12-10-24

By Michael Robinson: Uvalde Hesperian

At the November 18th Uvalde CISD school board meeting, Superintendent Ashley Chohlis announced that funds are available through a Crime Victims Compensation Program. She stated that the program is not new but announced that help would be available at several Uvalde CISD campuses.

Chohlis said, “It’s always been available, but it hasn’t been widely (publicized) ”

The Uvalde Hesperian reached out via email to 38th Judicial District Attorney Christina Mitchell asking about the program.

Mitchell responded and said, “My office has been and continues to work with Ms. Chohlis and the Uvalde CISD.  My office will be present at several campuses in the next couple of months to assist the UCISD with the Crime Victims Compensation Program applications.

  It is the Attorney General’s office that receives and processes the applications and then makes the determination if an applicant qualifies and if so, how much that applicant is to receive.  It is a reimbursement compensation program.  It is my understanding from the Attorney General’s office that, unfortunately, qualified applicants are only UCISD employees who were assigned to work at Robb Elementary and/or families whose children were enrolled and present at Robb Elementary on 5/24/22.

 I would strongly encourage everyone to visit the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center for assistance on services that may be needed or just to stop in and inquire as to services that are available. “

Related link:

Attorney General Paxton Calls Attention to Reimbursements Available Under the “Crime Victims’ Compensation Program” for Victims of Uvalde Tragedy | Office of the Attorney General

 

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Uvalde County Commissioners voted to approve requests made by Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco, Uvalde County Attorney John Dodson and 38th Judicial District Attorney Christina Mitchell requested the Uvalde County Commissioners to vote to approve the allocation of grant fund from Texas Senate Bill 22 to be used for pay increases for Sheriff’s Department’s staff and for the hiring an assistant county attorney and assistant district attorney. The Commissioners Court made the decision at it’s first meeting of the new year on Monday Morning January 8th, 2024

 Commissioner Ronnie Garza asked Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brandon McCutchen, “These salaries are being increased as a result of the grant. What happens when the grant no longer fund it; the salaries stay in place right?”

“That would be up to the Commissioners and what they chose to adopt,” McCutchen said.

Uvalde County Auditor Alice Chapman stepped in and said,” This SB 22 allocation is only valid for this legislative session. The next legislative session, it may be passed and it may not be passed.” She went on to say that the grant is only effective for the next two years.“

  Texas Senate Bill 22 which was passed on June 7th, 2023 pertains to the establishment of grant programs to provide financial assistance to qualified sheriff’s offices, constable’s offices, and prosecutor’s offices in rural counties.

According to a report by the Texas State Comptroller’s Office it states the following:

  Senate Bill (SB) 22 establishes a grant program that will provide financial assistance to sheriff’s departments, constable’s offices and district and county attorney’s offices in eligible counties to ensure professional law enforcement and legal representation of the people’s interests throughout the state.

Uvalde County Attorney John Dodson makes a request for grant money to hire an assistant county attorney

  The new law provides supplemental salaries for different positions in rural areas. Eligible counties can apply for grant funds beginning Jan. 1, 2024, regardless of a particular county’s fiscal start-date. Eligible counties may apply electronically beginning Jan. 1, 2024. In future years, counties and prosecutor’s offices will apply according to the start of their fiscal year.

Eligibility

The Comptroller’s office will use the federal decennial census as the source for the population counts (2020 census data).

A qualified county or prosecutor’s office means the office meets the standards provided by the law.

• Offices must serve counties with overall populations of 300,000 or less.
• If a constable is already making above the minimum annual salary, the county is not eligible for grant funding to increase the salary.
• If a county already pays the minimum salary levels for the sheriff, deputies and jailers, the county may still apply for funds for additional personnel or equipment.

 

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian; Picture by Robinson

  38th District Attorney Christina Mitchell addressed the Uvalde County Commissioners Court on Monday, December 11th and recommended the Court not renew the contract with the Ecumenical Center  of the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center which is located at 2104 East Main Street in the old First State Bank East Main Street Branch. 

  According to 38th District Attorney Christina Mitchell, the Uvalde County Commissioners Court’s decision not to renew the contract with the Ecumenical Center does not mean counseling and other services at the 2104 East Main facility will cease. 

  On the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center’s website, it states the following participating organizations offer counseling and other support services at that location:

Bluebonnet Children’s Advocacy Center

• Provides trauma-informed care, particularly for child victims and their families

Nueva Vida Counseling

• Long-term mental health counseling services
• Child psychiatry
• Adult psychiatry

Hill Country Mental Health

• Local mental health authority, provides mental health services and counseling

Family Service

• Financial counseling only

  The mission statement found on the organization’s website states the following: The Uvalde Together Resiliency Center (UTRC) is a program of The Ecumenical Center that provides resources, support, and hope to individuals, families, students, faculty, community and organizations impacted by the tragedy at Robb Elementary School.

  The current contract between the Ecumenical Center and Uvalde County is set to expire on April 30th, 2023. 

  “We’ve been working with the Department of Justice and our Governor’s Office to renew the VOCA Grant also known as the Crime Victims Assistance Grant Program (VOCA) – Devotes resources to provide direct services to victims of crime to help them recover and to navigate the justice system,” 38th District Attorney Christina Mitchell said.

“Obviously when we started the Family Resiliency Center, we did not know what that looked like,” D.A. Mitchell said.

 Mitchell continued by saying, “But after being involved for two years, it is going to be my recommendation we bring those services in locally.”

  In referring to local services, D.A. Mitchell mentioned Family Services and Bluebonnet. 

  In an email the Uvalde Hesperian received from D.A Mitchell, she wrote,” We are using local clinicians and local agencies to provide services.”

  Uvalde County purchased the former First State Bank East Main Branch building at 2104 East Main Street.