to provide counseling from a systemic
approach. As a result, families and friends of clients are encouraged to attend sessions as
secondary victims in an effort to focus on the family as a system as part of the recovery
process.
As a part of the counseling service delivery mix, therapists are trained to offer a variety of
counseling services including EMDR, Art Therapy, support groups, and single session
therapy. Addressing the symptoms survivors experience can be difficult. It takes courage to
attend counseling in general and even more to attend counseling following a sexual assault.
Simply calling for an appointment is a huge first step and some may not show for that first
appointment, which is understandable. We ensure every person that calls are center is treated
with respect and compassion and they understand that they can come for counseling
whenever they are ready.
Many clients who attend counseling need information, validation, and assistance with finding
relief of their trauma symptoms. Clients are able to attend single sessions or a multitude of
sessions depending on their need. Every client is informed that they are able to return for
sessions if triggers may arise in the future or when they are ready for counseling, as some
who attend for the very first time find that they are not ready to begin counseling. The Center
operates with the understanding that all survivors of trauma have unique ways of healing and
must do so on their own time.
The hotline has noticed a slight increase in calls from outside of San Antonio and Bexar
County. A couple of issues have been noted including individuals not having a crisis center in
their area and not being at the point where they are ready to seek services face to face. The
Center’s hotline staff is trained to utilize a variety of resource materials to identify a rape crisis
center in the area where the survivor is calling from should they choose to divulge that
information. When there is not a facility relatively close by for them to access services, they
may continue to call our hotline for assistance and when they are in crisis. Many survivors of
rape and abuse prefer the anonymity provided by both the telephone and internet based
hotlines and is often where they have disclose the experience for the first time.
Changing Client Demographics: In recent years, the number of male clients seeking
services has increased specifically in counseling. Several years ago, 9% of counseling clients
were male, however in the past three years the percentage has increased to as high as 14%.
Initially, staff attributed this increase to the fact that The Center provides services for
secondary survivors so many males were seeking counseling as a support system to a loved
one who was the primary victim. However, within the last two years, the number of male
clients seeking counseling as the primary victim and utilizing the hotline has increased. The
Center feels this could be attributed to the media coverage surrounding the Penn State/Jerry
Sandusky case as well as our outreach efforts to address the stigma associated with male
survivors.
Gaps
Several laws implemented in 2013, will impact service delivery and potentially create gaps in
service. The Prison Rape Elimination Act requires jails and prisons to collaborate with local
rape crisis centers and offer services for incarcerated individuals who have identified
themselves and victims of sexual violence. As a result, rape crisis centers are receiving
numerous requests to provide hotline, crisis intervention and counseling services. The Center
and the Bexar County jail are in the process of developing a pilot project specifically for hotline
services.
Additionally, a new law requiring all Texas hospitals with emergency rooms to collect evidence
from sexual assault adult victims was implemented in September 2013. As a result, The
Center could be asked to dispatch Crisis Intervention Specialists to every emergency room in
Bexar County, instead of just the two with certified Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner
programs. And while having access to any emergency room could make it easier for rape
victims to pursue criminal cases; many still believe it would be better for victims to go to
facilities with sexual assault nurse examiners, who are experts and equipped to collect
forensic evidence for prosecution. However, as the sole provider of accompaniment services
during these exams, The Center has to be prepared to dispatch to any hospital as requested
by the survivor; thereby impacting staffing levels of this 24-hour service.
In collaboration with the Sexual Assault Response Team, we discovered a gap in crisis
intervention services. Any sexual assault survivor reporting a sexual assault within the first 96
hours of the incident is transported to either Methodist Specialty and Transplant (Adults) or
Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (Children) for a forensic exam. Law enforcement officials
or hospital staff members contact The Center via our hotline to dispatch a Crisis Intervention
Specialist. However, individuals who go directly to the police department to report an assault
outside of the 96-hour window typically do not receive advocacy services from The Center.
The Center and SAPD are working on a way to address this gap either through training of
SAPD volunteer advocates or placing The Center’s Crisis Intervention Specialists on-site at
the police department.
The Center began to modify its education services five years ago moving from a risk reduction
to a primary prevention model. As a result, the shift included seeing fewer participants for
eight to ten week sessions rather than one time presentations for large groups as the program
transitioned from a focus of risk reduction to primary prevention. A Primary Prevention Plan
was developed and submitted to the Office of the Attorney General (principal funder for the
program) for review. The plan was approved and implementation began in September 1,
2010. Implementation included developing curricula based on the 40 Developmental Assets
framework, which focuses on encouraging youth to use their power as asset builders and
change agents. Education sessions and activities will guide youth to an understanding of how
the different forms of oppression and social injustice they face every day are connected to
sexual violence. The program also engages adults who have influence or regular contact with
youth to develop sustained, strength-building relationships with them in schools, in homes,
and in communities.
However, with limited funding for the program, The Center is unable to respond to requests
from additional school districts in San Antonio. It is estimated that there are more than 30,000
middle/high school students in the area and with current staffing levels we are only able to
reach a fraction of that number. Additionally, several requests have been received to develop
additional curricula focused on older elementary school-aged youth.
BEXAR COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
To provide victim advocacy through the court system:
With regards to Child Abuse:
In calendar year 2012, law enforcement filed 817 cases involving child abuse, both physical
and sexual with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
In grant year 2012 (Sep - Aug), law enforcement filed 826 cases involving child abuse, both
physical and sexual with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
With regards to Adult Sexual Assault:
In calendar year 2012, law enforcement filed 117 cases involving adult sexual assault with the
Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
In grant year 2012 (Sep - Aug), law enforcement filed 88 cases involving adult sexual assault
with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
With regards to Domestic Violence:
In calendar year 2012, law enforcement filed 6,196 cases involving domestic/family violence
In grant year 2012 (Sep - Aug), law enforcement filed 6,334 cases involving domestic/family
violence with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
With regards to Human Trafficking:
In calendar year 2012, law enforcement filed 38 cases involving human trafficking violence
In grant year 2012 (Sep - Aug), law enforcement filed 40 cases involving human trafficking
With regards to Elder Abuse (Physical and Financial):
In calendar year 2012, law enforcement filed 191 cases involving elder abuse (both physical
and financial) with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
In grant year 2012 (Sep - Aug), law enforcement filed 187 cases involving elder abuse (both
physical and financial) with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
General Victim Services:
One aspect of the victim advocacy provided by the District Attorney’s Office comes in the form
of a Victim Impact Statement provided to victims of crime. In calendar year 2012 the Bexar
County District Attorney’s Office provided 7,222 Victim Impact Statements (205 sexual
assault; 1,229 property offenses; 3,258 simple assaults; 2,481 injury cases; and 49
homicides.) Also in calendar year 2012, 8,435 crime victims were provided in-person
assistance by advocates, 3,327 were accompanied to court by a victim advocate; and Crime
Victim Compensation information was provided to 5,993 victims.
These same statistical categories are provided for grant year 2012 (September - August.)
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office provided 8,896 Victim Impact Statements (287
sexual assault; 1,425 property offenses; 2,720 simple assaults; 3,186 injury cases; and 124
homicides.) Also in grant fiscal year 2012, 8,098 crime victims were provided in-person
assistance by advocates, 3,281 were accompanied to court by an advocate; and Crime Victim
Compensation information was provided to 7,471 victims.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office also provides advocacy to victims of
domestic/family violence through protective order services. In calendar 2012, 3,049
individuals seeking a protective order were seen and 58.9% of Protective Order applications
filed resulted in a final order being granted.
These same statistics provided for grant year 2012 (Sep – Aug) are as follows: 2,953
individuals seeking a protective order were seen and 56.7% of Protective Order applications
filed resulted in a final order being granted.
Problems and Gaps in Service:
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office feels there are resources needed for Human
Trafficking and Elder Abuse in our community.
Identify Achievements:
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office (“DA”) continues to strive to provide the
best victim services available to victims of crime. Our overall desire is to turn victims into
survivors. One of the first steps towards this goal is to make contact with and provide
services for as many victims as possible. The DA’s Office currently maintains 40 victim
advocate positions, which continues to make it the largest victim service division of any
prosecutors’ office in the state of Texas. We serve over 20,000 victims annually.
We also work diligently to make our community aware of the myriad of services available
by sponsoring and participating in as many community based events as possible
throughout the year.
As in past years, we directed our focus on National Crime Victims Rights Week (“NCVRW”)
held in April. Throughout the week the DA’s Office joined forces with over thirty other
agencies to “spread the word” about victims’ rights and services. Some of the many events
held included a press conference announcing NCVRW; a victim call-in hotline at a local
television studio; a victims’ tribute with a wreath laying and candle lighting ceremony; and
children’s picnics to bring awareness of the effects of child abuse. It is our hope that these
events will cause our citizens will gain knowledge about the criminal justice system and the
services our local governmental and social service agencies can provide.
April is also the month when we draw attention to Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault
Awareness. Both of these issues are important to our cause and we contribute and participate
fully with other agencies spearheading related events. The DA’s Office also participates in
events for National Domestic Violence Awareness month which is in October. The DA’s
Office continues to participate in a variety of coalitions throughout our community. It is our
desire to concentrate our efforts on providing consistent and effective services and being a
part of a coalition allows us to keep abreast of the latest issues and needs of victims. In
addition to those listed above, some of the other coalitions include the Family Justice Center,
Victims Advocacy Council, PEACE Initiative, ChildSafe, Safe Havens coalition, and the Alamo
Area Coalition Against Trafficking.
Boys Town
2012 Bexar County Child Abuse & Neglect Data
Center for Public Policy Priorities
6,205 confirmed cases of child abuse: This is the highest number in all 254 counties in Texas
Rate per 1,000 children (age 0-17): 13.0
3,628 children in foster care: Rate per 1,000 children (age 0-17) 7.6
TDFPS FY 2012 Annual Data Book:
17,220 child abuse reports assigned for investigation
24,476 alleged victims of child abuse 7 neglect
2,164 total child removals in Bexar County due to child abuse & neglect
19 Child Abuse Related Fatalities
Priority 1. To provide crisis, recovery, and transitional services to victims of crime.
Priority 2. To provide prevention/education services to crime victims, crime victim
service providers and the general public.
To provide crisis services: Boys Town Texas provided crisis services through its national
hotline to 788 San Antonio callers during 2012. Boys Town staff are on call 24 hours a day to
provide crisis services to both foster children and in home family services clients: a total of
241 children.
To provide Shelter:
Boys Town Texas provided shelter to 81 abused and neglected children in 2012.
To provide child care:
Boys Town Texas provided 12,440 childcare days last year to abused and neglected children.
To provide transportation:
Boys Town Texas provides transportation to 81 abused and neglected children served to
school, medical and mental health services and various other appointments. Boys Town
Texas also provided transportation to 32 at risk families that received community support
services through our program.
To provide mental health services:
Boys Town Texas provided outpatient behavioral health services to 274 children and their
families in 2012 for a total of 1,373 individual therapy hours.
To provide case management:
Boys Town Texas provided ongoing case management services to 51 mothers and fathers
and 160 children.
To provide Prevention/ education
Boys Town Texas provided Common Sense Parenting® education classes to 711 parents
with 1351 children in 2012. In addition, Boys Town Texas provided life skills training to 81
abused and neglected children and 51 parents in 2012.
About Boys Town Texas:
Boys Town Texas has been serving children and families in Bexar County through a wide
variety of child abuse prevention and intervention programs since opening its doors in 1989.
Boys Town developed its Integrated Continuum of Care® as part of an ambitious, ongoing
effort to expand the life-changing care we provide to children and families across the United
States. The Continuum is unique to Boys Town and enables us to deliver the right care at the
right time to troubled children and families who are edging toward crisis. The Continuum in
Bexar County includes the following programs:
Foster Family Services® is a community-based program where professionally trained Foster
Parents provide care and support to children of all ages, infancy through adolescents. Foster
parents help meet the behavioral, emotional and educational needs of the children in their
care. Service intensity ranges from highly intensive to less intensive, based upon the needs
of the child. With a focus on reunification, Foster Family Services utilize a strength-based,
team approach to work with families to achieve safety, permanency and well-being. Foster
Parents receive 24/7 support from Boys Town professionals.
Boys Town Texas' In-Home Family Services SM provide life-changing care to
families that are struggling to stay together or are in danger of having a child removed
from the home. No matter what the underlying cause — economic hardship, substance
abuse, marital issues, family conflicts, health challenges or others — the goal is to keep
children in the home, or to reunify them with their family if they have been removed from their
home. Specially trained Family Consultants work right in the parents’ home, helping them to
improve parenting skills, create a safe, nurturing environment for children and use resources
in the community to solve problems on their own. In addition to making regular home visits,
Family Consultants are on call 24/7 to provide support and assistance.
Outpatient Behavioral Health services therapists work with children ages six months to 17
years and their families to assess and treat youth issues. With the involvement of parents,
therapists develop service plans for youth with difficult problems like AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anger management, bedtime and sleep disorders, outof-control behaviors, learning challenges and depression. Psychologists and therapists work
with families, physicians, teachers and others to extend care beyond the “therapy hour” to
ensure long-term success.
The Boys Town National Hotline® is a free resource and counseling service that assists
callers 24/7, 365 days a year, nationwide. Open to everyone, but with an emphasis on helping
children and parents, the Hotline has trained professional counselors who provide emergency
or direct assistance, or refer callers to community resources. Since opening in 1989, the
Hotline has handled more than 8 million calls and has helped prevent thousands of suicides
nationwide.
Common Sense Parenting® provides parents and other caregivers with proven techniques
that can help them build good family relationships, prevent and correct misbehavior, use
consequences to improve behavior, teach self-control and remain calm. This instruction is
generally provided in the community and schools in both formal and informal settings.
Classes are available for parents of preschoolers/toddlers and school-aged children, and are
also presented in Spanish.
YourLifeYourVoice.org is a special website that enables and encourages teens to share
their problems and concerns in positive ways and provides access to immediate help in a
crisis.
Parenting.orgSM is a free online resource that provides practical, easy-to-use materials and
information for parents and caregivers of children of all ages.
Boysville
To provide a home to abused and neglected children:
In 2013 Boysville provided a home to over 290 children with 30,280 days of care.
To help children improve their academics:
In 2013 Boysville helped six seniors graduate from high school.
To provide health care:
Boysville provided health care to all children in its care, including medical, dental, orthodontic,
optometry and emergency services.
Boysville provided 1,241 individual therapy hours and 91 group therapy hours.
Boysville provided ongoing case management services to 292 children.
To help children improve their independent living skills:
Boysville provided preparation for adult living classes and skills to adolescents ages 13 to 17
that included health and safety, housing and transportation, job skills/job readiness, financial
management, life decisions/responsibilities and personal/social relationships.
About Boysville:
Boysville is a non-profit 501©3 residential care facility that has been providing services since
1943. Our campus is designed to help children in crisis who cannot remain in their own home
for a variety of reasons. Our children come from homes that are in crisis, due to emotional,
physical or sexual abuse. Sometimes a parent cannot take care of the child due to a terminal
illness and do not have the support of family to take care of the children. Children who come
to Boysville come from various backgrounds. By providing food, shelter, clothing and medical
services, we are able to provide the basic necessities needed to make the child feel safe and
comfortable at Boysville. With our education services, our children realize their potential. We
encourage education. We encourage them to explore college, trade or military options. We
are able to pull children out of abuse cycles or poverty cycles and teach them to become an
active part of society.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN ANTONIO
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio (CCAOSA) provides a remarkable array
of services to the community. As those services are being provided, we frequently discover
that a client being helped is a victim of crime and we work to help with all needs associated
with that including provision of counseling services. As is Catholic tradition, all people who
ask for help are helped. No one has to be Catholic to receive our services. During 2013,
CCAOSA encountered 904 known victims of crime that were helped with services and 344 of
those victims of crime received counseling services as well as other services. With
assistance, more victims of crime can be identified and provided with a range of services
including counseling. Services provided by CCAOSA are described below.
PARENTING and FAMILY PROGRAMS
Adolescent Parenting & Pregnancy Program
The Adolescent Pregnancy & Parenting Program is a parenting program for pregnant
and/or parenting adolescents 19 years of age or younger. In an effort to provide support and
guidance to adolescent parents during a transitional period of their lives, the Adolescent
Pregnancy & Parenting Program offers site and home-based parenting sessions.
How We Help: For many teens, high school graduation does not appear to be an option as
they become parents earlier than they had planned and are overwhelmed with adult
responsibilities at a very early age. However, when teen parents receive pre-natal and
parenting information while still in school, they are empowered and encouraged to complete
their education
Through the Adolescent Pregnancy & Parenting Program, comprehensive supportive services
are provided so that pregnant and/or parenting adolescents: Become healthy, nurturing
parents who know how to provide appropriate brain stimulation for their children; learn the
fundamentals of child development, proper care of infants/young children and healthy
parenting techniques; gain an understanding of healthy brain development and the importance
of brain stimulation for young children; demonstrate an ability to provide appropriate brain
stimulation and will integrate the program into their daily lives; and demonstrate a sense of
hopefulness for their future. The Adolescent Pregnancy & Parenting Program offers free
group sessions hosted in schools and community centers throughout Bexar County for
adolescents 19 years or younger. Home-based parenting visitations are also provided to
adolescents who are pregnant or have a child 2 years old or younger. Home visits take place
weekly for 12 weeks and then transition to once a month until the client’s child is 3 years of
age.
Who qualifies for our program: Pregnant and/or parenting adolescents 19 years or younger
living in Bexar County.
Building Strong Families and Great Start Plus
Catholic Charities offers two home-based parenting education programs, Building Strong
Families and Great Start Plus, for families that have been or are currently involved with Child
Protective Services with a focus on improving parent-child interaction, increasing the families’
protective factors, and reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect.
How We Help: Both programs provide weekly, home-based parenting education sessions,
offering personalized curriculum and training tailored to the family’s needs within the comfort
of their own home. Utilizing the Nurturing Parenting curriculum, our programs aim to increase
the family’s protective factors, such as: Family functioning and parental resiliency; Social
connections and support; Nurturing and attachment; Knowledge of appropriate child
development; and Concrete support through information and guidance from family educators.
All enrolled children under 5 years of age are screened for developmental progress, and
potential delays are referred to medical or other intervention services as indicated by
screening results. While increasing knowledge of child development, parents gain a better
understanding of their children’s readiness to develop appropriate skills that will, in turn,
decrease incidences of child abuse and neglect.
As an enhancement to the parenting education sessions, both programs also offer monthly
group opportunities for family engagement activities where all participating client families are
invited. These events involve educational and interactive components to encourage learning
and social connections. Case management is also provided to help provide resources for the
family’s basic needs. Referrals are provided to other Catholic Charities’ programs to include
the Food Pantry, Clothes Closet, Emergency Financial Assistance, Catholic Counseling &
Consultation Center, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and many more.
Referrals are also provided for additional social service agencies as needed.
Who qualifies for our program: Building Strong Families provides services to families within
Bexar County with closed substantiated cases through Child Protective Services. A referral
from Child Protective Services is required to qualify. At least one child in the household must
be between the ages of 0 and 8 years old.
Service Area: Bexar County for families with open cases through Child Protective Services.
This program allows for open enrollment, with no referral from Child Protective Services
required. At least one child in the household must be between the ages of 0 and 8 years old.
Parent Talk
Parent Talk is a voluntary, group-based parenting and life skills education program for
parents and caregivers of children 0 to 17. Born out of a simple conversation addressing the
needs of parents on San Antonio’s east side in 2011, United Way and Catholic Charities
partnered to create this interactive program for parents and caregivers of children residing in
the East-side Promise Neighborhood.
How We Help: Not your typical parenting class, Parent Talk utilizes discussion groups to
educate parents through open dialogue. Parents and caregivers learn from one another under
the guidance of a parent group facilitator. Weekly group sessions are two hours in length for a
total of 10-12 sessions and are offered in English or Spanish. Classes are located at
community centers, schools, churches and apartment complexes.
Utilizing the evidence-based Nurturing Parenting curriculum as a guide, the program strives to
increase the family’s protective factors by: Promoting healthy parenting practices; Educating
parents on appropriate developmental expectations; Exploring ways to develop empathy;
Utilizing positive discipline techniques; Providing techniques for appropriate family functioning
and parental resiliency; Increasing social connections; Developing nurturing skills; and
Building attachments between parent and child. Facilitators will encourage parents to engage
in positive interactions with their children as well as help parents understand how they
influence their child’s development through every day exchanges. Role play will be used
during sessions to encourage parents to try new strategies and reinforce learning.
Who qualifies for our program: Parents or caregivers of children ages 0 to 17 who reside
within the East-side Promise Neighborhood.
Precious Minds, New Connections
Precious Minds, New Connections provides comprehensive support services to young
and/or first-time parents in order to reduce the likelihood for child abuse and neglect by
encouraging: Parent-child interaction by increasing the amount of quality time parents spend
with their child(ren); Development-centered parenting to help parents understand stages of
their child’s development as well as help parents become good observers of their child’s
growth and respond appropriately; and Family well-being by showing parents how their own
family dynamics, culture and community influence their parenting. It is important that each
parent recognize their own strengths and resources in order to build strong social networks
that will help the family flourish.
How We Help: Precious Minds, New Connections is part of a larger initiative, consisting of
over 20 agencies that offer parenting education classes, both site-based and home-based.
Site-based parenting classes are provided in groups at several locations throughout Bandera,
Bexar, Comal and Kendall counties. Among the multiple agencies that participate in this
initiative, only five offer home-based, one-on-one parenting education classes, of which
Catholic Charities is one. Home-based parenting education classes offer parents and their
child(ren) personalized curriculum and training tailored to the family’s needs within the comfort
of their own home. Precious Minds, New Connections utilizes the Parents-as-Teachers
program model and Foundational Curriculum. Key components of this model consist of:
Personal Visits; Home visits; Development Screening; Group Connections; and Resource
Network
Who qualifies for our program: Home-based parenting education classes for young and/or
first-time parents within Bexar County
CATHOLIC COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION CENTER
Catholic Charities offers specialized counseling services in San Antonio and surrounding
areas, providing the support needed to assist individuals and families with ensuring their
mental and emotional wellbeing. Working with clients of varied backgrounds and experience,
our Catholic Counseling & Consultation Center, located in San Antonio, provides a safe
and warm environment for individuals and families to embrace what is going on in their lives
and develop the necessary problem solving skills to cope with seemingly overwhelming
situations. To provide for those that may not live within San Antonio, the Brazos Extendidos
Counseling Program is a site-based counseling program that extends our counseling
services into rural areas throughout the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s 19 counties.
How We Help: Providing affordable counseling services to anyone in need, the Catholic
Counseling & Consultation Center, as well as the Brazos Extendidos Counseling Program,
offer both individual and group counseling sessions in a number of areas, to include, but not
limited to the following: Child-Adolescent-Adult & Family Counseling; Alcohol & Substance
Abuse Counseling; Anger Management; Domestic Violence; Grief & Loss Therapy
(Bereavement); Marriage Counseling & Reconciliation; Parenting & Play Therapy for Children;
Post-Traumatic Stress Therapy (for PTSD); Recovery from Sexual Abuse/Sexuality Issues;
Spiritual Direction; and Women’s Empowerment & Emotional Development.
Counseling services are offered to both the insured and uninsured. Most insurance providers
are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid. If you do not have insurance or counseling is
not covered by your insurance provider, Catholic Charities’ counseling programs utilize an
income-based sliding scale fee system, allowing you to get affordable counseling services no
matter what your income level.
Who qualifies for our programs: Counseling services are provided to children 4 years of
age and older, adolescents, adults, and families who reside within Bexar County and
designated rural areas of the San Antonio Archdiocese.
CLOTHES CLOSET AND FOOD PANTRY
The Clothes Closet & Food Pantry offers emergency food and clothing assistance for
individuals and families suffering economic hardship. Food and clothing are distributed at no
cost and based on the family’s size and need. Whether you are looking for clothing for an
interview, a coat for yourself or your child, or food to get you through the next week before you
receive your next paycheck, Catholic Charities is here to help provide you with material
assistance when you need it most.
Organized by clothing type, color and size, our Clothes Closet makes it easy to find the
clothing you are looking for. In addition to clothing, the Clothes Closet also offers household
items like plates, cups and cooking ware.
COMMUNITY VOICE MAIL
Through our partnership with Springwire, Catholic Charities offers Community Voice Mail
and Resource Broadcasting to help people in crisis connect with family, case managers,
doctors, social service providers, employers and opportunities. The sense of isolation that
comes to those that do not have immediate access to a phone is often the greatest challenge
faced by people in crisis. How can someone find a job or a home if they don’t have a way to
reach – or be reached by – the people and agencies that can help? Community Voice Mail
provides free personalized voice mail access. By placing this simple but critical tool in their
hands, Community Voice Mail restores dignity and hope to people moving out of crisis.
How We Help: Community Voice Mail provides participants with a private, local, ten-digit
phone number that looks like any other number, and does not in any way signal the
individual’s status or life situation. This number goes to a voice mail box where participants
can record their own personal, professional greeting, and enable callers to leave messages.
Individuals may retrieve messages 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any touch-tone
phone.
Who qualifies for our program?
Community Voice Mail services are available to anyone who needs a way to communicate, no
matter what crisis life has thrown at you. No identification or other documentation is
necessary to qualify.
EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Our Emergency Financial Assistance program serves low-income families and individuals
facing tremendous financial hardship and unforeseen crises, which jeopardize their most basic
human needs. By providing emergency financial assistance and guidance toward selfsufficiency for low-income individuals and families, Emergency Financial Assistance gives
hope and provides relief to those that need it, when they need it most.
How it works: The Emergency Financial Assistance program offers income-eligible
individuals and families an holistic approach to overcoming economic hardship. Our case
management staff will provide a thorough intake and assessment of the family’s financial state
in order to provide the best possible plan to help them move toward financial stability and selfsufficiency.
Case management staff work directly with clients to provide financial coaching and determine
budget assessment. They will help the client evaluate their current expenses and income (if
any) and provide goals for obtaining economic self-sufficiency. If financial assistance is
necessary, one-time emergency financial assistance will be provided to prevent utility
disconnection.*
Who qualifies for our program: Services are provided through this program for individuals
and families who meet or are below the 125% poverty guideline.
FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM
The Foster Grandparent Program seeks to improve the overall quality of life for the older
adult volunteer and to help provide enrichment opportunities for children with special needs.
The Foster Grandparent Program began on August 28, 1965 as a national demonstration
effort to show how low-income individuals aged 55 and over have the maturity and experience
to establish a personal relationship with children having either exceptional or special needs.
How We Help: The Foster Grandparent Program is a program for low-income individuals age
55 and over who thrive on direct interaction with children and believe they can make a
difference in their lives. Income-eligible foster grandparents receive a modest stipend to help
offset the costs of volunteering.
Who qualifies for our program: Individuals age 55 years and over, in good health that are
income-eligible. Income eligibility based on government poverty guidelines.
The Foster Grandparent Program is a part of Senior Corps, along with RSVP
and Senior Companions. Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for
National and Community Service, the federal agency that improves lives,
strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and
volunteering
GUADALUPE HOME
Guadalupe Home is a transitional living program for homeless expectant mothers and
homeless mothers with infants. During their stay at Guadalupe Home, mothers have a safe
place to live and to prepare for birth, as well as have a home-like environment in which to
nurture their baby. Women who come to Guadalupe Home are ready to improve their lives
and the lives of their children.
How We Help: Guadalupe Home provides a safe haven and support services in a home-like
environment for up to 10 mothers. Each mother can have two children under the age of three
years. Private rooms are available for each family. Other living areas and household chores
are shared among all residents. There is no fee to the resident for services; however, they
must be willing to participate in an educational/employment program or maintain employment.
Residents are expected to follow house rules and abide by curfew requirements. Supportive
services are provided to residents in an effort to increase their capability of having a healthy
baby, improve their ability to care for themselves and their babies, and foster their desire to
make a positive contribution to their community.
Guadalupe Home provides opportunities for personal development to the residents, including
assistance with goal-setting and achievement, establishing priorities, and decision-making.
The staff at Guadalupe Home recognizes that spiritual development can play a positive role in
personal development. By providing residents with an on-site meditation room, young mothers
have a place where they can go for a few minutes a day and enjoy quiet reflection. In addition,
churches of all denominations host baby showers, baptisms, and other special events in which
mothers and their babies may participate, if they choose.
Who qualifies for our program: Homeless expectant mothers or homeless mothers with up
to 2 children under the age of 3 years, who are able to live harmoniously in our community
and who will participate in the services offered.
GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES
The Guardianship Services offers legal guardianship services, including less restrictive
alternatives, for those who lack mental capacity due to illness or disability, and who are at risk
of abuse, neglect and exploitation. With the goal of protecting the most vulnerable in our
society by ensuring their safety in the community, the Guardianship Services creates 1/3 of all
guardianships established in Bexar County.
How We Help: Since a guardianship takes away a person’s rights and cannot easily be
undone, Catholic Charities believes it is crucial that less restrictive alternatives are
implemented first. Direct guardianship services are only provided as a last resort when all
other options have been exhausted and there are no other means of protecting the individual.
Some alternatives to Guardianship are our money management services or referrals to other
agencies. Additionally, Catholic Charities offers wills & advanced planning services for anyone
who is in need of legal assistance and guidance with life affairs planning, including will
preparation and durable powers of attorney. If available alternatives are not suitable options,
then Catholic Charities will establish legal guardianships for qualified individuals and provided
case management services to those enrolled.
Who qualifies for our program: Individuals interested in becoming a legal guardian of an
incapacitated adult must be over the age of 18 and are required to pass a criminal background
check to qualify for guardianship services. Guardianship services are offered in Atascosa,
Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, and
Wilson counties.
INTERPRETER AND TRANSLATION SERVICES
Catholic Charities’ Interpreter & Translation Services is a social enterprise business of
Catholic Charities that provides professional, fee-based interpretation and translation services.
In an effort to bridge the language gap between individuals with limited or no English language
proficiency and the providers they may need assistance from, our Interpreter & Translation
Services provides a solution to help overcome communication barriers.
How We Help: Interpreter & Translation Services offers face to face interpretation,
interpretation over the phone and document translation services at competitive rates. Utilizing
trained and certified contract interpreters to provide services, Catholic Charities’ Interpreter &
Translation Services offers professional assistance for all your language needs. Interpretation
and translation services are available for over 33 languages.
Who benefits from our program: Services are available to schools, employers, medical
professionals, social service providers, local officials or anyone in need of interpretation and/or
translation services at competitive rates.
IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Through advocacy, education and direct service, the ImmigrationServices works toward the
just and humane treatment of all immigrants by helping them to achieve the full benefits
available to them under immigration law. Providing professional consultation and reduced-fee
legal services, the Immigration Services focuses on reuniting families by guiding immigrants
through the complex legal process.
How We Help: All individuals and families seeking legal services must first undergo a
consultation. Through our consultation process, our staff is able to fully assess the extent of a
client’s situation and provide the most appropriate options available. Options may include:
Family-based petitions; Adjustment of status; Consular processing; Citizenship; Waivers;
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); and Court representation for Asylum and
Cancellation of Removal cases.
In addition to assisting immigrants, the Immigration Services provides consultations and legal
assistance to victims of crime, domestic violence and human trafficking. If you are a victim of
crime, domestic violence, or human trafficking, there is no consultation fee.
MILITARY AND FAMILY RELIEF PROJECT
The Military Family Relief Project provides veterans and their immediate family members
with emergency assistance in times of crises. Since its inception in 2008, Catholic Charities
has provided hundreds of service men and women, veterans and their family members with
assistance to help ease the transition from military to civilian life. Whether our service men
and women need financial or material assistance, counseling, financial coaching or access to
additional services, the Military Family Relief Project provides the support needed help those
that have dedicated their lives to serving our country.
How We Help: In an effort to improve the lives of our service members and their families, the
Military Family Relief Project provides a comprehensive list of services, to include: One-time
emergency financial assistance to prevent utility disconnection; Food and clothing assistance;
Case management; Counseling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI); Referrals for job training programs and work recruitment programs; and
Referrals to additional social service agencies.
Additionally, the Military Family Relief Project will connect clients as appropriate to other
programs and services available through Catholic Charities, such as community voice mail
services, parenting education, guardianship and money management services, and free
income tax preparation assistance.
Who qualifies for our program: Services are provided to veteran, reserve, National Guard
or active duty military service members as well as their spouses and children currently living
within the family household. Spouses of deceased service members are also eligible for
assistance.
MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
The Money Management Program provides bill payer and representative payee services to
low-income individuals 55 years and older who lack the ability to effectively manage their own
financial affairs. Designed to prevent financial abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly,
the Money Management Program promotes independent living for individuals on a fixed
income who have no one else available or appropriate to assist them.
The goal of the Money Management Program is to prevent financial abuse, neglect and
exploitation of adults 55 years of age and older. A sister program of Catholic Charities’
Guardianship Program, the Money Management Program is a less restrictive alternative to
entering into a legal guardianship.
How We Help: Case management services are provided to all eligible individuals enrolled in
the Money Management Program. Case managers meet with clients regularly to: Assess
initial and on-going needs; Review current expenses and establish a budget; Provide
information on how to effectively manage financial affairs; Inform them of any benefits,
services or insurance they may be entitled to; Assist them with re-applying for benefits, if
needed; Pair them with a volunteer bill payer or representative payee who will visit them
monthly; and Provide referrals to other agencies for additional support services.
PROJECT COOL
Project Cool is a city-wide initiative that addresses the need to provide relief from the
summer heat to individuals 60 years and older and individuals with disabilities. Every year in
San Antonio, hundreds are hospitalized for heat related illnesses due to record high
temperatures during the summer months. Through a partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, the
City of San Antonio, United Way and the San Antonio Fire Department, Project Cool provides
20” electric boxed fans to thousands of elderly and disabled individuals throughout San
Antonio and surrounding areas.
How We Help: With a goal of providing box fans to senior citizens and disabled individuals,
Project Cool aims to reduce the risk of heat-related illness and death in addition to reducing
utility costs by providing an alternative to air conditioning for those who may be living on a
fixed income. With multiple Project Cool sites located throughout San Antonio, including
Catholic Charities’ Guadalupe Community Center and several Catholic churches throughout
the city, Project Cool is able to distribute fans through these sites to those that need them
most.
Who qualifies for our program: Fan recipients much be 60 years or older or have a
documented disability
REFUGEE SERVICES
Refugee Services provides housing, employment, language and acculturation assistance to
refugees escaping war and persecution who have been resettled in the United States through
the U.S. Department of State Programs. As the only refugee resettlement agency in San
Antonio, Catholic Charities resettles more than 500 refugees each year in San Antonio,
providing professional supportive services to help them on their path toward self-sufficiency.
Who are refugees: Refugees are victims of war, persecution, upheaval, and religious and
ethnic discrimination. They are forced to flee to other countries and leave their homes,
families, friends, jobs and possessions so that they may keep their lives. Most refugees hope
to return home and pick up their lives again…and many will when conditions change. For
some refugees, though, the only hope is for resettlement in our country.
How We Help: Reception & Placement Services are provided to encourage refugees to
achieve early economic self-sufficiency and promote cultural integration. Services include:
Arrival preparation - Apartment set up, furniture, food, clothing, and airport reception; Initial
Orientation - Education on life in America which covers employment, healthcare, childcare,
transportation, American culture and laws, housing and safety; Case Management –
Comprehensive client assessment and assistance toward removing barriers to employment,
self-sufficiency and community integration; and Post-Arrival Follow-up - Employment and ESL
services, health screening, school enrollment for children, and any additional cultural
adjustment referrals as needed. Refugee Employment Services prepare refugees to join the
workforce by working with all eligible clients at their level of employability to empower them
toward employment-based economic self-sufficiency.
For the past four years, approximately 200 refugee children each year have impacted the local
San Antonio public school system. Many of these students have never been to school and
have never learned to read and write. They have fled their home countries and come to the
U.S. looking for safety. The School Impact Program provides after school tutoring for refugee
children and supportive services for families to help promote effective integration, education,
and a successful transition into the American public school system.
RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is America’s largest volunteer network for
people age 55 and over. "One stop shopping" for all volunteers who want to find challenging,
rewarding, and significant service opportunities, RSVP helps make volunteering a more
meaningful experience by offering information, support and guidance. Offering a full range of
volunteer options with thousands of local and national organizations, volunteers are able to
choose how and where they want to serve, choose the amount of time they want to give and
whether they want to draw on their skills or develop new ones. The goal of RSVP is to bring
together local agencies and organizations with senior citizens age 55 and over wishing to
volunteer within their community in an area that interests them.
Who qualifies for our program: Senior citizens wishing to volunteer must be age 55 or over.
The changes that the RSVP program has experienced throughout the years reflect the
changing faces of senior volunteer-ism in America. The program continues to grow, and as it
grows, RSVP will continue to provide opportunities for all seniors to answer the call to service.
RSVP is a part of Senior Corps, along with Foster Grandparents and Senior
Companions. Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for National
and Community Service, the federal agency that improves lives, strengthens
communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering.
SAN ANTONIO BIRTH DOULAS
San Antonio Birth Doulas was founded in 1999 in response to the increasing need for birth
doula services among pregnant women, especially teens and low-income women in our
community. San Antonio Birth Doulas provides new and expecting parents with support in the
areas of pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, newborn care and bonding in an effort to prevent
infant/child abuse and neglect. What is a Doula? A doula is a non medical person who assists
a woman before, during and after childbirth, as well as her partner and/or family by providing
information, physical assistance, and emotional support. In the ancient Greek language, doula
means “mothering the mother.” Why use a birth doula? Studies have shown that women who
have doulas with them during pregnancy, labor, and birth experience: An overall reduction of
50% in cesarean deliveries; A 25% reduction in the length of labor; A 40% reduction in the use
of Pitocin (a drug used to induce labor); A 30% reduction in the use of pain medications; A
60% reduction in the requests for epidural; and A 40% reduction in the use of forceps.
Additionally women attended by doulas don’t have as many secondary complications — like
maternal infection, maternal fever, newborn problems and postpartum depression (what
people call “the baby blues”).
How We Help: Doulas help expectant mothers and their families in a number of ways before,
during and after childbirth. A doula can help expectant mothers by: Referring compassionate
and understanding doctors; Providing information on available childbirth and parenting
classes; Working with them on their birth plan; Being present in the early stages of labor at the
hospital; Providing emotional and physical support during labor and birth; Showing family
and/or their partner how to comfort and support them during labor; Providing support after
childbirth on how to cope with the challenges of motherhood; Teaching them how to bond with
their baby and breastfeed properly; and Providing newborn and parenting information about
infant and baby/toddler development stages.
VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a collaborative initiative between
Catholic Charities, the City of San Antonio, United Way, local colleges and universities, and a
number of financial institutions that work closely together to provide free income tax
assistance and support to taxpayers, helping them claim federal earned income tax credit.
With a goal of increasing the financial stability of working individuals and families in San
Antonio and Bexar County, VITA volunteers operate over 25 VITA sites located throughout the
city and complete more than 35,000 tax returns in a single tax season. As a result of this vital
initiative, over $60,000,000 in refunds is returned to the San Antonio community alone.
How We Help: VITA harnesses the time and talents of dedicated volunteers to provide free
income tax assistance and support to individuals and families seeking help with their tax
preparation. In order to get the most out of your income tax credit, trained volunteers work
directly with you to ensure that you receive what you are entitled to. The following items are
needed to prepare your tax return:
Who qualifies for our program: Individuals and families earning less than $60,000 annually
during the income tax season.
WILLS AND ADVANCED PLANNING SERVICES
Our Wills & Advanced Planning Services offer individuals and families legal assistance and
guidance for life affairs planning. More often than not, we do not adequately prepare for our
own passing, leaving our loved ones with many important questions unanswered. With Wills &
Advanced Planning Services, Catholic Charities provides you with the peace of mind and
guidance you need to determine how your assets will be distributed, who will take care of your
children if an early death occurs, and who can make financial and medical decisions on your
behalf if you are unable to. It is never too early to start planning, and Catholic Charities is here
to help you and your family through this necessary process.
How We Help: Through our Wills & Advanced Planning Services, Catholic Charities offers
the following legal assistance services: Preparation of one’s Last Will & Testament; Durable
Financial Power of Attorney; Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care; and Directive to
Physician/Living Will.
Who qualifies for our program: Services are available to anyone in need of assistance
living within Bexar, Medina, Atascosa, Kerr, Guadalupe, and Bandera counties. Fees for
services are available on a sliding scale depending on household income.
Family Service Association of San Antonio
Crisis Counseling Services
Family Service provided 1,386 hours of crisis counseling services to 36 children who were
sexually abused, 35 children who severely physically abused, 14 seniors who were physically
abused and 121 women who victims of domestic violence.
To provide supervised visitation, safe and neutral exchanges and safe haven services
for families with domestic violence
Family Service provided 2,252 hours of neutral exchange services for 138 families
experiencing domestic violence. Family Service provided 3,029 hours of supervised visitation
between 252 children and their non-custodial parent. Family Service provided parenting
education, parent-child interaction therapy and case management services to 356 women who
were victims of domestic violence and 223 children who were victims of domestic
violence/child abuse.
Family Service is a non-profit 501(c) (3) non-sectarian social service and education agency
that has been providing services since to South Central Texas since 1903 Family Service
Association is one of only three agencies in Bexar County accredited by the Council on
Accreditation of Services for Families and Children. In addition to the five easily accessible
neighborhood locations in San Antonio and two rural locations in Zavala and Uvalde Counties,
Family Service also provides services in 64 schools, in community centers and directly within
client homes. Family Service has provided services to individuals who have been victims of
abuse and trauma for over 35 years through individual and family counseling services,
concrete social services and supportive services. Family Service utilizes a diverse array of
Model Counseling Modalities including special counseling services for children and families
provided by licensed professional staff members who are reflective of the communities that we
serve.
Total Victims Served: 664.
Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc. (FVPS)
Family Violence
The Texas Family Code defines family violence as an act by a member of a household or
family against another member, intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, or assault, or
a threat that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent harm. The law excludes the
reasonable discipline of a child and defines abuse as physical injury that results in substantial
harm or genuine threat; sexual contact, intercourse, or conduct; or compelling or encouraging
the child to engage in sexual conduct.
Senate Bill 68 of the 77th Legislature amended the Family Code to include “dating violence”.
The “dating relationship” means a relationship between individuals who have or have had a
continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.
Data

37.7% of Texas women experience family violence at some point in their lifetime
(University of Texas Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, www.tcfv.org).

13,703 incidences of family violence were reported (offense reports filed) in 2012 to the
San Antonio Police Department (TDPS 2012 Crime in Texas data).

The San Antonio Police Department received a total of 45,008 domestic violence calls
for service in 2012, up from 43,791 in 2011 (SAPD Domestic Violence Final Report
2012).

723 offense reports for violations of protective orders were filed by SAPD in 2012.

2,252 incidences of family violence were reported in 2012 to all other police
departments/sheriff’s departments in Bexar County (TDPS 2012 Crime in Texas data).

6 Bexar County women were murdered in family violence incidences in 2012. There
were 114 family violence related fatalities in 2012, statewide. (www.tcfv.org).

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, rates of domestic violence amongst
active and veteran military service members range from 13.5% to 50%, while the rate
amongst demographically similar civilian families ranges from 5% to 12%. This is
particularly significant for Bexar County, which is home to 3 military bases, the San
Antonio Military Medical Center, and approximately 55,000 active duty service
members.
Services provided by FVPS
From January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

FVPS’ Battered Women and Children’s Shelter served 1,796 women and 2,098
children.

FVPS provided individual and/or group counseling services to 4,487 adults and
children.

Advocacy services, defined as legal advocacy and assistance with completing crime
victim compensation applications, were provided to 246 adults.

FVPS’ 24-hour hotline received 11,788 calls.

FVPS provided crisis safety net services, including crisis transportation and/or
emergency assistance, including food, shelter, and/or clothing to 9,390 women and
children. More than 145,000 meals were provided at the Battered Women and
Children’s Shelter.

FVPS’ Legal Services Program provided civil legal representation to 384 families, and
obtained more than $350,000 for victims in monthly and/or lump sum cash benefits.

Financial assistance was provided to 744 families, including assistance with gasoline
gift cards, college and job training program tuition assistance, and access to the FVPS
Donation Center’s inventory of clothing, electronics, toys, and household
furnishings/items.

FVPS provided 804 bus passes to domestic violence victims, and more than $33,000 of
taxi transportation.

FVPS’ School-Based Substance Abuse and Dating Violence Intervention Program,
serving 5 San Antonio high schools, served 700 teens.

Case management services, offered at FVPS’ Battered Women and Children’s Shelter
and FVPS’ Court and Military Liaison Program, were provided to 4,034 domestic
violence victims.

FVPS’ Middle Way Parenting Education Program served 168 adults.

FVPS’ P.O.W.E.R (Providing Options With Educational Resources) Program provided
adult education services, including basic literacy, financial literacy, computer literacy,
and English as a Second Language instruction to 241 women at the Battered Women
and Children’s Shelter.

FVPS’ Transitional Housing Program assisted 48 families (48 women and 103
children), providing rent-free housing for between 6 and 18 months.

FVPS provided education, outreach, and/or training in 164 locations to 4,226
individuals in 2012.
Trends
FVPS has realized a significant increase in the number of domestic violence victims ages 55
and over seeking help. In 2012, approximately 7% of all victims served by the organization
were ages 55 and over. These women sometimes have a great deal in common with younger
victims served, in terms of education level, income, and histories of maltreatment, however,
there are some significant differences. Some are being abused by adult children, and in some
of these instances, a history of domestic violence between the woman and her spouse/partner
is not known to exist. There are also situations when abuse is reported to have begun as a
result of health issues, combined with financial strain, leading the victim to be viewed as
frustrating or as being a burden that no spouse/partner or other family member is willing to
bear. Older victims of domestic violence typically have support systems that are even more
limited than those of younger individuals, and often are much less aware of assistance that is
available. Older victims also face magnified challenges in terms of being believed, particularly
if they are victims of sexual assault or stalking.
The organization is also continuing to see an increase each year in the number of teens
seeking help because of violence in their dating relationships.
Achievements
In April 2011, the Texas Senate passed Bill 434, mandating the creation of a task force to
examine the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. This task
force was comprised of representatives from the Department of Family and Protective
Services’ Child Protective Services (CPS) division, Family Violence Prevention Services,
providers of mental health and substance abuse treatment, judges, and lawyers experienced
with serving domestic violence victims. The task force was charged with creating best practice
policy recommendations for CPS and for domestic violence service providers, focused on
increasing the safety of both adult and child victims.
Region 8 (Bexar County) is the first CPS Region to designate a specialized unit of Family
Based Safety Services workers to exclusively serve families whose cases involve domestic
violence. CPS, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and Family Violence Prevention
Services partnered in developing a curriculum to train CPS staff who are part of this newly
formed unit. 2-day training was conducted in October 2013, and was attended by
approximately 50 CPS staff. Training will be offered regularly to additional CPS staff in the
future.
Family Violence Prevention Services is the first non-profit organization in Texas to obtain a
contract with CPS for the provision of Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP)
services. This is a vital development to ensure that individuals who batter are not solely
referred to “anger management” programs, but receive intervention that targets the core issue
of battering behavior; power and control.
In 2012, Family Violence Prevention Services completed fundraising to entirely renovate its
non-residential services location, to construct a new wing at the Battered Women and
Children’s Shelter, and to build a facility for pets at the Battered Women and Children’s
Shelter. Renovation of the organization’s non-residential services location was completed in
July 2013, and construction at the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter will begin in
January 2014. The new facility will add 12 dormitories and additional office space. Dormitories
have been designed with individual restrooms and showers and small living spaces, thus
better accommodating two needs: First, this configuration is better suited to individuals and
families requiring longer lengths of stay. The new facility’s dormitories will act as quasi
transitional housing. Second, seniors accessing emergency shelter services will be more
comfortably housed in this new wing. All dormitories will be handicap-accessible, and the new
wing will have its own dining, meal preparation, and common areas. Seniors who may not
prefer to eat and socialize with large numbers of young children will have the option of
remaining in the new wing, which will offer a greater level of privacy and a quieter
environment. Construction of the new wing and the pet facility is expected to be complete in
December 2015.
Family Violence Prevention Services is also pleased to partner with Bexar County, the San
Antonio Police Department, Family Service Association, the Bexar Area Agency on Aging, and
Adult Protective Services to train at least 200 law enforcement officers and 400 victim service
providers in a 2 year period regarding the dynamics of abuse in later life. Bexar County
obtained a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women, and during the past year, the
training team, comprised of the above listed partners, has trained more than 200 law
enforcement officers and nearly 200 victim service providers. Training will continue to be
offered throughout 2014. The 1 day sessions are offered monthly and are free of charge.
Gaps
Funding to support transitional and permanent housing programs continues to be inadequate.
Support for emergency shelter and counseling services, while not at an ideal level, is much
more stable and available than is that for concrete and longer-term needs, including housing,
utility assistance, and transportation assistance.
Jewish Family Service
Jewish Family Service (JFS) provides behavioral/mental health counseling, case
management, and psychiatry to victims of a broad range of violent crimes that include
domestic violence, child physical and sexual abuse, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and
services to survivors of homicide. Many of these victims suffer from symptoms of post
traumatic stress and almost all of them have symptoms of anxiety and/or depression that
interfere with daily functioning and their ability to make and maintain important relationships.
JFS, using its internal statistics, has determined the following about the crime victims it has
served.
1. Crime victims who seek services are predominantly female; 76% versus 24% male.
2. Crime victims who seek services are predominantly impoverished. Sixty-five percent
(65%) of them have incomes at or below the federal poverty level.
3. Crime victims who seek services don’t have good economic prospects. Sixty-six
percent (66%) of them are either unemployed or disabled. Among the disabled, almost
all of them suffer from PTSD or other psychiatric disorders.
4. Crime victims who seek services don’t have the interpersonal support that is often
needed to overcome their victimization. Thirty-four percent (34%) of them are either
divorced or separated and another 48% are single.
JFS has responded to the needs of these clients by providing counseling that focuses on
trauma resolution, education, emotional stabilization, healing relationships, and returning
clients to their pre-victimization level of functioning. JFS also provides adjunctive services
such as psychiatric evaluation and prescription of medications, case management services to
help clients acquire needed resources, and advocacy when clients have dealings with the
legal and judicial systems.
Objectives and Output
In FY 2013, JFS provided 3889 counseling sessions to 481 victims of crime. The agency’s
psychiatrist provided 238 sessions to 68 victims who needed this additional service.
In FY 2013, JFS provided case management services to 264 crime victims, connecting them
to resources related to employment, food stamps, housing, education, childcare, and
transportation.
To provide advocacy, information, and legal services:
In FY 2013, JFS provided advocacy services to 231 crime victims during 1093 face-to-face
contacts and more than 200 phone contacts. These services included information and
referral, assistance in completing applications for Crime Victims Compensation, crisis
counseling, procurement of temporary restraining orders, and court accompaniment.
Collaborations and Trends
Jewish Family Service collaborates with many other nonprofits and service organizations to
assure that clients and potential clients are well served. The Mission Road Collaborative, an
alliance of Blessed Sacrament Academy, BSA’s Child Development Center, the Parents’
Academy, Por Vida Academy Charter High School, and Jewish Family Service, Seton Home,
and St. PJ’s, continues to collaborate in order to optimize the use of the services that are
available from these organizations. This group is positioned to identify and serve crime
victims, and to provide the education and support that can reduce the incidence of crime. JFS
has provided advocacy services to victims of domestic violence who were receiving
counseling and other services at Family Violence Prevention Services. Additionally, JFS has a
partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries to expand the availability of affordable mental
health services for children and youth, especially in underserved parts of San Antonio and
Bexar County. JFS has provided services to homeless teens and their families at
SAMMinistries’ Transitional Living Center. Treatment for children and youth is both a
necessary component of response to victimization and a measure that can reduce further
crime by helping to break the cycle of violence and abuse. JFS has seen a trend towards
more domestic violence that is often triggered by financial distress.
Not Above the Law (NATL)
Data:

Incidents – The City of San Antonio experienced 89 homicides during the 2012 fiscal
year, (per SAPD Deputy Chief Joseph MacKay), which mirrored the 89 homicides
experienced in the City during the 2011 fiscal year.
Bexar County saw an increase of 46% in homicides in 2012 with a reported 19
homicides versus the 13 reported homicides which occurred during the 2011 fiscal
year in the County (per Bexar County Sgt. Powell).

Victims Assisted – Not Above the Law’s (NATL) full-time advocate, and volunteer
advocate provided crisis intervention services for 152 survivors/family members of
homicide victims during the time frame 9/1/2012 – 8/31/2013.
Responses/Services Provided By Not Above the Law (NATL):
NATL's Proposed Objectives – 9/1/2012 – 8/31/2013:
To assist victims/survivors though the legal process:
NATL provided 64 victims/survivors with assistance through the legal process.
To assist victims/survivors with completion of Crime Victim Applications (CVC's):
NATL assisted 28 victims/survivors with the completion of Crime victim Applications (CVC's).
To provide crisis counseling to victims/survivors:
NATL provided crisis counseling to 153 victims/survivors.
To provide information and referral sources for victims/survivors:
NATL provided information and referral services to 152 victims/survivors.
To accompany victims/survivors to court:
NATL accompanied 62 victims/survivors to court hearings, trials, etc.
To provide victims/survivors with assistance as it pertains to court ordered restitution:
NATL assisted 7 victims/survivors with information and follow-up services as it pertains to
court ordered restitution.
To attend multi-disciplinary team meetings:
NATL's advocates attended 12 multi-disciplinary meetings.
To train volunteers to provide direct assistance to victims/survivors:
NATL trained 4 new volunteers to provide direct assistance to victims/survivors.
Trends/Gaps in Services:
Prior to the formation/existence of NATL, a 501(c)(3) Organization which was founded in
2007, there was no one designated organization which could offer/provide comprehensive
services to survivors of homicide victims throughout Bexar County “under one roof.”
The San Antonio Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children and Other Survivors of Homicide
Victims (POMC), offers a monthly support group meeting for this population of survivors,
however is extremely limited in additional services it is able to provide.
NATL’s advocates are the primary referral advocates for all families who are referred to the
POMC Organization, and provide the additional services that the organization is unable to
offer (please see above services provided/offered by NATL) thus eliminating the need for this
population of victims to travel to numerous organizations to receive all of the services that they
may need/require to move forward with their lives.
Achievements:
NATL’s main focus and primary purpose is in assisting victims/survivors throughout their
recovery process to enable them to establish a “new normal” after the loss of a loved one to
violence, and move forward with their lives.
Due to the myriad of services that the organization is able to offer, NATL has been successful
to date in its' ability to accomplish this task by providing victims with the comprehensive
services that they require under the umbrella of one organization, thus eliminating the need for
them to visit a number of organizations to have their specific needs/requirements met.
San Antonio Independent Living Services (SAILS)
To advocate for the rights and empowerment of the people with disABILITIES and to provide
needed services to people with disABILITIES in order to increase their self-determination and
independence.
To provide individual and systems advocacy:
SAILS provided information and assistance for people with disabilities and their families in
accessing support systems and promoting changes that enhance full access to the
community. SAILS provided education on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and
information about disability rights.
To provide information and referrals:
SAILS provided 11,496 current information and community resources for FY12-13.
To provide independent living skills:
SAILS provided workshops to enhance persons with disabilities ability to live more
independently and more self-sufficient. SAILS provided 429 independent living plans (ILPs) to
consumers.
To provide peer support to persons with disabilities:
SAILS offered opportunities for persons with disabilities to interact, learn and share with peers
who also have disabilities.
About San Antonio Independent Living Services:
SAILS is a 501 c 3 nonprofit serving persons and their families with disabilities. Our four core
services are advocacy, information and referrals, independent living skills and peer support.
SAILS staff serve persons with all types of disabilities such as physical, mental/emotional,
cognitive, developmental and sensory disabilities. Since 1981 SAILS has worked to make San
Antonio and the surrounding counties a better place to live, work and play.
SAILS is San Antonio's only state and federal-designated independent living center
Independent living is different from other social services in that people with disABILITIES
decide what services are needed and the best way to receive those services. This allows
individuals more control over their own lives and leads to independence.
Seton Home
To provide Shelter:
Seton Home provided 79 homeless teen mothers and 78 children with 23, 420 shelter nights.
During that time 14 babies were born with average birth weight of 7.05lbs.
To provide child care:
Seton Home provided 246 childcare days last year to children of our teen mothers, which
aided in improved academic attendance.
To provide transportation:
Seton Home provided transportation to all 157 clients served to various services and
appointments.
To provide substance abuse services:
Seton Home provided 287 individual and group drug counseling hours.
Seton Home provided 1,086 individual therapy hours and 106 group therapy hours to its
clients
Seton Home provided ongoing case management services to 79 homeless teen mothers and
78 children.
To provide training and education (GED, life skills, etc.)
Seton Home enrolled 100% of eligible teen mothers in school. 8 earned their high school
diploma, 6 earned their GED, 16 were enrolled in college or a vocational program and 56 total
college hours were earned.
Seton Home also provided 518 individual parenting sessions to teen mothers.
About Seton Home:
Seton Home is a non-profit 501(c)3 residential facility that has been providing services since
1981. Seton Home provides housing and supportive services for homeless, abused, pregnant
and/or parenting teens and their children who come to Seton Home often as the result of very
traumatic situations. Seton Home help clients in progressing from crisis situations to selfsufficiency by providing residential, mental and physical health, educational services as well
as ecumenical spiritual and social services. Seton Home’s mission is to foster childbirth and
parenting and works to break the cycle of abuse and poverty by providing a caring home,
education, and support services necessary to transform the lives of pregnant and parenting
teen mothers and their children. In an average year Seton Home assists approximately 85
girls and 80 babies. At present, we have the capacity for 32 teen mothers and their children
for our long term shelter. Residents may stay at Seton Home through age 22, reaping a
greater benefit of our services, and increasing their future stability. Since its inception, Seton
Home has provided more than 2,200 teenage mothers and their babies with shelter and
supportive services.
Criminal Justice Issues (law enforcement, courts, corrections)
Priority 1: Identify and leverage technology to improve regional operational
effectiveness, increase situational awareness and enhance officer safety while
reducing response times and the need for additional manpower.
Areas of Focus:
•Data & Communications Interoperability (CAD, RMS, MCT, Radio, etc…)
The identification, acquisition, or enhancement and deployment of a law enforcement
Records Management Systems (RMS), Field Based Reporting (FBR) Systems or Computer
Aided Dispatching (CAD) System that allow for the exchange of data exchange and
interoperable communications should be the primary focus regional public safety efforts that
are multi-jurisdiction and multi-agency. The proposed solution(s) should specifically be
designed to support as many law enforcement agencies as possible, each with their own
ORI’s and UCR/NIBRS requirements as feasible.
The long-range purpose of the project is to implement one or more state-of-the-art law
enforcement CAD, RMS and FBR platform that improve multi-agency support and integration.
It is anticipated that multi-agency capable CAD, RMS and Field Based Reporting systems will
allow Bexar County law enforcement agencies and other partners to better meet their needs
as data-driven policing organizations. This will reduce cost and duplication of effort while
ensuring the sharing of resources while improving services.
To that end:

The CAD, RMS, and Field Based Reporting Systems should be built upon relational
databases with properly structured data elements to support searching and reporting.

The user interfaces should be user-friendly, with such features as field validation,
smart-suggest, and context-sensitive help.

The CAD, RMS and Field Based Reporting Systems should be capable of interfacing
with a number of external systems to minimize duplicate data entry and improve the
accessibility of data from disparate sources.

The intention is to employ solutions that adhere to industry standards as a means of
prolonging the life of the system and improving compatibility with other systems.
The goals of this project are to:

Define, procure, and implement comprehensive public safety CAD, RMS, Field-Based
Reporting System or other technologies that improves inter-agency data and
interoperability communications.

Employ an IT architecture that is consistent with contemporary technology, adheres to
current and future IT technology standards, and anticipates technological progress
over the next 5 years.

Provide an automated environment that leverages technology to enhance and support
daily operations with timely, accurate information.
The objectives of this project are:

Improve productivity by eliminating redundant tasks and data entry.

Strengthen communication and relations with and between all agencies through
integration, data sharing, and communication tools.

Provide a solution that will allow all geographic area Bexar County agencies to
accommodate future technology developments.

Provide mechanism(s) to easily update the system as new statutes, regulations,
and/or business policies and procedures are created or changed.
Regional Information Sharing Hubs:
Overview:

The sharing of enterprise applications and the exchange of valuable criminal justice
and public safety data will enable coordinated responses, improve officer safety,
improve the effectiveness of public safety initiatives, further or collective mission to
protect the quality of life and property within our region.

Regional information sharing hubs provide a framework for public safety agencies to
access a network for purposes of enhancing the exchange of criminal justice
information and the provisioning of public safety shared services such as but not
limited to Mobile Data, E-Citation, Integrated Justice, and TLETS (Omnixx).
Any Public Safety Agency within AACOG desiring to participate in the use of the regional
information sharing hub will execute cooperative service agreements.
Examples of current Bexar County system and Participating Agencies:
ACCD PD*, Alamo Heights PD, Balcones Heights PD, Castle Hills PD, Harlandale ISD PD,
Helotes PD*, La Coste PD*, Lackland AFB*, OLLU PD, Olmos Park PD, Northside ISD
PD*, St. Mary's University PD, Terrell Hills PD, NSA PD*, Trinity University PD, UIW PD,
UTHSC PD, UTSA PD
*Agencies who have yet to deploy any BC-RISH services
• Subject Identification, Investigation and Tracking (AFIS, Digital Fingerprinting, GPS
Tracking, Forensic technology, etc…)
 Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is a type of biometric system that
uses digital imaging to capture a fingerprint, which then can then be compared to a
database of fingerprint records to help determine the identity of an individual. AFIS is a
biometrics system commonly used in law enforcement where sets of prints are
recorded at crime scenes, digitally captured and then compared to fingerprint records
in the AFIS system. Civilian uses of AFIS include fingerprint scanners for security
purposes.
Priority 2: Develop, implement and train area law enforcement agencies in Critical
Incident Response through the use of Mutual Aid and the Incident Command System.
Tactical Medic Training:

Very dangerous conditions and unconventional hazards are commonplace for tactical
law enforcement (SWAT) teams and law enforcement as a whole, when responding to
life threatening situations and medical personnel are not readily available. Most teams
are equipped and trained to handle hostage incidents, barricades, high risk warrant
service and dignitary protection. Many teams have additional duties which put them at
high risk for injury, such as tactical diving and other marine activities, back country law
enforcement, air operations or search and rescue. Some teams operate on a full time
basis, while others are part-time, responding from patrol duties and other assignments
when required. All are highly trained to operate in these adverse and austere
conditions. Due to the nature of the missions and the special training of these teams,
personnel continuously work at the edge of the safety envelope. The health and safety
of a tactical team is a command responsibility. Manpower maintenance and
appropriate medical support are essential to mission accomplishment.
Priority 3: Identify and implement effective programs to address key Quality of Life
issues (PI&E, Crime Prevention).
Law Enforcement/Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Collaboration:
Law enforcement agencies have transitioned from sole enforcement, incarceration and
judicial processing offenders to researching root causes of crime trends and collaborating
with non-governmental organizations in victim assistance initiatives. Victim advocacy has
expanded beyond assisting the direct victims to including the indirect victims, such as
coordinating forensic interviews of children who witness domestic violence.
Law enforcement agencies throughout Bexar County and Texas strive to maintain a positive
relationship with the citizenry by providing a professional community-based type of policing.
Law enforcement department heads and officers routinely meet with independent citizens
and homeowner associations in association meetings and promotional endeavors, such as
“National Night Out” in order to gather community concerns, discuss proactive crime
prevention measures and implement remedial methods to current crime and environmental
concerns. Law enforcement officials throughout Bexar County wholeheartedly agree that
with the “Broken Windows” Theory in communities, crime generally increases and quality of
life decreases. Law enforcement collaborating with Public Works, volunteer groups and the
citizens with environmental abatement efforts provides a sense of community ownership, thus
a reduction in crime.
Current cost-efficient Public Information & Education (PI&E) practices are informing the public
of safety awareness, crime prevention methods and enforcement through the news media.
PI&E funding would provide law enforcement agencies with the resources to enhance and
expand informative broadcasts.
Law Enforcement/Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Collaboration-Supporting
Data:
ChildSafe Expanding Services BY MELISSA FLETCHER STOELTJE : FEBRUARY 26, 2013
ChildSafe, which assesses and treats some 1,800 victims of child sexual abuse annually in
San Antonio, is expanding its scope of services to include nonsexual physical abuse and
neglect, officials said Tuesday. Such maltreatment is at an “at an all-time high in San
Antonio,” ChildSafe CEO Kim Abernethy said at a news conference. In 2011, Bexar County
saw a record number of children — 20 — die from abuse or neglect, she noted. As it has in
years past, the county led the state in the number of confirmed child abuse or neglect victims
— 5,915. “We are realigning our organization to treat children traumatized by all forms of
abuse,” Abernethy said. “This is such an important issue in our community. It's up to
everyone to take a stand against abuse.” Abernethy also announced that ChildSafe will offer
its child abuse training classes to Bexar County deputies and supervisors, as it has for the
past five years to San Antonio police officers. The two-hour training, which addresses such
issues as the dynamics of physical and sexual abuse and neglect and how to properly
conduct forensic interviews of victims, is crucial information for her employees, new and
seasoned, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said. “Because our deputies are so often
the first responders in domestic violence situations, it's imperative that they understand how
child abuse fits into the equation,” she said. “Expanding our partnership with ChildSafe will
strengthen their ability to assess and report child abuse.” ChildSafe, the only child advocacy
center in Bexar County, has provided services to the victims of child sexual abuse and their
families for 23 years. In doing so, it works with a host of agencies, including Child Protective
Services, the Sheriff's Office, the police and the district attorney's office, all with the goal of
helping young victims heal and bringing perpetrators to justice. Abernethy said expanding its
scope of services will increase the number of children it serves by about 20 percent, or 300
more children a year. “Because our staff is trained in treating children who have been
traumatized by sexual abuse, we are able to seamlessly aid young victims who have been
physically abused and neglected,” she said. Abernethy also announced some members of
the Companies for Kids program, in its second year, which enlists local businesses and
corporations to help ChildSafe through a variety of ways, such as financial aid or in-kind
donations. James Thomas, CEO of the MPS Group, a copier/printer sales and service
company, was one member who attended the news conference. When Thomas recently
learned on Facebook that a ChildSafe client — a mother with young children — didn't have
any beds for her kids, he promptly took out his credit card. “People are so often afraid to talk
about child abuse and neglect,” he said. “But the fact is abuse happens everywhere, all
across the city, from the less fortunate to the affluent. It's time for businesses to get involved.”
Abernethy stressed that everyone must speak out if they suspect child abuse or neglect is
occurring by calling the hotline — 800-252-5400. mstoeltje@express-news.net
Regional Operational Effectiveness-Supporting Data:
A recent memorial demonstrations of inter-agency response to a critical incident:
 Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Manuel Herrera shot when he stopped a
suspect, sought by Hollywood Park Police Department and Hill Country Village Police
Department, for a felony crime.
Bexar County deputy wounded; suspect killed in mobile home park
by Kens5.com Staff
Posted on February 22, 2013 at 2:51 PM
CONVERSE, Texas -- San Antonio police shot and killed a man they say wounded a Bexar
County deputy and stole his vehicle, launching a Friday afternoon manhunt through northeast
neighborhoods. It all began at around 2:30 p.m. Friday when a Bexar County deputy took
note of a green vehicle that matched the description of a stolen car being sought by
Hollywood Park and Hill Country Village police. When the deputy attempted to pull the driver,
25-year-old Jose Elias Mata, over at Gibbs-Sprawl Road and Old Cimmaron Trail, Mata
reportedly sped off. That chase came to an end when the suspect allegedly ran a red light
and collided the SUV into another car at Schumann Road. That car was being driven by a
woman who had just left work and was on the way to pick up her child from school. The
woman said she witnessed Mata as he opened fire on Deputy Manuel Herrera and then fled
in the deputy's SUV. About a mile and a half up the road, Mata reportedly ditched the
Chevrolet Tahoe on Toepperwein Road. Mata was then tracked down to a home in the
Summit Ridge Mobile Home Park in the 7400 block of Kitty Hawk -- near Shawnee Bluff and
Schumann Road -- in northeast Bexar County around 3 p.m. Paul Berry with the Bexar
County Sheriff's Office said as Mata was running he engaged in gunfire with the San Antonio
Police Department, and was shot down. Authorities said they found a woman inside the
deputy's stolen Tahoe. She was taken to Northeast Methodist Hospital in unknown condition.
Herrera suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and leg, but his injuries are not considered lifethreatening. Four schools in the Judson Independent School District were placed on
lockdown: Crestview Elementary School; Kitty Hawk Middle School; Judson High School; and
Judson Early College Academy.
Tactical Medic Success Story (San Antonio Police Department):
During the first two classes of the SAPD Tactical Medic program, officers were trained by the
Border Patrol’s BORSTAR Unit. At no cost to the SAPD, the Border Patrol sent instructors to
San Antonio to train the two classes of 30 students with half SAPD and half Border Patrol.
These classes lasted six weeks, were usually ten hour days and included a period of 21 to 33
days where the students did not have a day off because of having to complete EMS rides and
clinical training at the hospital on weekends. This is the shortest possible period that this
training could be accomplished. Items that must be considered are the cost of special
assignment for six weeks plus the possible repercussions from overtime and relief days
owed. To further complicate matters a number of these officers either let their certifications
lapse and/or others have left the program.
To try and remedy this problem, we now require officers to put themselves through training
and to come to us with their certifications or be in the process of obtaining them, similar to the
Helicopter Unit. The cost for this training tends to average out to $1000 to $1350.
Certifications cost $45 for a 4 year Texas license (required), background check $55 (cannot
be your agency, must use their company, no exceptions). Not required but good to have is
the NREMT license at $70 for the testing and $15 bi-annual renewal. The paramedic level of
testing and reciprocity cost more at $180. CPR training (required) at $6 per person every two
years.
To finish off the Tactical Medic Training, our officers attended a 10-14 day training camp at
Fort Bliss N.M. This was offered out of the generosity of the Border Patrol and Federal
Government (which doesn’t charge) with assistance all the way up to BP HQ in Washington
D.C. There was no charge for us from the Border Patrol. Students stayed in barracks free of
charge. Costs for this training to COSA included administrative leave, transportation, gas,
per diem, ammo for 1000 rounds of .223 and 500 rounds of .40 caliber. We sent officers to
BORSTAR training when they had available slots for students. We also had a reciprocal
agreement to offer training from SAPD in exchange and free of charge. Some of the Border
Patrol officers have attended SWAT and Negotiation schools. Due to sequestration and
budget cuts this training is currently not being offered at this time. There is not any way to
put a cost estimate to this phase of training.
January 19, 2013 San Antonio Express-News excerpt:
“It really is an emphasis that they are law enforcement officers and that is their expectation,”
said Dr. Craig Manifold, the medical director for the San Antonio Fire Department EMS
Division and overseer of the program. “Secure that scene and make that scene safe ... then
transition to medic side.”
Quality of Life-Supporting Data:
Domestic Violence Data:
Facts and Statistics
2012
• Women Killed: 114
• Family violence incidents: 188,992
• Adults sheltered: 11,994
• Children sheltered: 14,534
• Adults receiving nonresidential services (i.e., counseling, legal advocacy, etc.): 36,831
• Children receiving nonresidential services: 15,694
• Adults denied shelter (due to lack of space): 26.2%
• Hotline calls answered: 191,301
2011
• Adults receiving nonresidential services (i.e., counseling, legal advocacy, etc.): 37,375
• Adults denied shelter (due to lack of space): 21%
• Hotline calls answered: 207,510
2010
• Adults receiving nonresidential services (i.e., counseling, legal advocacy, etc.) : 37,290
• Adults denied shelter (due to lack of space): 24.94%
Hotline calls answered: 205,793
Information provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Council on Family
Violence, and the Texas Department of Public Safety
Population Growth Data:
Census 2010 Figures Highlight Impressive Bexar County Population
Growth
Recently released US Census 2010 figures confirm Bexar County's national position as a
leader in population. Bexar County's population of 1,714,773 million has increased 23.1%
since the previous census of 2000, a greater increase than the State of Texas average of
20.6%.
Bexar is one of the largest 20 counties in the United States (#19 based on Census 2000) and
is the 4th largest county in Texas. The top 5 counties in Texas reported the following
population gains:
US CENSUS 2010 POPULATION FOR TOP 5 COUNTIES IN
TEXAS
RANK
COUNTY
POPULATION
INCREASE
1
HARRIS COUNTY
4,092,459
+20.3
2
DALLAS COUNTY
2,368,139
+ 6.7
3
TARRANT COUNTY
1,809,034
+25.1
4
BEXAR COUNTY
1,714,773
+23.1
5
TRAVIS COUNTY
1,024,266
+26.1
The State of Texas population now exceeds 25 million and is second only to California.
Texas will gain four congressional seats from the census figures, more than any other state.
Source: http://www.bexar.org/News/Census2010.html
UCR - SUPPORTING DATA:
Uniform Crime Report
Viol.
Crime
Murder/
Non-Neg.
manslghtr
Forcible
rape
Burglary
Larcenytheft
Motor
vehicle
theft
Arson
42
0
220
29
191
6
NA
1,712
333
4,635
2,013
4,182
453
90
6
15
684
73
565
46
0
0
0
61
12
46
3
NA
492
1785
4672
80871
15334
59644
5893
NA
0
9
4
71
626
70
524
32
NA
0
2
7
8
331
37
271
22
1
565
3110
5138
87,428
17568
65423
6455
90
Robb,
Agg
Assault
Property
Crime
1
2
39
12
61
1306
21
0
0
0
0
0
7038
89
Schertz PD
84
Windcrest PD
17
2011
Alamo Heights
Bexar County SO
Live Oak
Olmos Park
San Antonio PD
8914
101
Total
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr
2012
Alamo Heights
Bexar County SO
Live Oak
Olmos Park
San Antonio PD
Schertz PD
Windcrest PD
Viol.
Crime
Murder/
Non-Neg.
manslghtr
Forcible
rape
Burglary
Larcenytheft
Motor
vehicle
theft
Arson
43
0
201
34
201
7
NA
482
308
6,398
2,081
3,865
452
80
7
21
690
80
569
41
0
0
0
0
104
18
86
0
0
89
549
1864
4441
82698
15668
60633
6397
NA
64
0
8
4
52
642
100
504
38
NA
9
1
0
3
5
398
38
337
22
1
628
1981
4861
91131
18019
66195
6957
81
Robb,
Agg
Assault
Property
crime
5
4
34
10
65
99
29
0
1
0
0
6943
7570
100
Total
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
(listed in order of priority, greatest need first)
In guiding its deliberations for shaping this portion of the Bexar County Community Plan, the
subcommittee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse gave significant and concerted
consideration to the stated mission of the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division
(CJD). By reminding ourselves regularly of the first part of that mission, “to create and
support programs that protect people from crime [and] reduce the number of crimes
committed,” our planning remained focused on the significant improvements to community
safety that arises from each respective program when they are dutifully administered and
delivered. By remaining mindful of the second part of the CJDs mission, we gave equal
consideration to our place as tax payers with a collective interest in the most “accountable,
efficient and effective” use of resources toward the achievement of the common good. In this
way, the subcommittee sought to draft a plan which would encourage and support the
outstanding public-private collaborations that deliver outstanding outcomes and the most
efficient use of community resources.
Research at every level of our government – national, state, and local – supports the value
and community benefit of collaborations. In particular, mounting evidence demonstrates that
treatment and prevention programs for mental health and substance abuse result in
outstanding outcomes for individuals while at the same time achieving significant cost
reduction for local, state, and national budgets. Additionally, significant and credible research
has been conducted regarding the effectiveness of prevention programs. Such programs
aimed at smoking, illegal and prescription drug abuse and underage and excessive adult
drinking have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness in curbing such abuses.
The 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey of the
civilian, non-institutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older found:
In 2012, an estimated 22.2 million persons aged 12 or older (8.5 percent) were classified with
substance dependence or abuse in the past year based on criteria specified in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). Of these, 2.8 million were
classified with dependence or abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, 4.5 million had dependence
or abuse of illicit drugs but not alcohol, and 14.9 million had dependence or abuse of alcohol
but not illicit drugs.

The specific illicit drugs with the largest numbers of persons with past year
dependence or abuse in 2012 were marijuana (4.3 million), pain relievers (2.1 million),
and cocaine (1.1 million). The number of persons with marijuana dependence or
abuse did not change between 2002 and 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, the number
with pain reliever dependence or abuse increased from 1.4 million to 2.1 million, and
between 2006 and 2012, the number with cocaine dependence or abuse declined from
1.7 million to 1.1 million.

The number of persons with heroin dependence or abuse in 2012 (467,000) was
approximately twice the number in 2002 (214,000).
The subcommittee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse encourages those applications for
funding which support the continuation of collaborative efforts between the court and
treatment providers. Further, the subcommittee encourages funding for prevention programs
demonstrated to reduce crime and avoid related long-term costs.
Priority 1:
To provide a collaborative continuum of prevention and intervention services that are
accessible, culturally competent and which incorporates both evidence based and best
practices approach.
Priority areas and activities
 Intervention
o Assessments
o Beds/Facilities – Treatment
o Counseling
o Diversion
o Judicial, Law Enforcement and Legal Training
o Parenting Skills

Transitional Services
o Beds/Facilities – Housing (Transitional and Permanent)
o Counseling
o Recovery Support Specialists and Coaches
o Recovery Support Services
Juveniles
The Subcommittee believes that youth substance abuse and mental health continue to be
extremely serious and pervasive problems in Bexar County, and that youth affected by these
problems cannot be treated the same as adults. However, because the Community Plan now
has a separate sub-committee addressing these issues, this Subcommittee decided to reprioritize it here.
Jails and juvenile justice facilities are the new asylums. Cutbacks in community mental
health programs across the nation have resulted in increasing reliance on the juvenile
corrections system to handle young offenders with psychiatric disorders. According to a New
York Times article, entitled “Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System” dated August 10,
2009:
 About two-thirds of the nation’s juvenile inmates have at least one mental illness, and
are more in need of therapy than punishment.
 Inadequate mental health services for young people increases recidivism.
 Increasing numbers of juvenile inmates are reliant on multiple and powerful
psychotropic drugs.
 There are chronic shortages of child mental health professionals. A 2006 study
estimated that there are less than nine child psychiatrists for every 100,000 youths.
Children with mental health problems, including substance abuse, need access to medical
care, psychiatric/psychological counseling and a secure living environment. For all
populations, some form of case management and client advocacy services are needed, along
with information and referral to programs that will help them to live independently.
It is best to provide such services within the community. It is estimated that the total cost per
child enrolled in an intensive intervention and prevention in-home family services program for
offenders at risk of abusing drugs is $7,500. In sharp contrast, the cost per child placed in a
residential facility is over $230,000.
Currently, services for this population are provided in part by the Center for Health Care
Services, the San Antonio State Hospital, Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department and
contract service providers. The number of service providers and their capacity to deal with
the growing numbers of youth who are demonstrating mental health problems is insufficient,
and there is a need for a substantial increase in funding and staff.
“Texas Drug Facts Among Youth 2012,” 13th Biannual Statewide Texas School Survey of
Substance Use (Mental Health Substance Abuse Services Division, Texas Department of
State Health Services) documents a study of 87,293 students in grades 7-12 from 78 school
districts. Students were randomly selected from school districts throughout the state using a
multi-stage probability design.
This survey reported the prevalence use of various substances among youth in 2012:
 Alcohol Use:
o 58% reported that they had used alcohol at some point in their lives.
o 25% reported use of alcohol in the past month.
 Inhalants:
o 15.7% reported that they had used inhalants at some point in their lives.
o 4.8% reported use of inhalants in the past month.
 Marijuana:
o 26% reported that they had used marijuana at some point in their lives.
o 11% reported use of marijuana in the past month.
 Xanax:
o 3.9% reported that they had used Xanax at some point in their lives.
 Cocaine/Crack:
o 4.6% reported that they had used cocaine/crack at some point in their lives.


o 4% reported use of cocaine/crack in the past month.
DXM or Triple Cs (Coricidin):
o 6% reported that they had used at some point in their lives.
o 1.7% reported use in the past month.
Vicodin, Lortab, etc.:
o 7.5% reported that they had used at some point in their lives.
Children’s mental illness is a major issue in our community.
o One (1) in seven (7), 14% of Texas Hispanic high school students report having made
a suicide plan. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in children.
o 1 in 2 of all lifetime cases of mental illness begins by age 14. One (1) in five (5)
children in the US has a mental illness, though many go undiagnosed.
o Children suffer from...
o 1 in 4 Bexar County children live in poverty, yet 40,710 children are not yet
enrolled with Medicaid.
o 1in 5 children with mental disorders actually receive treatment. In Bexar County,
an estimated1300 children were admitted to a local ER for psychiatric reasons,
often with no specialized care immediately available.
o Texas ranks last of all states in relation to expenditures for children’s mental
health, with only $18.85 per capita compared to $80 per capita nationwide.
o Untreated children are twice as likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
o 50% of children with a serious emotional disturbance drop out of high school.
o 1 in 2 juveniles incarcerated have an undiagnosed mental illness.
o 9 in10 parents reported an improvement in their child after treatment at Clarity Child
Guidance Center.
During the 2006-2007 school year, within Bexar County, there were more than 3,100
incidents of disciplinary actions taken in local school districts related to student possession of
illegal substances/drugs.
A total of 192 children participated in the two Juvenile Drug Court programs during grant year
2013. Of those children who successfully completed the program, 98% were not re-referred
for any subsequent substance abuse offense within six months of release as of 11/30/2013
(BCJDP, 2013).
Research on mental illness in children and adolescents is challenging because of their
ongoing development. “Given the process of development . . . disorders in some children
improve as development unfolds, perhaps as a result of healthy influences impinging upon
them. Other youth, formerly only ‘at risk,’ may develop full-blown forms of disorder, as severe
and devastating in their impact on the youth and family as are the analogous conditions that
affect adults. Characterizing such disorders as relatively unchangeable underestimates the
potential beneficial influences that can redirect a child whose development has gone awry”
(Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, January 2000).
A recent report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “Grading the States”, found
an apparent rise in the number of minorities self-reporting depression problems – bad news
for a state in which the population is projected to soon become majority minority. Texas
ranks 46th nationally in mental health spending per capita. Included in NAMI’s assessment:
“For a state that has one of the largest uninsured populations in the country and a large
number of immigrants without access to health care, Texas hasn’t invested enough in the
system to meet minimum levels of need.”
For information as to the mental health needs of our overall juvenile/youth population, the
Bexar County Consolidated Plan for 2005-2009 included data from the Texas Department of
Health and Human Services showing that there are an estimated 47,824 children/youth in
Bexar County who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The mental illness diagnosis
includes schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, life time dysthymia,
phobias and/or other impairments. An additional 81,058 children/youth have been identified
as being at risk of having a significant impairment due to a mental disorder.
Regarding institutionalized juvenile/youth, a rigorous national study concluded that 70.4% of
children in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for at least one mental health
disorder. Of these children, 79% had co-occurring mental health disorders, and 27% had a
mental disorder severe enough to require significant and immediate treatment (Shufelt &
Cocozza, 2006).
The State of Texas has registered similar levels of prevalence to those found nationally. All
children referred to juvenile probation departments are administered the Massachusetts
Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2) pursuant to a state-wide initiative
established by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC). This screening tool is
used to identify problems in seven subscales/categories as indicated in two levels of scoring,
Caution and Warning. A comprehensive examination of the state data revealed that 60% of
youth met the “caution” criteria in at least one subscale; 25% met the “warning” criteria on at
least one subscale; and girls scored higher on each and every subscale (TJPC 2003).
In fiscal year 2013, of the 6,194 MAYSI-2 administered to children referred to the Bexar
County Juvenile Probation Department 61% (3,781) met the caution or warning criteria in at
least one subscale, and 18% (1,112) of the youth screened exhibited symptom severity that
warranted a subsequent clinical assessment.
The mental health system in Bexar County provides services within the juvenile justice
system. The University Health System conducts mental status exams on all detained youth
through on-site full-time clinicians. These clinicians routinely see approximately 40% of
detained youth for follow-up on a daily basis. Mental health services also include psychiatric
screening and referral, assessment and medication management for youth with mental health
concerns. Currently, approximately 20% of youth in the detention facility arrive having been
prescribed psychotropic medication while in the community or were prescribed it following an
evaluation while in detention. In addition, approximately 70% of the residents of the secure
correctional treatment facilities run by Juvenile Probation present with a severe mental health
diagnosis that requires the use of prescribed psychotropic medication.
Overall, the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS), as the Local Mental Health Authority,
has the state-funded capacity to serve approximately 466 children (3-17 years) per month in
outpatient settings and, in fact, serves an estimated 600 children per month. Of these
children, approximately 125 are involved with the juvenile justice system and are served at
Juvenile Probation’s main office. CHCS provides individual and family counseling, case
management, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, substance abuse counseling
for youth, and family partner support services.
At present, Bexar County has 28 inpatient psychiatric facilities and 13 residential treatment
facilities, four of which are the primary facilities that provide inpatient psychiatric services to
adolescents: Clarity Child Guidance Center (52 adolescent beds); San Antonio State
Hospital (40 adolescent beds); Nix Specialty Health Center (21 adolescent beds); and Laurel
Ridge Treatment Center (60 adolescent/children beds available). Of these four, only the San
Antonio State Hospital and Clarity Child Guidance Center offer hospitalizations to indigent
youth.
Private for-profit and non-profit counseling agencies work to fill gaps in mental health
services. There are approximately 1,288 Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed
Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Psychologists and Licensed Masters Social
Workers practicing in Bexar County, of which 79% treat adolescents and 44% accept
Medicaid (Mental Health Association 2005). Nonetheless, there is generally a three-month
wait list for community-based psychiatric evaluations.
In addition to mental health counseling, other non-profit agencies within Bexar County work to
provide additional services to juveniles such as parenting and education classes. A healthy
home is a place where a warm, caring environment and nurturing, empathetic interactions
promote healthy bonding between a child and mother. Seton Home has been able to provide
the education and support to its residents through parenting sessions and groups so that they
can create a healthy home for their child. Teens receive parenting education services within
their first week at Seton Home. Teens participate in the initial 8-week class, followed by
individual sessions as needed. In FY 2013, of the 24 teen mothers that completed both the
pre-test AAPI (Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory) and post-test AAPI, 100% showed
increased parenting knowledge and graduated from parenting class.
During the months of July through October 2013, 258 individual and group parenting
sessions were conducted with the residents and their children. 28 children received
developmental screenings and their mothers received follow-up sessions. 13 residents
completed the Precious Minds New Connections (PMNC) parenting group using the
Nurturing Parenting Program and demonstrated an increase on their post-AAPI. 100% of
these residents also demonstrated a decrease of risk factors for child abuse on their postAAPI. As a result of the developmental screenings (using the Ages and Stages
Questionnaires or ASQs), all mothers stated that they understood the results and their child’s
current level of development.
Pregnant and parenting teen mothers that have been victims of abuse are at a greater risk of
becoming abusers themselves due to background and lack of parenting knowledge and
coping skills. Seton Home utilizes a multi-prong approach of individual and group parenting
education in tandem with individual and group counseling sessions to provide the necessary
support for the young families served to break the generational cycle of abuse and neglect
and improve the overall community safety in San Antonio and Bexar County.
Adults
In 2012 40,802 defendants were processed through Central Magistration (CMAG.) Of those
only 1,860 were screened for mental health (MH) leaving 38,942 not screened. That is less
than 5% screened.
The current MH process at CMAG takes place only on Monday thru Friday 8 – 5. There is
only 1 clinician performing these duties at that time who depends on personal observation
and referrals from detention, magistrate and Pretrial staff.
The new plan will require the Pretrial Services Office (PTSO) Intake staff, already working
24/7 at CMAG, to perform a quick review of every defendant processed thru CMAG for the
purposes of identifying which may have mental health and/or substance abuse issues. It will
also be essential that clinicians be on site 24/7 as well to assess those referred to them.
PTSO staff will be trained in the proper method and manner in screening for mental health,
substance abuse and family violence issues.
The anticipated increase in referrals will necessitate additional clinicians working 24/7 in
order to process and properly assess the defendants being referred. We need to know what
services are available to address the anticipated increase in volume of referrals and
diversion. Treatment providers must be available 24/7 (to include transportation for diverted
defendants) so that we can “…provide a collaborative continuum...” Treatment providers
must also be able to deliver follow-up services, early and often. Mobile onsite assessment
services for individuals in hospitals, emergency rooms, detention areas, and jails.
Specialty Courts have proven to be particularly effective means for adjudicating cases related
to mental health and substance abuse in ways that:
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Serve the community by increasing public safety,
Serve the individual by encouraging life change for the individual, and
Serve the state by saving taxpayer funds.
Among the voluminous citations recognizing the value of these problem solving courts, one
strong evidence for the development, implementation, enhancement, and support of specialty
courts is cited in TDCJ‘s own 2004 publication which states that the cost of incarcerating an
individual in prison is approximately $43 per day while the cost of maintaining him or her on
probation is $1.19 per day (i.e., the cost of 10 days of prison is equal to an entire year of
probation). (Citation 1)
By concentrating on the root causes of criminal behavior and the recovery of defendants,
specialty courts better ensure public safety. The subcommittee encourages funding
applications that foster the development, implementation, enhancement, and support of
Specialty Courts and community resources that support treatment of mental illness and
substance abuse for all our citizens.
Adult Felony and Misdemeanor Drug Courts
A 2006 report from the National Association of State Alcohol/Drug Abuse Directors, every
dollar spent on treatment (rather than incarceration) will yield $7 in future state savings
(Citation 2). Other estimates suggest the benefit to be even greater. The office of Judge John
Creuzot, Criminal District Court No. 4, Dallas reports that for every dollar spent on individuals
in diversion programs, the state saves $9.34. While the value of community benefits and
taxpayer savings are estimated based on numerous inputs, no such estimates are required
for determining costs as allocated in the state budget. In 2009 TDCJ Operating Budget
allocated 90% of criminal justice funds on prison beds and hard incarceration, with only 10%
on diversion programs, community correction, and treatment alternatives to incarceration
(Citation 3). When properly implemented, however, the latter is more likely to increase public
safety and decrease costs.
While numerous factors contribute to such benefits, improved recidivism rates among
specialty court participants is most notable. According to Bexar County Felony and
Misdemeanor Drug Court Judge Ernie Glenn, ―In the last few years the program has had a
recidivism rate of 18%. That means 82% of our graduates have not been arrested again for
anything (Citation 4). Judge Al Alonso (County Court #1) concurs with Glenn in affirming the
benefit to the community, ―It costs $20,000 and $50,000 a year to keep a non-violent
offender jailed compared to $3,000 in Drug Court (Citation 5).
Since implementing the program in 2001, the Bexar County Drug Court has had over 565
men and women complete the rigorous requirements of participants. By partnering with
private treatment providers offering non-violent offenders an alternative to costly jail time, the
Court saw over 300 participants ―graduate, will continue living drug free, and become
productive members of society.
According to NPC Research’s September 2013 evaluation of Bexar County’s Felony Drug
Court (BCFDC), program participants were significantly less likely to be re-arrested than
offenders who were eligible for the program but did not participate. Only 4% of drug court
graduates were re-arrested in the first year following graduation from BCFDC, with 11% in
the second year and 19% in the third year. This is compared to all individuals who qualified
but did not participate who had recidivism rates of 25% in the first year, 36% in year two, and
45% in year three following their interaction with the Bexar County Criminal Justice System.
The September 2013 evaluation also found that there were substantial cost savings due to
drug court participants’ positive outcomes. The total cost related to recidivism three years
post drug court entry per participant (regardless of graduation status) was $11,128, while the
cost comparison for individuals not in drug court was $20,532. This results in a total cost
savings of $9,404 per BCFDC participant. This has now translated to formally utilized
resources repurposed for other uses.
Adult Mental Health Courts
In courtrooms across the country, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys are seeing
increasing numbers of defendants who have serious untreated mental illnesses charged with
committing low-level crimes. Traditional court processes do little to improve outcomes for
many of these people who cycle repeatedly through jail, courtrooms, and our city streets. As
an alternative to the status quo, court officials, working in partnership with leaders in the
mental health system and local and state policymakers, have designed problem-solving
mental health courts. These courts depart from the traditional model used in most criminal
proceedings. Instead, as a team and under the judge‘s guidance, prosecutors, defense
attorneys, and mental health service providers connect eligible defendants with communitybased mental health treatment and, in lieu of incarceration, assign them to community based
supervision.
The Bexar County Mental Health Court will continue to expand its network of providers for
mental health providers and ancillary social service. Related to this, the Mental Health Court
is reaching out specifically to service providers for Veterans. This is particularly necessary
given the military presence within the community. The Mental Health Court will continue to
conduct outreach and education with defense attorneys and advocacy groups like the
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).
Chrysalis Ministries staff and volunteers had provided chaplaincy services and life skills
classes to nearly 40,000 incarcerated adults and juveniles in nine detention and treatment
facilities in Bexar and Karnes counties during fiscal year 2013, ending June 30, 2013. At the
outreach center, the Family Renewal Center, and at two local parole offices, the District
Resource Center and the Guadalupe Street Parole office, reentry services and life skills
classes were provided to 2,125 formerly incarcerated individuals. Social services were also
provided to 1,216 family members of the incarcerated. 86% of the formerly incarcerated
provided these services did not get rearrested during the fiscal year. This amazing recidivism
statistic has been less than 15% for the past seven years!
It was projected that 1,450 incarcerated individuals or formerly incarcerated individuals would
be provided services through the “Substance Recovery Project” during the calendar year of
January 1, 2013- December 31, 2013. This project consists of two parts: a “chemical
addition” psycho-educational class series and a “12-step substance recovery support group.”
We actually provided these services to a total of 1,625 individuals. 991 incarcerated
individuals were provided these services in six detention facilities: the Bexar County Jail, the
GEO-San Antonio federal facility, the GEO Correctional Center in Karnes City and at the
three detention facilities managed by the Bexar County Adult Probation Department – the
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility-I (SATF-I) the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility-II
(SATF-II) and the Intermediate Sanction Facility (ISF).
Chrysalis Ministries Outcomes Measures:
1. Percentage of participants in the “Substance Recovery Project” who reported
increased awareness and knowledge of substance recovery issues as noted on pre
and post-tests.
Projected outcome: 90%
Actual outcome:
87%
3,782 individuals took the pre test
3,269 individuals improved on the post-test
2. Percentage of formerly incarcerated individuals who participate in the Chemical
Addiction classes or the 12-step substance recovery groups who are not arrested.
Projected outcome: 85%
Actual outcome:
95%
Of the 634 formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in the substance
recovery groups, only 27 were rearrested!
All Ages
Both mental health and substance abuse can lead to interaction with the criminal justice
system for all ages. Many factors lead to mental health and substance abuse issues for
instance, MedlinePlus reports that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur at any
age. It can occur after events such as:
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Assault
Car accidents
Domestic abuse
Natural disasters
Prison stay
Rape
Terrorism
War
The following information shows large numbers of Texans are at risk for trauma from Assault,
Car Accidents, Domestic Abuse, Natural Disasters, and Rape. Texas is home for many
veterans who will also have trauma issues from war.
Texas Law Enforcement Agency Uniform Crime Reports indicate that in 2012 the population
was 26,059,203. In that year violent crime touched 106,476 people; 7,711 were raped,
30,382 were robbed and 67,239 suffered aggravated assault. There were 1,144 murders in
2012 leaving family members to deal with loss and grief and potential trauma issues as well
as financial and other social issues. A high percent of these people will suffer symptoms of
trauma and many already had trauma symptoms prior to these incidents.
According to Texas Department of Transportation, there were 58,339 serious injury crashes
in Texas with 80,188 people sustaining a serious injury. In 2011 there were 3,067 motor
vehicle fatalities and 425 pedestrian fatalities.
Statesman.com reported on August 11, 2012 that in Texas there are 154,000 prisoners in
111 state lockups placing Texas in fourth place in the United States for numbers of prisoners.
Bureau of Justice Statistics reports there were about 6,937,600 offenders under the
supervision of adult correctional systems at yearend 2012.
Texas Council on Family Violence reports the following domestic violence facts for 2012: 114
women were killed; there were 188,992 family violence incidents; 11,994 adults were
sheltered; 14,534 children were sheltered; 36,831 adults received nonresidential services
(counseling, legal advocacy, etc.); 15,694 children received nonresidential services; 26.2% of
adults were denied shelter due to lack of space and 191,301 hotline calls were answered.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) there were four major disaster declaration for Texas between 2011 and 2013
for wildfires, explosion and severe storms and flooding. Natural disasters result in huge
economic loss and instability within communities and can result in injuries and loss of life.
A large number of Texans will need assistance recovering from trauma symptoms. When
Texans approach agencies for help, the most important thing that can happen is that they be
treated with respect, and a sense of safety and acceptance to avoid re-victimization or retraumatizing them. In order to ensure that happens, there is a need to provide Trauma
Informed Care training for the many different organizations providing treatment and other
services for Texans with PTSD
Trauma informed interventions work as demonstrated by the following study: In a 12-month
study of Trauma-Informed Interventions for Women with Co-occurring Disorders (Psychiatric
Services 2005; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.56.10.1213) 30 percent of women (81) in the intervention
group improved substantially compared to 21 percent of women (82) in the comparison
group. This was reported by Joseph P. Morrissey, Ph.D.; Elizabeth W. Jackson, Ph.D.; Alan
R. Ellis, M.S.W.; Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D.; Vivian B. Brown, Ph.D.; Lisa M. Najavits, Ph.D.
The use of interventions and drug and alcohol prevention can reduce or eliminate the number
of interactions that an individual has with the criminal justice system if implemented.
The goal of Drug and Alcohol Prevention is to intervene in the cycle of alcohol and drug
abuse before potential or actual substance abusers find themselves in the criminal justice
system, mental healthcare facilities, or on the roster of various social welfare agencies.
Substance abuse is multidimensional in that it affects nearly every aspect of social life and
presents itself across the lifespan of individuals who are most directly impacted by it. A single
drug abuser can not only end up as a burden for society in terms of jail and prison costs, but
can perpetuate a generational cycle of involvement in the criminal justice system by way of
broken homes and unhealthy influences on entire neighborhoods.
The substance abuse and mental health field generally falls into two categories – Prevention
and Treatment. The prevention/treatment paradigm is not unique here. The old adage taken
from Benjamin Franklin, ―An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it is especially
pertinent today when the rising costs of health care necessitate innovative approaches to
creating a healthier more productive society. This principle easily translates into drug and
alcohol prevention where the cost of dealing with addicted persons is enormous in scope
when there are only limited resources to steer people away from substance use in the first
place.
Every public dollar invested in well-researched, proven drug prevention programs has the
potential to save up to $10 in addiction treatment and recovery costs alone (Citation 6).
The cost savings from helping just one high-risk youth graduate from high-school, avoid
heavy drug use and not engage in crime would range between $1.7 and $2.3 million dollars
(Citation 7).
The annual lost resource and productivity cost of substance abuse in the U.S. is estimated at
$511 billion, including treating medical and mental health consequences, costs related to
crashes, fires, crimes, and premature death. The annual cost of work loss by victims of crime
perpetrated by substance abusers amounts to 3.0 billion dollars. Work loss related to
substance abusers due to incarceration and criminal careers, amounts to 67.6 billion dollars
(Citation 8).
When substance abuse is framed within the context of criminal justice it is clearly easy to
justify preventative measures. In terms of crime prevention, not only can it pay monetary
dividends to prevent the onset of substance use and abuse, but the overall social costs that
are diverted are also worth dollars spent on prevention. In the San Antonio and Bexar County
area we know all of the following to be true:
 San Antonio is designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking area by the DEA and is
a major drug distribution point for the United States (Citation 9).
 Drug trafficking and abuse contribute significantly to crime in San Antonio and
throughout Bexar County (Citation 9).
 Prison gangs and street gangs are very active in San Antonio; they are often
implicated by law enforcement officials in drug-related crime (Citation 9).
 San Antonio has a much larger drug abuser population than all other areas in the
South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Region (Citation 9).
Additionally:
 In 2007, of the 69,801 total bookings, 15,048 were booked for drug offences alone
(Citation 5).
 In Bexar County there were over 5000 arrests for DWI in 2009 (Citation 10).
 Nearly half of all crash fatalities in Bexar County involve at least one intoxicated driver
with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .08 or greater (Citation 11).
 Domestic violence is correlated to substance abuse. In 2008, there were 10,777
reported cases of family violence in San Antonio (Citation 12).
Preventing the economic and social costs of substance abuse needs to be a multifaceted
approach to a complex problem. If it is to be effective, drug and alcohol prevention should
include early childhood intervention, evidence based education programs, prevention across
the lifespan, family intervention, workplace education, environmental strategies, or counseling
for those on probation or parole. In some cases, prevention takes place by intervening in the
lives of people who are current drug abusers but who have not suffered major consequences,
or even relapse prevention for recovering alcoholics and addicts. The National Institute on
Mental Health defines prevention as referring ―not only to interventions that occur before the
initial onset of a disorder, but also to interventions that prevent co-morbidity, relapse,
disability, and the consequences of severe mental illness for families.
It is important to emphasize that prevention is evidence based and evaluation oriented. In the
past, prevention programs were not much held to any standard of accountability. Often times
prevention strategies were chosen on the basis of ―gut feeling or assumptions as to what
worked best. We now know that many earlier prevention tactics did not work. Because the
best prevention models are now evidence based, we have a better understanding of what
has the greatest impact and what is most cost effective in the long run.
List of Sources and Citations
The National Council, 2012
Mental Health America of Texas, 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, National Research
Council, Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People,
2009.
NAMI Mental Illness Fact Sheet, from Kessler, R., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R.,
Merikangas, & Walters, E., Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV
disorders in the National Co-morbidity Survey Replication (NCSR). General Psychiatry, 62,
June 2005, 593-602.
Mental Health Association of Texas, 2003 report
US Census 2010
U.S. Public Health Service, Report of the Surgeon General’s Conference on Children’s
Mental Health: A National Action Agenda. Washington, DC: Department of Health and
Human Services, 2000.
Bexar County Mental Health Assessment conducted by MAJ Samantha S. Hinchman based
on studying admissions at 15 hospitals within Bexar County from July 1 to Dec 31, 2009.
Published 3/1/2011
U.S. Department of Education. Twenty-third annual report to Congress on the implementation
of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Washington, D.C., 2006
SAMHSA’s 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; Texans Care for Children, 2009
report
Clarity Child Guidance Center. Type of mental disorders diagnosed at Clarity CGC
Citations:
1) Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Initial Meeting on Interim Charge #1,
(March 2004), http://tdcj.state.tx.us/publications/cjad/Initial-Meet-Inter-Charge1.pdf.
2) National Association of State Alcohol/Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), Policy Brief:
Offender Re-Entry, (February 2006), http://www.nasadad.org/resource.php?base_id=945.
3) Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2009, (August
2008).
4) Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/x-30789-San-Antonio-Headlines-Examinery2010m2d19-Bexar-County-Judge-Ernie-Glenn-inspires-nonviolent-offenders-to-becomedrug-free-in-San-Antonio.
5) Ibid.
6) Mark A. Cohen, ―The Monetary Value of Saving a High Risk Youth,‖ The Journal of
Qualitative Criminology, 14, no. 1 (1998) 5-33,
http://www.byep.org/cost%20of%20not%20saving%20youth.pdf.
7) National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2003; Office of Drug Control Policy, The Economic Costs
of Drug Abuse in the United States.
8) Cohen, M., (1998). The Monetary Value of Saving a High Risk Youth. Journal of
Quantitative Criminology, 14, 5-33.
9) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Harwood, 2000.\; Harwood and
Bouchery, 2001; Fellows et al., 2002.
10) South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis.
http://www.justice.gov/ndic//pubs27/27513/border.htm.
11) Bexar County Pre-Trial Services, (2007). Bexar County Community Plan, 2009-2010.
12) Bexar County Sheriff‘s Office and San Antonio Police Department DWI Data. Raw Data.
13) National Highway and Traffic Administration. Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
http://icsw.nhtsa.gov/people/ncsa/fars.html.
14) San Antonio Police Department.
Resources Available
Included below are resources identified by the County Community Planning Team that are
available to provide services that could potentially help in closing gaps:
Alamo Area Council of Governments
Address:
8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 700
San Antonio, Texas 78217-6228
(210) 362-5200
Counties Served:
Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes,
Kendall, Kerr, Medina, and Wilson
Services:
AACOG has active programs for regional planning in the areas of aging
services, economic development, 9-1-1 systems, homeland security, criminal
justice, resource recovery, air quality, transportation, weatherization, and
workforce. We also administer the Bexar Mental Retardation Authority.
Technical assistance is provided by the staff to local governments on matters
related to a number of other program areas, including census, housing, and
human services. In addition, AACOG sponsors special projects in response to
local government needs or requests.
Hours:
Monday – Friday; 8:00am – 5:00pm.
Alpha Home, Inc.
Address:
300 E. Mulberry Ave.
San Antonio, Texas 78212
(210) 735-3822
Counties Served:
Services:
Bexar and Surrounding Counties.
Alpha Home offers a specialized residential and outpatient substance abuse
treatment program for adult women. Dual diagnosis and pregnant women
referrals are accepted. The Intensive Residential Program requires a minimum
of 20 hours per week of treatment services for approximately 30 days. Clients
live on site while being closely supervised.
The Supportive Residential Program requires at least ten hours per week of
treatment services for up to 60 days. Clients live on site and work, volunteer, or
attend school off-premises during the day. Evenings are dedicated to treatment
activities at the residence.
Outpatient Programs are designed for clients who are in need of treatment but
who also have the skills and support to recover without the need of inpatient
care. Alpha home is licensed to accommodate 125 outpatient clients and is
currently staffed for 80 outpatient clients. The Intensive Outpatient Program
requires a minimum of ten hours of treatment services per week. Clients live off
site, and attend group and individual sessions on site. This program offers the
flexibility of working with client schedules. At least two hours of treatment
services are required per week. Clients average five hours of counseling at this
level.
Family First is a pregnant and post-partum intervention program that provides
case management and referral services to women who are at risk for alcohol
and/or drug abuse.
Eligibility:
Adult women with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse.
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm.
Bexar County Dispute Resolution
Address:
300 Dolorosa, 1st Floor
Cadena Reeves Justice Center
(210) 335-2311
Counties Served:
Services:
Bexar County.
The Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (BCDRC) provides mediation
services to assist people involved in civil disputes to resolve them without the
expense, time and trouble of taking the matter to court. Medication is a
structured process in which an impartial party, the mediator, facilitates
communication between the parties to promote reconciliation, settlement or an
understanding between them. Types of disputes appropriate for mediation
include consumer disputes, neighbor complaints, property damage, money
owed, child visitation, auto repair, animal nuisance, and small claims.
The BCDRC also provides information and referral services for matters not
appropriate for mediation, a peer mediation program (Amigos in Mediation)
which teaches students to resolve disputes and conflicts without violence and
helps schools establish peer mediation programs, and Speakers Bureau to
raise the public’s awareness of mediation and the services of the BCDRC.
Eligibility:
One of the parties involved in the dispute must live or operate a business in
Bexar County.
Hours:
Monday – Thursday, 8:00am – 8:00pm.
Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm
Bexar County District Attorney’s Office
Address:
300 Dolorosa, 5th Floor
(210) 335-2311
Counties Served:
Bexar County.
Services:
Investigates, prepares, prosecutes and appeals all criminal cases. Prepares
protective orders and mental health commitments and researches, prepares,
and litigates asset and bond forfeiture cases. Researches, prepares and
litigates civil suits filed against the County or its elected or appointed officials.
Prepares contracts for Commissioners Court. Represents County and its
officials. Provides victim advocacy to victims of crime by trained advocates.
Assistance with the criminal justice system, criminal case status, court
accompaniment, assistance with applications for Crime Victims Compensation,
Victim Impact Statements and referrals for social services are available.
Protective Orders are provided through the Bexar County Family Justice Center
and Community Advocate Program.
Eligibility:
Victims of crime.
Hours:
Bexar County Family Justice Center
Address:
527 N. Leona
(210) 208-6800
Counties Served:
Bexar County
Services:
The Bexar County Family Justice Center is a community initiative launched by
Bexar County through the leadership of District Attorney Susan Reed. The
family Justice Center provides all the services and resources “under one roof”
necessary to assist victims of domestic violence. The Goal is to reduce
domestic violence incidents, recidivism, and homicides in Bexar County. This
effort makes the process of reporting domestic violence less intimidating and
more efficient for everyone involved. The Family Justice Center community
partners provide a wide range of services that include: law enforcement and
prosecution; protective orders; employment and educational assistance; family
services; counseling; civil legal assistance; health care; military services;
parenting training; temporary and permanent housing; substance abuse
counseling; crisis intervention; ongoing financial stabilization; food; emergency
shelter and more.
Eligibility:
Bexar County residents.
Hours:
Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
Address:
235 E. Mitchell Street
(210) 531-1000
Counties Served:
Bexar County
Services:
Services are provided to children (and their families) under the supervision of
the department, along with prevention services provided at schools and
communities.
Eligibility:
Children 10 years through 17 years who are under the supervision of the
department.
Hours:
Administration: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm.
Facilities: 24/7.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas
Address:
202 Baltimore Avenue
(210) 225-6322
Counties Served: Atascosa, Bexar, Brazos, Cameron, Comal, Guadalupe, Hidalgo,
Kendall, Kerr, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio, Webb and Wilson
Services:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas (BBBS) has come to be recognized as
the premier mentoring organization in the country. Founded by a group of
committed volunteers in 1978, our agency in South Texas has been providing
life changing, life-saving mentoring services to the most at-risk children in our
community for over 30 years. BBS supports Community, School, and
Workplace-based one-to-one mentoring relationships for youth ages 5-17.
Children in this program are paired with a caring volunteer mentor (“Big”) who
meets with his or her mentee (“Little”) two to four times per month for an
average of one to five hours per meeting. During these visits, Bigs engage
Littles in activities that enhance communication and relationship skills, support
positive decision-making, and nurture other developmental assets necessary to
become successful, productive adults.
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. Evenings and Weekends by appointment.
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc.
Address:
202 W. French Pl.
(210) 222-1294
Counties Served:
Bexar County and surrounding counties.
Services:
Victim services include: counseling/therapy provided by licensed counselors
through Catholic Counseling & Consultation Center; transitional living and
supportive services for homeless, pregnant women and homeless women with
infants through Guadalupe Home; and emergency and pre-certification services
for victims of human trafficking through the Anti-Trafficking Program.
Eligibility:
Catholic Counseling & Consultation Center – adults, adolescents, and families
(including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and/or child abuse) in
need of recovery and support services.
Guadalupe Home – homeless, pregnant women or homeless women with
infants under one year of age.
Anti-Trafficking Program – non-U.S. citizens who are victims of human
trafficking.
Hours:
Catholic Counseling & Consultation Center; Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays, 9:00am – 5:00pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00am – 7:00pm;
Saturdays by special appointment.
Guadalupe Home; 8:00am – 8:00pm daily.
Anti-Trafficking Program; Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm; weekends as
needed.
Child Advocates of San Antonio (CASA)
Address:
406 San Pedro Ave.
(210) 225-7070
Counties Served:
Services:
Bexar County.
The mission of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is to recruit, train, and
supervise court-appointed volunteers who provide constancy for abused and
neglected children while advocating for services and placement in safe and
permanent homes.
Eligibility:
Adult volunteers who speak in court on behalf of abused and/or neglected
children.
Hours:
ChildSafe
Address:
7130 W. US Hwy 90
(210) 675-9000
Counties Served:
Bexar and Surrounding Counties.
Services:
Forensic interviews, medical exams by specially trained pediatricians and
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners who take a medical history related to the
abuse; individual, group and family counseling; case management; and CARE
program services; victim advocacy; emergency assistance; and kids in court in
collaboration with the Bexar County D.A.’s Office.
Eligibility:
Child victims of sexual abuse currently under the age of 18.
Hours:
Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm.
Communities In Schools of San Antonio (CIS-SA)
Address:
1616 E. Commerce St., Bldg 1
(210) 520-8440
Counties Served:
Services:
Bexar County
CIS-SA’s mission is to surround students with a community of support,
empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. CIS-SA’s case
managers work directly on school campuses – year-round, during and after
school hours – providing professional, accessible services free of charge to
students and families.
Our stay-in-school and pre-college programs serve over 8,000 children in
grades K-12 in 8 school districts (Edgewood, Harlandale, Northside, North East,
San Antonio, Somerset, South San Antonio and Southwest) and the Bexar
County Juvenile Justice Academy.
CIS-SA targets young people who are at risk of dropping out of school. We
address the underlying reasons why youth leave school without a diploma
through six comprehensive service components: counseling and supportive
guidance (character development, life skills); health and social services
(referrals, emergency rent or utility aid; eyeglasses); educational enhancement
(tutoring, homework assistance); enrichment activities (field trips, culture clubs,
community service projects); parent and family involvement (parenting skills,
workshops, support groups); and career awareness (mentoring, job
shadowing). Crisis intervention, emergency clothing and school supplies are
provided to any student in need. Our case managers conduct needs
assessments for each school and neighborhood annually in order to create a
campus plan that best serves that population. CIS-SA’s holistic approach
assures that each child is being assisted in those areas that are preventing a
successful school experience. Outcomes tracked for each participant are:
improvement in academics, behavior and attendance; school retention; and
successful promotion and graduation.
Eligibility:
Student must attend school in which CIS program operates, and must have
parent/guardian consent to participate.
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm, year-round.
Family Service Association
Address:
702 San Pedro
(210) 299-2400
Counties Served:
Bexar County.
Services:
In-home and office-based counseling services are provided by mastersdegreed, state-licensed counselors. Areas of expertise include: individual and
family counseling; issues with grief or loss, parenting, substance abuse, and
school or work place problems; anger management; and more. Also offer
various Employee Assistance services and crisis management.
Eligibility:
All residents of San Antonio and Bexar County including Military.
Hours:
Saturday, 9:30am – 2:30pm.
Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc.
Address:
7911 Broadway
(210) 930-3669 (Main Number)
(210) 733-8810 (Shelter)
Counties Served:
Bexar County
Services:
Provides temporary shelter, 24-hour hotline, and individual and group
counseling for women and children. Offers primary medical care, legal
advocacy, legal representation, adult educational program workshop, psychoeducational workshops, case management and on-site pre-K through 12th
grade. Also offers structured children’s program. Provides outreach counseling
and support for non-shelter victims of domestic violence.
Eligibility:
Victims of family violence.
Hours:
Always available.
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
Address:
811 N. Coker Loop
(210) 349-2404
Counties Served:
Bexar and 20 Surrounding Counties.
Services:
In partnership with 8,000 adult volunteers, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
(GSSWT) serves 18,000 girls in its 21-county jurisdiction. As the premier
leadership development program for girls, Girl Scouting helps girls develop the
courage to experience new adventures, the confidence to defy self-doubt, and
the character to impact a community. Flexible pathways allow girls and adults
from diverse backgrounds to participate, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, or physical or
developmental disability. Headquartered at the Sally Cheever Girl Scout
Leadership Center in San Antonio, GSSWT has an annual budget of $5.3
million and employs 60 full and part-time staff.
Eligibility:
Girls age 5 – 17, and adult volunteers.
Hours:
Monday – Wednesday, 8:30am – 5:30pm.
Thursday, 8:30am – 6:30pm.
Jewish Family Service
Address:
12500 N.W. Military Hwy, Suite 250
(210) 302-6920
Counties Served:
Bexar, Guadalupe, Comal, Atascosa, Medina, Wilson, Kendall, and
Bandera Counties.
Services:
Psychotherapy/counseling services are provided to clients with a wide range of
problems including life changes, depression, anxiety, trauma resolution,
parent/child conflicts, marriage/family issues, and other challenging conditions.
Case management, victims advocacy, crime victims compensation applications,
senior case management, and emergency financial assistance are also offered.
Eligibility:
Mental health clients cannot be actively psychotic. Crime victims must be
willing to reveal the nature of their victimization.
Hours:
Mid-Coast Family Services
Address:
115 E. Travis, Suite 800
(210) 271-9452 (210) 223-2070
Counties Served:
All Region 8 Counties.
Services:
Screenings, Assessments and Referrals for substance abusing clients needing
treatment.
Eligibility:
Clients must be Texas residents to receive State funded services. Clients must
be in Drug Court, have an open CPS case, be on probation and be a resident of
Region 8 to receive services for ATR II.
Hours:
The Salvation Army – San Antonio Area Command
Administration Address:
Counties Served:
521 W. Elmira
(210) 352-2000
Bexar County and Surrounding Counties.
Service Addresses:
Hope Center Women’s and Family Shelter
515 W. Elmira
(210) 352-2042
Dave Coy Men’s Shelter
226 Nolan St.
(210) 226-2291
Goslinowski Social Services Center
910 N. Flores
(210) 352-2020
New Braunfels Service Center
186 S. Castell Ave.
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
(830) 608-9129
Services:
Separate female and male emergency and transitional shelters are available to
victims of domestic violence, in addition to other individuals at risk of or
experiencing homelessness. The women’s shelter is also available to single
families with children, youth transitioning out of foster care. Shelter participants
are assigned a case manager to identify and coordinate additional services
such as emergency housing and utility assistance, food distribution and meals,
clothing and hygiene items, parenting and life skills classes, employment
search, job skills training, resume writing, transportation, childcare, and referrals
to other community resources to meet the emergency and basic needs of
individuals and families to increase self-sufficiency and greater independence.
The Salvation Army – San Antonio also provides licensed childcare the Mission
Corps Child Development Center, youth development programs at the Salvation
Army Boys and Girls Club, and the William and Catherine Booth Apartments
offer affordable senior housing with supportive services.
Eligibility:
Program eligibility may vary by program. Please contact specific program for
specific requirements.
Hours:
Shelter Facilities: 7 Days Per Week/24 Hours Per Day.
Goslinowski Social Services Center: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
New Braunfels Service Center: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm.
San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Address:
7500 U. S. Hwy 90, AT &T Building, Suite 100
(210) 225-4741
Counties Served:
Services:
The San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SACADA) is a 53-year
old nonprofit organization that provides education, youth prevention programs,
information resources and services aimed at preventing alcohol and drug
abuse. SACADA integrates multiple prevention strategies that target children
through state-of-the-art programs. SACADA’s goal is to promote communities
that are free of addiction and other destructive behaviors.
SACADA provides:







Referrals to alcohol/drug abuse and behavioral health services in Bexar
County and 28 surrounding counties.
Life skills education to children 9-12 years of age to prevent drug abuse in
the future.
Intensive outreach and intervention program for 13-18 year olds to resist
substance use.
A clearinghouse and resource center that offers brochures, information,
DVD’s, posters and other information relating to drug education and
prevention.
Education for professionals, youth, clergy, and teachers on drug and
behavioral health issues.
Court ordered classes for minors and adults.
Training for a drug free workplace.
Eligibility:
Self-referred, court ordered, school/community referrals, and employer
referrals.
Hours:
Evening Classes, 5:30 – 8:30pm.
San Antonio Police Department Victim Advocacy
Address:
214 W. Nueva
(210) 207-2136
Counties Served:
Bexar County.
Services:
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) is responsible for the safety of all
its citizens. The SAPD had put a priority on working with victims of domestic
violence. Within the SAPD, the Victims Advocacy program provides crisis
intervention services to victims of domestic violence, safety planning, child
counseling services, direct law enforcement involvement in domestic violence
cases, refers to and networks with other agencies, assists with Crime Victim
Compensation applications, emergency assistance.
Eligibility:
Victims of domestic violence.
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 8:00pm at each of the six substations.
Friday and Saturday Nights, 7:00pm – 2:00am at each of the six substations.
East Substation
West Substation
South Substation
Northwest Substation
Northeast Substation
Central Substation
3635 E. Houston
7000 Culebra
711 Mayfield
5020 Prue Road
13030 Jones-Maltsberger
515 South Frio
Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm at 214 W. Nueva.
San Antonio Sports
Address:
100 Montana Street (Alamodome)
(210) 820-2100
(210) 820-2199
Counties Served:
Bexar County and surrounding counties.
Services:
Sports and fitness programming for children in grades K-12, including families
with children under 18 years of age.
Eligibility:
Child, adolescent and adult through our sports and fitness programs.
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Seton Home
Address:
1115 Mission Road
(210) 533-3504
Counties Served:
Services:
Bexar and surrounding counties.
Seton Home is a residential facility for homeless pregnant and parenting girls
ages 12 to 19 who have chosen to keep and raise their children and rebuild
their lives. Chartered by the State and licensed by the Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services, the facility provides:
 24-hour shelter;
 Food;
 Medical care (both off-site and on-site limited clinic;
 On-site licensed child care;
 Clothing and basic needs for mom and baby;
 Individual and group therapy;
 Education and career counseling;
 Recreational activities;
 Spiritual and moral guidance (participation voluntary);


Parenting classes; and,
Life skills training.
Eligibility:
Pregnant and/or parenting aged 12 to 17 upon admission (can stay through age
19) and must intend to keep and parent child.
Hours:
24-hour facility.
St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home
Address:
919 Mission Road
(210) 533-1203
Counties Served:
Bexar County
Services:
Individual, family, and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric referrals,
peer support groups, emergency financial assistance, information/referral,
advocacy, case management.
Eligibility:
Child, adolescent, and adult victims of crime and/or trauma to include
emotional, sexual, and physical abuse and neglect, and victims of domestic
violence.
Hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30am – 6:00pm.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am – 7:00pm.
Fridays, 8:30am – 5:00pm.
The Rape Crisis Center for Children and Adults
Address:
7500 U.S. Hwy 90, Bldg. 2, #201
(210) 521-7278
Hotline: (210) 349-7273
Counties Served:
Services:
Operates a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline staffed by Rape Crisis Center
professional staff, backed by fully trained volunteers. Provides crisis
intervention help for sexual assault survivors and others, offers general
information about sexual assault and more.
Provides therapeutic counseling for individuals, children and families, using a
variety of modalities. Child play therapy slots are limited. Groups are available
as needed.
Eligibility:
Sexual assault survivors, families or significant others.
Hours:
Crisis Hotline, Medical and Legal Accompaniment, 24-7.
Counseling Services: Monday through Thursday, 9:00am – 8:00pm.
Saturday, 10:00am – 2:00pm.
Volunteers of America (VOA)
Address:
6487 Whitby, Bldg #4
(210) 558-0908
Counties Served:
Bexar County
Services:
Volunteers of America offers residential substance abuse treatment services.
VOA is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Counseling services are licensed chemical dependency counselors (LCDCs).
Eligibility:
Adult women with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse.
Hours:
24-hour facility.
Interagency Cooperation
In the space below write a description of how the various resources listed in the Resource section cooperatively
work together.
Nearly every year since 1995, Bexar County has pulled together to create a Criminal Justice
Community Plan. This Plan is by definition contemporary and temporal. It reflects the
priorities, problems, gaps, shortfalls, challenges and opportunities confronting our community
at a given point in time.
This year, nearly 100 individuals representing governmental entities; for-profit organizations,
non-profit organizations, and private citizens came together for common cause. The
expertise of these individuals spanned the fields of law enforcement, prosecution, the
judiciary, health care, mental health care, social services, employment, and education.
Together, these individuals attended numerous meetings; conducted independent research;
and engaged in passionate discussions regarding how to frame the issues of the day.
As is normally the case, the needs far outweigh the resources. Competition for scarce grant
dollars has brought a sense of urgency to the process. At the same time, competition has –
perhaps ironically – brought about renewed efforts at collaboration and cooperation. Every
priority in this document was drafted in the spirit of collaboration – not as an esoteric matter –
but as a practical reality. The process was and the outcome is consensus-oriented.
Specific instances of cooperation, collaboration, and working together have already been
articulated within this document. Additional efforts include, but are not limited to:

The Education Services Center, Region 20, has historically played a leadership role in the
sharing of information and policy development for the numerous local school districts
within the County.

The Center for Health Care Services has a long history of collaboration and co-location
with the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department such that juvenile offenders have
access to behavioral health care as a part of the terms and conditions of probation.

Emerging collaborations have taken root this past several years such as The
Neighborhood Place – a one-stop service center for children and families within the
Edgewood Independent School District.

The Center for Health Care Services has begun a Children’s Diversion Initiative in which
numerous organizations have come together in order to create a seamless, integrated
system of care for children at risk of involvement in the juvenile probation and/or child
protective services system.

The Bexar County Family Justice Center works with advocates from various communitybased and non-profit agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, probation officers, forensic
medical professionals, civil attorneys and chaplains to provide a continuum of services to
victims of crime, such as the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the
Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the Legal and Social
Justice Clinic at St. Mary’s University and Urban Ministries to address the increasing
incidence of domestic violence.

ChildSafe utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach consisting of Child Protective
Services, law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Prosecution, and
ChildSafe staff to include medical and therapeutic staff, victim advocates and case
managers to ensure investigations of child sexual abuse are conducted effectively and
efficiently in addition to the provision of direct services to victims.

ChildSafe’s CARE Program, includes over 30 service providers who provide holistic care
for child sexual assault victims. This is a multiple service, “wrap around” program that
includes counseling, mentoring, peer activities that not only emphasize exercise but offers
creative activities to nurture the spirit, early childhood education, and support for the nonoffending caregiver. This holistic approach encourages the client to see the abuse as
something that has happened to them, not as who they are. The CARE program has
seen a decrease in the re-victimization rate due to this program.

The Bexar County Children’s Trauma Network is a collaboration promoting evidenced
based best practices in the provision of services to children who have been sexually and
physically abused. Members include Family Service Association, St. Peter and St.
Joseph’s Children’s Home, the Children’s Shelter, Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, Center
for Miracles, ChildSafe, Family Violence Prevention Services, The Rape Crisis Center for
Children and Adults, and Jewish Family Services.

The Bexar County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), which includes the Rape
Crisis Center for Children and Adults, Sexual Assault Nursing Examiners (SANE) from
Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hospital and CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s
Hospital, law enforcement agencies, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, and other
agencies providing services to victims and their families.

Dress for Success® San Antonio advances the socioeconomic status of disadvantaged
women and their families by preparing women for the workforce. Through their programs
and services, Dress for Success provides professional attire, and workforce development
and life-skills training so that low-income women residing in the San Antonio area may
establish a solid work history and permanently leave public assistance. Clients are
referred from over fifty (50) different not-for-profit partner referral agencies in San Antonio
and surrounding areas, including battered women’s shelters, homeless shelters, job
training centers, drug/alcohol rehabilitation and mental health facilities, and ex-offender
programs.

The Death Analysis Review Team (DART) is modeled after the Child Fatality Review
Team and is mandated by the State in cases where a death was due to domestic
violence. This is a multi-disciplinary team which focuses on service improvement versus
blame assignment.

The Mission Road Collaborative consisting of Jewish Family Service; Por Vida Academy,
Blessed Sacrament Academy Child Development Center, and the Parents’ Academy.
The clients of the three academies move from one agency to another. All three
academies turn to Jewish Family Service counseling facility for crime victim’s related
counseling, case management, advocacy, and financial assistance.

P.E.A.C.E., Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts Initiative is a coalition of
48 agencies, organizations and individuals working collaboratively to end violence in
families. The mission of the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative is “to educate the public about the
extent, and often-deadly consequences of domestic violence and respond effectively
through collaborative efforts.”

The Family Assistance Crisis Team (F.A.C.T.), established in December 1991, is a
collaborative, community project responding to victims of family violence.

The District Attorney’s Office has extended interagency collaborative efforts to provide
protective order assistance to victims within the Battered Women’s Shelter, San Antonio
Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Substations, home-bound
individuals and hospitalized victims.

Baptist Child & Family Services (BCFS) provides the majority of its services through
collaborative partnerships with agencies and organizations throughout the County,
including BCFS, ChildSafe and DFPS. BCFS hosts a non-profit business park which is
unique in the community and co-locates numerous agencies with similar target
populations.

Family Violence Prevention Services (FVPS) has ongoing collaborations with the
agencies of the Continuum of Care, with the City of San Antonio, the Bexar County
Juvenile Center and with Palo Alto College.

The Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task mission is to reduce drug
availability by creating intelligence-driven drug task forces aimed at eliminating or
reducing domestic drug trafficking and its harmful consequences through enhancing and
helping to coordinate drug trafficking and its harmful consequences through enhancing
and helping to coordinate drug trafficking control efforts. The Taskforce coordinates drug
investigations and execution of search warrants and consists of all law enforcement
agencies on the Federal and State level, including but not limited to FBI, DEA, ATF,
Marshals, and all State, County and City Police and Sheriff’s Departments.

The South Texas Regional Task Force on Identity Theft and Financial Fraud, which is a
coalition consisting of the United States Secret Service, Immigrations and Custom
Enforcement, Postal Inspector, United States Attorney’s Office, Bexar County Sheriff’s
Office, San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. This
coalition’s mission is to investigate and prosecute identity theft and financial fraud at both
the state and federal level.

The Weekly Regional Gang Intelligence Meeting (chaired by the San Antonio School
District Police Department) in which numerous Federal, state, and local law enforcement
and incarceration/rehabilitation agencies share information on gang activities and provide
leads for current investigations. The meetings are attended by representatives from all
local police departments, including independent school districts and Park Police,
Department of Correction Parole Officers, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, and the
Bexar County Probation Department.

The Bexar Area Chiefs of Police Meetings is the venue in which all area police chiefs
meet monthly. Related to this is the Project Safe Neighborhoods efforts (dual designated
Federal/State prosecutors taking State gun cases).

Community communication is worked actively by the San Antonio Police Department Safe
and Fear Free Environment (SAFFE) Officers out of area substations and by the Bexar
County Sheriff’s Department Community Policing deputies. These officers provide citizen
feedback to law enforcement and serve as facilitators with the Department. Additionally,
they are tasked with the responsibility to get to know the neighborhood. The SAFFE Unit
consists of officers who focus on identifying, evaluating the resolving community crime
problems with the cooperation and participation of community residents.

San Antonio Fighting Back chairs Weed and Seed meetings in 3 areas of San Antonio, in
which local law enforcement agencies actively participate, reacting to community
concerns, providing face time with officials and agency representatives and educating the
citizens. Community-ratified responses such as gang injunctions result from such
meetings. Weed and Seed has the comprehensive objective of “weeding out” crime from
designated neighborhoods, moving in with a wide range of crime and drug and prevention
programs, and then “seeding” these neighborhoods with a comprehensive range of
human service programs that stimulate revitalization. The group consists of local law
enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, independent school district police
departments, local school administrators, faith-based community representatives, human
service organizations, city government representatives, and local citizens.

The South Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking is a Catholic Charities sponsored
initiative which includes other faith-based stakeholders, State and Federal lawenforcement and prosecution, immigration, and other non-profit organization focused on
victims of human trafficking.

South Texas Regional Advisory Trauma Council focuses on medically-oriented disaster
preparedness issues. It is an organization designed to facilitate development,
implementation, and operation of a comprehensive trauma care system based on
accepted standards of care to decrease morbidity and mortality.

Graffiti Task Force is a group of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. The task force
promotes involvement with the community to address graffiti and to encourage aggressive
investigation and prosecution. The goals and objectives of this task force are imperative
when addressing the problem of gangs.

The Bexar County DWI Task Force is a non-funded multi-agency DWI Task Force which
consists of approximately 35 law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
The mission of the Bexar County DWI Task Force is to reduce alcohol and drug-related
motor vehicle accidents, injuries and deaths in Bexar County. They seek out and arrest
those who disobey impaired driving laws through law enforcement special operations,
training and community involvement. By enforcing impaired driving laws and educating
the public about impaired driving, they provide a safer community for the citizens of Bexar
County.

The Haven for Hope – located downtown – is an all encompassing service center and
residential facility which focuses not just on homelessness itself, but on all the issues
correlated with homelessness such as mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, and crime.

Numerous Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) exist between emergency service
districts and fire departments regarding first responses to homeland security events.
Historical Information
In the space below write a description of the County.
Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836 and encompassed almost the entire
portion of the Republic of Texas, including the disputed areas of western New Mexico, parts
of Colorado and northward to Wyoming. After statehood, 128 counties were carved out of its
area yielding a total of 254 Texas counties.
The county gets its name from San Antonio de Béxar, one of the twenty-three municipalities
(administrative divisions) of Texas at the time of its independence. San Antonio de Béxar –
originally Villa of San Fernando de Bexar – was the first civil government established in the
Spanish province of Texas. Specifically, the municipality was created in 1731 when fifty-five
Canary Islanders settled near the system of missions that had been established around the
source of the San Antonio River. The new settlement was named after the Presidio San
Antonio de Béxar, the Spanish military outpost that protected the missions. The presidio,
located at the San Antonio Pedro Springs was founded in 1718 and named for Viceroy
Balthasar Manuel de Zuñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, second son of the Duke of
Béxar (a city in Spain).
The administrative government of Bexar County – besides being the oldest in Texas – is
distinguished by having served under nine different governments. The community served
under Spanish rule from May, 1718, until January, 1811, when it was taken over by the
revolutionary “Casas regime.” Only five weeks later, the “counter revolutionary junta of
Bexar” overthrew the Casas government and eventually restored Spanish rule.
In April, 1812, however, the “Republican Army of the North” deposed the provincial Spanish
government and declared independence from Spain. Five months later, the Spanish
regained control holding Texas until 1821. The fifth regime “first imperial government of
Mexico” was created when Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Emperor
relinquished control to army leaders within two years, however, and the “Republic of Mexico”
was established.
Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836, thereby establishing Bexar’s seventh
government, the “Republic of Texas.” In 1845, Texas became the 28th state of the United
States and remained in the union until 1861, when the Southern states seceded to form the
Confederacy. Following the Civil War, U.S. rule returned to Bexar County in 1865 and has
remained so ever since.
Today, Bexar County government is housed in the Bexar County Courthouse. It is the largest
and oldest continuously operating courthouse in the State. It has received numerous city,
state and National designations including the National Register of Historic Places and
National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Bexar County Community Plan - Alamo Area Council of Governments

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