The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) invests in projects to strengthen service and support systems and build community capacity to help people with developmental disabilities (DD). During its quarterly meetings from Feb. 9-12, 2021, the Council awarded funding to continue the growth and development of 10 TCDD grant projects.
The following list includes the names of the organizations and projects that were awarded continuation funding along with summaries of project goals.
Alamo Area Council of Governments — Supporting Older Adults with DD and their Caregivers: provide statewide support and resources for older adults with DD and their caregivers to age in place, improve their health, and attain a higher quality of life.
Baylor College of Medicine — Advancing Behavioral Health Integration: improve the training of medical, dental, and behavioral health care professionals so they may provide more knowledgeable, compassionate, and patient-centered care for people with DD in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties.
Baylor College of Medicine — Transition to Adult Care Mentorship: develop and implement a peer-mentorship program for people with DD who are transitioning from pediatric care to adult Medicaid and home and community-based services (HCBS) in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties.
Imagine Art — Training 4 Transformation: develop and test a peer-support training program for people with DD who live independently in Hidalgo and Travis counties with the use of HCBS, so that people who participate in the program understand their options and can lead their person-centered planning processes.
Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center — Border Voices on Disability Policy Fellowship: establish a DD Policy Fellow position to focus on disability-related issues, policies, and advocacy for people with DD living in El Paso County and other regions along the Texas-Mexico border.
Texas Tech University — Project TEDD (Training Educators in Dual Diagnosis): provide up to 400 special educators statewide with “train-the-trainer” workshops so they can train other educators to recognize, understand, and work with students who have DD and mental health conditions.
Texas Advocates — Peer Support for Individuals Living in Institutions: develop peer-support training in Bexar and Travis counties for people with DD who live in state-supported living centers, nursing homes, or intermediate care facilities, so that people who participate in training understand their rights, learn about opportunities available in their communities, and can lead or actively participate in their own person-centered planning processes.
University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School — Statewide Community Services Peer Support Specialists: develop a peer-support training curriculum for people with DD statewide who live independently with the use of HCBS, so that people who participate in the program understand their options and can lead their own person-centered planning processes.
UMass Medical School — Complex Mental Health Needs: develop a gap analysis of the mental health services available to people with DD in Texas.
West Central Texas Regional Foundation — Leadership Development and Advocacy Training in Rural Areas: increase advocacy efforts and leadership opportunities for people with DD in rural West Central Texas.
In addition to funding projects, TCDD provides stipends to organizations to increase access to disability-related information and advocacy opportunities. Stipends can be used for disability-related speakers, translation and interpretation services, and events. However, the events stipends have been suspended until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This quarter, the Council awarded stipends to three organizations:
- Austin Travis County Integral Care — Central Texas African American Family Support Conference
- Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition — 32nd Annual Children’s Disabilities Symposium
- Jewish Family Service Houston — UP Abilities: REEL People
TCDD looks forward to continuing to support these organizations as they help create positive change and innovative programs for Texans with disabilities.
To learn more about TCDD grant opportunities and stipends, see Projects.
