Champions of HopeRural Children’s Initiative

Champions of HopeRural Children s Initiative

of West Texas (RCI)

RCI Mission: to cultivate a responsive community of care that 

Inspires, Supports, and Enables all children, families, and community members 

to lead healthy, productive lives in their communities.

RCI Vision:A harvest of Hope and Health for 

Children, families, and communities.

The Rural Children’s Initiativef ( )of West Texas (RCI)

• A collaborative endeavor of Hale CountyA collaborative endeavor of Hale County• Llano Estacado Alliance for Families (LEAF)• Central Plains Center (CPC)

Alliance of youth, families, mental health, juvenile justice, education, child welfare, and faith‐ and community based partners involving 1 rural and 10 frontier counties.

Behavioral Health Agency /Comprehensive Mental Health Center & Local Mental Health Authority& Local Mental Health Authority

Collaborative HistoryCollaborative History

• 1998 ‐ Small workgroup agency partners

• 2000 – Rural Initiative Program

• 2002 – Family Connections evolved into• 2002 – Family Connections evolved into

• 2005 – West Texas Community Coalition

• 2007 – Llano Estacado Alliance for Families» Memorandums of Understanding

» By Laws» By‐Laws

» 501(c)3 Status

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”  Helen Keller

RandallDeaf Smith

Hartley

Oldham Potter

Moore

Dallam Sherman

GrayCarson

ArmstrongDonley

HutchinsonRoberts

Wheeler

Collingsworth

Hemphill

OchiltreeHansford Lipscomb

LEAF

Hood

land

Swisher

Hockley

Gaines

Yoakum

Cochran

Dawson

Terry Lynn

Lubbock

Bailey

Parmer

Lamb Hale

Castro

Knox

Kent

ScurryBorden

Garza

Crosby Dickens

Fisher Jones

King

StonewallHaskell

Hall

MotleyFloyd

Briscoe

Hardeman

CottleFoard

Childress

JackYoung

StephensShackelford

Throckmorton

ParkerPalo Pinto

Wise

Baylor Archer

WilbargerWichita

ClayMontague

DallasTarrant

Denton

KaufmanVan Zandt

Collin

Rockwall

Hunt Franklin

RainsWood

Hopkins

Marion

Gregg

Upshur

Harrison

Titus

CampMorris Cass

FanninCooke Grayson

Delta

LamarRed River

Bowie

Tarrant CountyTri – County (Montgomery)

Harris CountyHood

Howard

CulbersonHudspeth

Jeff Davis

El Paso

Crane

Pecos

Reeves

Crockett

Upton Reagan

Andrews

Ward

Loving Winkler MidlandEctor Glasscock

Martin

Mason

McCulloch

Sutton

Schleicher

Kimble

Menard

Nolan

Tom GreenIrion

Mitchell

Sterling Coke Runnels

Concho

Coleman

Taylor Callahan

Bell

BlGillespie

LlanoBurnet

Williamson

Comanche

Mills

San Saba

Eastl

Hamilton

Lampasas

Coryell

Erath

Bosque

Somervell

Trinity

BrazosMilam

Lee

Burleson

Robertson

Montgomery

Walker

Grimes

Madison

Jasper

Hardin

Polk

San Jacinto

Tyler

Anderson

Ellis

Falls

McLennan

Hill

FreestoneLimestone

Leon

NavarroHenderson

Johnson Smith

Cherokee

Houston

Nacogdoches

Angelina

Rusk

Shelby

Panola

gg

Newton

San AugustineSabine

Presidio

BrewsterVal Verde

Terrell

Bandera

La SalleDimmit

ZavalaMaverick

Kinney Uvalde

Frio

Medina

Wilson

McMullen

Bexar

Atascosa

BeeLive Oak

Karnes

GuadalupeGonzales

EdwardsKerr

Real

Blanco

KendallComal

Gillespie

Hays

Caldwell Jefferson

Lavaca

VictoriaGoliad

Refugio

De Witt

Calhoun

A

Jackson

Wharton

Fayette

Lee

Austin

Colorado

Washington

Waller

Brazoria

Matagorda

Fort Bend

Harris

Galveston

Chambers

Montgomery

Liberty

a d

Orange

Jim Hogg

Webb

Starr

Zapata

Nueces

Brooks

Hidalgo

Duval

Kenedy

Willacy

Cameron

Jim Wells

Kleberg

San PatricioAransas

Texas Integrated Funding Initiatives (TIFI)

Dallas County Unified Public Mental Health Initiative

Tarrant Transformation Project

Llano Estacado Alliance for Families

Nacogdoches Mental Health collaborative

Williamson County Mental Health Task Force

Terrell County Collaborative

Force

Coastal Bend Rural Health Partnership

Bexar County Safety Net Community Collaborative

Texas Mental Health Transformation (MHT)Community Collaboratives

Other Collaborative ProjectsOther Collaborative Projects• Juvenile Accountability Block Grant

• Title V Funds• Title V Funds

• Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention

• Safe & Drug Free SchoolsSafe & Drug Free Schools

• Selective Prevention Services – Texas Department of State Services (DSHS)

• Indicated Prevention Services (DSHS)

• Drug Court

TCOOMI (T C il O Off d ith M t l• TCOOMI (Texas Council On Offenders with Mental Impairment)

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dreamso shall you become…so shall you become 

James Allen

1993‐19991993 19991997‐20041999‐20062002‐20102005‐2011

20082008‐‐20142014

System‐of‐Care Communities of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health 

Services Program for Children and Their Families  (SAMHSA – CMHI) 

RCI will:RCI will:Create a comprehensive andCreate a comprehensive and sustained frontier‐rural model     h b l d hthat can be replicated in the other 185‐rural‐frontierother 185 rural frontier    

counties in Texas. 

“Be like a postage stamp.  Stick to it until you get there.” 

Build•Passion 

Identify Champions (or become one –”Champions are made, not born!”)Willingness to do above and beyond what 

current position & duties callcurrent position & duties call •Pursue

Be creative and flexible with current fundsBe creative and flexible with current funds and programsDo not overlook small funding opportunites

•Persist, persevere, persist“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. 

Working together is successWorking together is success.Henry Ford

Blend• Share• Share

– Principles and Values

S C t T k– Space, Costs, Tasks

– Successes – big and small

• Shift – Co‐fund positions

– Modify job descriptions and responsibilities

• StrengthenStrengthen– Ideas  and motivation

Build on strength– Build on strength“Do or do not... there is no try.”  Yoda

BroadenBroaden• Expand partnerships

• Build capacity : groom, mentor, coach

• Reach out to other successfulReach out to other successful  collaborative partnerships

f d i d• Engage state partners, foundations, and nontraditional partners“If you want to go quickly, go alone.  

If you want to go far, go together.”   Af i P bAfrican Proverb

Anonymous Collaborative Team Member

Questions or Comments?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Funding was made possible in part by 1U79SM058507 from the United States Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderator do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.