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Evidence suggests that most counties in Texas are not doing enough to leverage federal dollars with the local dollars that are being allocated. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as well as the Legislative Budget Board both have written reports to confirm this. Based on these reports and other anecdotal and scientific research, the Division of Children's Services is committed to resource development and capacity expansion through an evaluation of those services already provided by the County and determination of whether or not those services are being leveraged optimally. Examples of federal dollars to which the County is entitled include Title IV-B, Title IV-E and Title V.
Besides leveraging local dollars to generate revenue, the Division of Children's Services is committed to pursuing grant opportunities which serve the prevention, early identification, intervention and treatment needs of children within the community. Examples of grants currently being pursued or under review include:
- A multi-million dollar Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Cooperative Agreement for a Children's Mental Health Initiative. The Center for Health Care Services is the lead applicant agency and the Division of Children's Services is budgeted for a Technical Assistance Position.
- A $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a Voluntary Drug Testing Program. The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) is the lead applicant agency with the Division of Children Services budgeted for $20,000 for program evaluation.
- A $1.5 million U. S. Department of Justice grant for the creation of a Family Justice Center. The Family Justice Center will serve as a single location in which all services related to domestic violence are housed "under one roof." Over thirty organizations participated in the development of this proposal with the Office of the District Attorney serving as the lead applicant.
- A $300,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant for the implementation of a Family Treatment Drug Court. Over seven different stakeholders participated in the development of this grant with the vast majority of funds being dedicated to on-demand substance abuse treatment services.
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