My Brother's Keeper Houston:
Inform, Engage, and Inspire
My Brother's Keeper Houston Update: March 8, 2016
For a more linear view, here are the MBK Houston updates in a PDF:
Facilitated the Milestone 1 (Entering School Ready to Learn) Planning Meeting
Milestone 1 will be having a debriefing meeting to outline next steps in defining specific interventions that will better prepare the 0-5 children to enter school ready to learn. The interventions will be built upon the implementation plan submitted by the Milestone 1 Action team and information that has been gathered about the targeted communities by the MBK Houston support team. The specific interventions should be defined by summer of 2016.
Establish an Early Warning System (EWS)
An EWS uses readily available school data related to academic performance, attendance and behavior to identify students who are at risk of not graduating, dropping out of high school or who are disconnected either socially or emotionally. The MBK EWS proactively identifies students who need targeted intensive academic services/health and behavioral health services/social and emotional supports to be successful in school. In conjunction with the school, MBK will establish inter-agency Intervention Action Teams on campus to develop service plans to address needs identified for students identified by the Early Warning System.
As of today, the HHD MBK Core Team is working with representatives from HISD, Communities in Schools, Harris County CPS, Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD to define the variables for the EWS. After several planning meetings, Cook Elementary and Key Middle School will be the first two MBK schools to pilot the EWS. The next steps are to incorporate a system that measures the resiliency factor for students as a part of the EWS. The EWS plan will also need to be finalized in order to build the prototype for its use at the pilot schools. The start date will be between March and April 2016.
Implement Systems of Care (SOC) Model in Schools
SOC is a service delivery approach that builds partnerships to create a comprehensive spectrum of health, mental health, social and emotional supports and enrichment services to meet the needs of students identified by the Early Warning System. The Systems of Care components include information and referral, service linkage, navigation, case management and wraparound services. Services range from universally accessible community and school wide programs to targeted and crisis interventions tailored for needs of individual students and families.
SOC planning meetings are ongoing with the collaboration of HISD, Communities in Schools (CIS), Harris County Community Youth Services (CYS), Harris Center for MHIDD, and Harris County Department of Education (HCD). The planning group is finalizing processes, service components and interlocal agreements while the MBK Core Team is building a core network of services providers that will make services available to students on MBK campuses and at sites in the MBK communities. The next steps include expanding the network of service providers. Again, this will be piloted at both Cook Elementary School and Key Middle School between March and April 2016.
Establish a MBK Mentoring Program
One of MBK Houston’s strategies is to assure that every young person has a positive adult in his or her life. Mentoring is one way to implement this strategy. MBK Houston is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) to implement a school based mentoring program at MBK schools. The plan is to work with BBBS to match 75 elementary students from the targeted schools with mentors via a school based mentoring model.
BBBS Lone Star is the largest Big BBBS agency in the world. As a donor-supported volunteer youth mentoring organization, their program has been placing caring adults in the lives of children in one-to-one mentoring relationships since 1927. BBBS provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring professionally supported one-to-one relationships.
MBK Houston is currently meeting with BBBS coordinators to finalize all logistics and formalize agreements. The next steps include working with schools to gain commitment to participate in the school based program and working with BBBS on recruitment. The start date for the mentoring program will be in March 2016.
Implement Male-Focused Youth Development Programming
At this time, MBK Houston is working with the "Fifth Ward Enrichment Program" to expand capacity in that program to initially serve 160 additional youth (40 youth from 4 schools within MBK feeder patterns). The "FIfth Ward Enrichment Program" offers on campus life skills training and a community based comprehensive after school program. MBK Houston is also pursuing implementation of the "Becoming A Man" program. The "Becoming A Man" program uses a group support format facilitated by a trained counselor to provide a space for young men to openly express themselves, receive support and develop the social and emotional skills necessary to succeed. The program has been active in the Chicago public schools since 2001. The start date for the "Fifth Ward Enrichment Program" expansion is April 2016 and the start date for "Becoming a Man" will be in Fall 2016.
Strengthen Volunteer Support for MBK Schools, Students, and Families
There are three components to this coordinated system:
- School Champion- an organization(s) which commits to bring external community support to address school needs identified by the school principal.
- School Volunteers - an individual that wishes to volunteer time at a school. An individual wishing to support an MBK school as an individual volunteer will register as a volunteer through Volunteer in Public Schools (VIPS) program. MBK Houston will actively recruit volunteers to participate in school based literacy programs. Reading volunteers will be connected to the school through the Read Houston Read website at https://www.connect4literacy.org/ReadHoustonRead
- MBK Volunteers – an individual or organization that wishes to support an activity or program sponsored by MBK Houston whether campus or community based
- MBK Support Partners – an organization that wishes to implement activities that support and are aligned with MBK Houston strategies and receive technical assistance and in kind support from the Houston Health Department
MBK Houston is still actively recruiting volunteers to participate in the "Read Houston Read" program and actually has started the recruitment for reading volunteers in September 2015.
The next steps for volunteer support include surveying principals to assess school needs, recruiting organizations and individuals to serve as school champions and volunteers, and building the technology infrastructure that will enable organizations to be matched with selected schools. The volunteer portal has a target launch date of April 1, 2016.
Engage Stakeholders
MBK Houston has established a Youth Council for each of the three MBK feeder patterns. 36 youth have been recruited and have started participation. Youth will be trained in the Youth Empowerment Solution (YES) curriculum which will help give youth the tools and resources they need to be successful advocates for themselves and their community. There will be a Youth Summit in March 2016.
Parents
MBK Houston plans to recruit, train and support activities of parent advocates who live in the MBK communities. These advocates will be paid a stipend and be trained to educate parents about MBK Houston, outreach to parents to link them with programs and services and to be a resource for other parents who want to organize to address issues or concerns in their respective communities that support the health and well-being of their children. Advocates will provide representation of the parent’s voice on the Area Action Teams. MBK Houston hosted three outreach events at apartment complexes in the three MBK Communities and survey parents of 0 to 5 year olds to obtain information that will inform interventions that are to be developed for Milestone 1.
Community and Community Partners
a. Area Action Teams - MBK Houston established an Area Action Team in each of the three MBK school feeder patterns in the fall of 2015. The team consists of community residents, school personnel, City of Houston personnel from the Health, Library, Parks and Police departments and representatives from non-profit organizations. Each Area Action Team is developed action plans based upon interest expressed by team members at Area Action Team organizing meetings.
b. Agency Collaborations - MBK Houston has engaged the community by attending school open house and supporting widespread literacy campaigns such as “Read Across the Globe,” “Read Houston Read,” and co-hosting with the Houston Public Library on the “Three Doctors” event.
c. AIM (Assessment, Intervention, and Mobilization) – AIM connects with community residents using a door to door outreach strategy. The Houston Health Department in conjunction with partners will conduct a geographically targeted AIM project in the three MBK communities to engage community members, inform them about MBK and to promote messages that support the health of families and communities. The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation will provide early childhood books and Discover15 curriculum for AIM distribution. The MBK AIM will be conducted during the first week of May 2016.
Develop Workforce Opportunities
Form A Youth Justice Council
Establish A Post-Secondary Initiative
For More Information...
Email: mbkhouston@houstontx.gov
Website: www.mbkhouston.org
Location: 8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, United States
Facebook: facebook.com/mbkhouston
Twitter: @mbkhouston