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TCDD held quarterly Council and Committee meetings from May 6-8 in Houston. Council members awarded grant funding to continue ongoing projects, discussed initiatives to improve health equity and service delivery for Texans with disabilities, and more. Here are some highlights from the meetings.
Funding Awards and Stipends
TCDD invests in grant projects to strengthen service and support systems across Texas. Our projects build community capacity to help people with developmental disabilities (DD). This quarter, Council members awarded grant funding to 23 East Group to continue an ongoing project to enhance TCDD’s capacity to conduct statewide outreach and engagement activities.
TCDD also provides stipends to increase access to disability information and advocacy opportunities. Organizations can apply for stipends for conferences and events, disability-related speakers, and translation and interpretation services. This quarter, TCDD provided stipends to the following organizations:
- Alexander Jewish Family Service
- Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition
- Green Oaks Education and Support
- Integral Care
- Texas Association for Behavior Analysis
Council Business and Discussions
The Council approves and monitors TCDD’s strategic state plan, which guides projects and policy work. This quarter, Council members discussed strategic activities, including potential future projects to:
- address skill and training gaps for doctors, nurses, therapists, and other professionals who provide services to people with DD who are victims and survivors of sexual assault; and
- improve the criminal justice response to sexual offenses against people with DD.
Council members discussed public policy priorities for the upcoming 90th Texas legislative session in 2027. They also reviewed legislative interim charges involving policy issues that might impact the disability community.
Along with discussions, Council members engaged with guest speakers on presentations covering disability initiatives and projects:
- Chronic Care Delivery: Elaine Hime provided an overview of Project DOCC (Delivery of Chronic Care), a Houston-based program that supports inclusive and informed health practices by connecting medical students and doctors with families and caregivers of children with disabilities or chronic illnesses that need extensive medical care.
- Expanding Mental Health Care: Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo and Alex Stuckey with The Arc of Texas shared details of an investigative report (PDF, 37 pages, 1.08 MB). developed through a TCDD-funded project to expand access to DD-informed mental health care. The report highlighted barriers to mental health care for Texans who are dually diagnosed with DD and mental health conditions.
- Forensic Nurse Examiners: Brookley Delbosque and Amanda Amore shared information about the Forensic Center of Excellence, which partners with hospitals and medical clinics to provide on-demand forensic nurse examiners. The center also offers forensic nursing, adult forensic interviews, advocacy, and counseling services to victims and survivors of sexual assault and other crimes.
- Inclusive Medical Exams: Dr. Robert Lehardy with the University of Houston-Clear Lake shared updates from a TCDD-funded project that has developed a curriculum for students in health care training programs and a virtual continuing education program for practicing health care professionals across Texas who work with people with DD.
- Interprofessional Health Care Training: Dr. Kathryn Jordan Kemere from the Baylor College of Medicine shared information about a TCDD-funded project that has created an interprofessional center for education in health care for adults with DD.
Next Meetings
TCDD’s next quarterly meetings are scheduled from May 6-8. To receive updates about future meetings, subscribe to our email alerts.
