The overview
The three initiatives made possible by the BTCS partnership are:
- Providing child welfare court case coordinators to help with court-ordered treatment
- Offering services to reduce homelessness and increase housing sustainability in the county
- Providing dedicated, qualified mental health professionals in 911 dispatch
Child welfare court care coordinators work with families involved in Child Protective Services cases. While there is often high turnover in CPS case workers, care coordinators can help facilitate the completion of court orders, according to county documents.
Under the agreement, BTCS will hire and provide the two case coordinators, and Williamson County will fund up to $144,000 for salaries and benefits during fiscal year 2025-26.
“I'll say it's the total family unit that we try to help get these cases through,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said. “Because all too often we found that the CPS case managers needed support to get the cases through ... that was not efficient government, but it was also bad for the child, and for all the parties involved.”
What else?
BTCS began its homelessness prevention program in January 2024, helping find permanent housing for individuals at Community First Village, a 51-acre affordable housing community for those experiencing homelessness, as well as alternative options.
“We’ve been very successful with helping place about 33 individuals with chronic homelessness issues from here in the county to long-term permanent housing,” Bluebonnet Trails CEO Mike Maples said.
Williamson County will fund $180,981 for two homeless prevention or peer specialist staff as well as housing, transportation and clothing costs this fiscal year. The program aims to place 15 individuals from Williamson County into Community First Village homes and provide housing support services to 35 others, according to county documents.
One more thing
Qualified mental health professionals work in the county’s 911 communications center, providing crisis intervention, de-escalation and treatment coordination, according to county documents. The program limits deploying law enforcement when not needed and facilitates safety in mental health crises.
The county will fund $168,000 for the salaries, benefits and supervision for qualified mental health professionals in 911 dispatch during fiscal year 2025-26.
