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Community-backed continuity-of-care plan for youth justice presented to San Antonio council committee
Summary
Erika Fair presented an OJJDC-funded continuity-of-care planning project for Bexar County that outlines seven priorities — including reducing punitive school discipline and expanding school-based mental-health supports — and recommends an 18-month planning process toward summer/fall implementation.
Erika Fair, who said she works with local policy institutes, presented an OJJDC-funded continuity-of-care planning project aimed at reducing youth involvement in the justice system and strengthening community-based supports. The project, Fair said, followed two days of stakeholder convenings and produced seven priorities that focus on alternatives to punitive discipline, workforce development and expanded school-based mental-health services. Fair said the planning process produced an 18-month blueprint and that the county would begin implementation in summer or early fall.
Fair said the initiative included quantitative analysis, community participation and an effort to align services across schools and county systems. "Este proceso completo concluyó con un plan continuo de cuidado y el que empezará a principio del verano o final de verano, principio del otoño," she told the committee, summarizing the project timeline and next steps.
Councilmembers pressed presenters for specifics. Councilmember Munguía asked about a diversion model cited in the presentation and how district disciplinary codes drive referrals; presenters said they’ve been holding one-on-one conversations with Southwest ISD, Northside and Central ISD representatives and that disparities in resources among districts contribute to higher referral rates in some neighborhoods.
Members also asked about funding and fiduciary arrangements. Presenters said the project was supported by OJJDC 2023 with Bexar County serving as the fiduciary to administer the initial grant; they described ongoing efforts to assemble implementation funding through a mix of county, city and philanthropic sources. The presenters encouraged council involvement in connecting city resources and departmental partners to the community action networks established during planning.
Multiple councilmembers requested follow-up materials, including a detailed report on which school districts and providers participated, an implementation timeline, and the data behind the maps used in the presentation. The committee did not take formal policy votes on the plan during the meeting; presenters and members agreed to continue coordination and return with more detailed materials to support implementation planning.
