Football coaches team-up for a winning year
- Written by Art Martinez
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications
The Lone Star High School Southeast football team is off to a start that’s almost as sizzling hot as the weather. While the young men on the gridiron deserve all the praise they’ve been getting, it seems fitting to give some of the kudos to the coaching staff.
Head Coach Jonathan Wells and Assistant Coaches Nancy Salinas and Martin Rangel have got the Mustangs in position for a great year in the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) League, opening the season with a 2-0 start.
Coach Wells enters his third year as a PE teacher and football coach at the Giddings campus. In an impressive career spanning over 30 years that has seen him in the role as teacher, principal, and athletic director, he says coaching is really where his heart is. It’s no exaggeration to say he has a passion for it.
“You’ve really got to want to coach,” he said. “You’ve got to be passionate about it. Coaches are some of the best teachers, because coaching really is about teaching. And these kids really are fun to work with.”
A native Texan, born in Dallas and raised in Brownwood, he comes by his love of football–especially the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns–honestly. His enthusiasm for football is so powerful that in his free time he’s likely to be unwinding by watching football games at any level.
“I’m always thinking about coaching,” he said. “I’m always thinking about plays. I’m always drawing up new plays and thinking about how I can do better as a coach. I’m always watching game film, always watching games. I love going to high school football games. Watching more football recharges me.”
Coach Salinas is also in her third year at Giddings, but started with TJJD (then the TYC) at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg. Here at Lone Star, she’s been an English teacher and then a science teacher before her current position teaching both Spanish and math. She also coaches the track team.
When Wells asked Salinas to be an assistant, she’d never coached football before. “That’s the first thing I told Coach Wells,” she said. “But I told him I’d do it and he’s been a great mentor. He’s so open to sharing his knowledge and he’s a great motivator. He’s very easy to work with.”
Martin Rangel, the longtime woodshop/construction technology teacher and former soccer coach at Giddings, rounds out the staff. “He has been a godsend to us,” said Wells. “He loves working with these kids and we really needed him.”
The coaching staff make up a pretty good team themselves. “Coach Wells and Coach Rangel focus on the plays and the dynamics of the game and I focus on building the emotional components of the team,” Salinas said. “We huddle up the kids after every practice and I have them tell the player next to them what they saw that the other kid did well today. Between us we account for over a century of experience working with the kids.”
The days leading up to the season weren’t easy ones. Getting the youth into “football shape” safely in the brutal summer heat took some doing. There was another challenge as well. “Giddings doesn’t have a weight room,” Salinas said. “So, we had to get creative.”
Molding the youth into an effective unit working toward the same goal took some time as well.
“When we first started, these kids didn’t know how to work as a team,” Salinas said. “We worked really hard to get these kids to learn to do that. Coach Wells always tells these kids ‘We’re a family now. We have to work together.’ Seeing these kids grow together has been overwhelming.”
The early results haven’t gone unnoticed on campus. “If every kid who wanted to play could be on the team, we’d have fifty kids out there now,” Salinas said.
She said that not all of the kids felt that way when early practices and conditioning sessions were going on. “But as soon as they see the success the team has been having, and seeing the kids on the team wearing their jerseys on game day? Kids telling us they want to be on the team is a constant thing now.”
Salinas echoed Wells’ sentiments when it came to how she unwinds. “Watching sporting events,” she said. “I love the NFL and boxing. I go to Cowboys games every year and follow multiple boxers and UFC fighters.” But it’s not always all about sports, she says. “I enjoy traveling out with my daughter. We have a trip to Europe planned this Thanksgiving.”
The rewarding experience of winning football games is something the coaching staff hopes will be another example of how commitment to a goal and the power of teamwork will serve the youth when they return to their communities.
“I want people to know that even though these kids might have made mistakes, these are still young men that still need an opportunity like anyone else,” Wells said. “I tell these kids that not being very smart got them in here (because they took a path into criminal behavior) and being smart is what’s going to get them out.”
“These kids have earned an opportunity to participate in a sport that not only I love, but they love too,” Wells continued. “I can see it in these kids every day.”
Photos by TJJD Communications. Top, Coach Wells with the players; middle, taking the field; lower, Nancy Salinas and a player watch the action.
Tina Saenz Retires from TJJD after 30 years of invaluable service
- Written by Art Martinez
By John McGreevy, TJJD Communications
On August 31, Tina Saenz will be calling it a day. Her well-earned retirement will be a bittersweet occasion for the staff and youth at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg.
A TJJD veteran (known as the Texas Youth Commission when she started) since 1989, Saenz is an administrative assistant at the Evins campus. Over the years she’s been a clerk and a JCO before taking her current position and it’s not an exaggeration when her colleagues refer to her as “an institution.”
“She absolutely is,” said Belma Salinas, Business Manager at Evins. “I had the pleasure of working with her for over 30 years. She was always planning functions and events for the staff. Her generosity helped keep morale up.”
Saenz started her career as a clerk at Tamayo House before transferring to Evins in June of 1989. “I was placed as the first clerk for the education department,” she said. “We had one clerk and two teachers and no schoolbooks, so for about four or five months there was old-fashioned teaching going on.” This meant the teachers had materials and lesson plans to work with but everything the youth were taught came from listening to the teacher and reading what they wrote on the blackboard. “The boys enjoyed it,” Saenz said.
When asked about what her favorite part of the job(s) she’s had with TJJD, she said “To be honest, it was working with the kids. I can only speak from my experiences, but the kids have always been very compassionate and very respectful.”
There’s ample evidence to suggest that the youth felt the same way about her. “Over the years, I’ve been at Barnes & Noble, HEB, or other places and I hear my name called out,” she said. “Former residents come up to me and ask me if I am still at Evins because they were here at one time before and remember me and other staff.”
Saenz stresses that the people who work at Evins and the other TJJD facilities don’t get the appreciation they deserve. “Our staff are great,” she said. “Without our staff we wouldn’t be anywhere. They don’t always agree on everything, but in a time of need, everybody comes together to help each other out.”
This is also part of what she tells new members of staff at Evins. “This is a very difficult job,” she said, “but it does have its rewards. You may not think so, but when you see these youths out in the community and they are productive citizens, you realize that they were listening to us. Many times, they will thank you for being there for them and not giving up as many out there in their lives have.”
And that’s the enduring message she has for staff and the public as well: “Don’t give up on these kids,” she said. “It takes time. They’ve been through a lot and you have to earn their trust, but once they get to know you and trust you, you can do miracles.”
She plans to spend her upcoming retirement doing the things she’s always loved, reading books and watching movies. “For the first month I just want to relax. After that, we’ll see.”
We wish her nothing but the best.
Director of Probation Services Amy Miller is retiring, but her heart will always be in juvenile justice
- Written by Art Martinez
By James Bateman, TJJD Probation Services
Amy Miller began her career with the agency in 2002 as a case manager at the Corsicana Residential Treatment Center working with female offenders with mental health needs.
As the saying goes, cream often rises to the top and it didn't take long for administrators to recognize her talent. She was quickly promoted to a program administrator position in 2004. During this time, Amy celebrated what she now reflects on as one of her proudest career accomplishments: She created a program specifically designed for youth with intellectual disabilities.
Tapping into her years of experience with the Mexia State Supported Living Center, where she served for 10 years before joining the then-Texas Youth Commission, she and her staff developed a program focused on both behavior analysis and behavior shaping. Everyone received additional training beyond what was required by the agency. “This dorm transformed into their home. It became a safe place that they shared with other youth with similar needs and where they ultimately thrived, the true definition of community,” Miller said.
Over the next several years, she served as Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services Supervisor and Assessment and Placement Coordinator. Miller can also be credited with assisting in the creation of the youthful offender program at McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility, at Mart, assisting the Corsicana center in achieving a 96% score on their first ACA accreditation audit, and revamping the state’s intake process to include the first use of the PACT assessment.
Miller left the agency for a short time, only to realize that her heart remained in juvenile justice. She returned in September 2016 as the Special Grants Coordinator for Probation Services, becoming the first ever grants manager. In October 2018, she accepted what would become her final position with the agency, Director of Probation Services.
During her time in this leadership role Miller says, “I have worked really hard to grow a division that can better support our county partners. I knew how very important it was for our Chiefs to have front door access to our agency, and that has remained the focus of the regionalization team today.”
“I am also proud of restructuring the JJAEP team to be more sustainable, revamping title 4E to be more effective and probably, most importantly, building a collaboration with our chiefs centered around a mutual trust,” she said.
“From the beginning, the probation chiefs have embraced me as one of their own, taught me about the probation system, and valued my expertise in both juvenile services and granting. They are varied in philosophy, resources, and approach, but united in their mission to make communities safer and help the kids sent their way. I’m humbled and grateful to have worked with them in support of that mission over the past seven years.”
Miller also praised her TJJD team. Working with and for Lou Serrano, Deputy Executive Director of Probation, Reentry and Community Services, “has been the highlight of my long career,” she said.
“I’ve been privileged to work with many amazing professionals and have had some incredible mentors in my 31 years of public service, most of which are still my friends today. Among them all, Lou has been the best mentor, colleague, and friend. I’m so very proud of the team Lou and I created in Probation Services. Every member of the team brings strong skills and expertise to their role, and more than that, incredible passion, and energy for probation services in Texas. I consider my time working with this team, and with the probation departments across Texas, the pinnacle of my career, and I am glad to retire knowing the system is in good hands.”
Amy Miller’s work has not gone under the radar. TJJD Executive Director Shandra Carter lauded Miller for her “instrumental role” in unifying the juvenile justice system and ensuring counties have the support they need.
“While we will greatly miss her passion for this work, we're also grateful for the time she's invested in building up and mentoring her team so they can take up the probation services gauntlet. They have big shoes to fill, but Amy prepared them well. We're excited to see what they accomplish next for and with the field,” Carter said.
Ashley Kintzer, who has been named Interim Director of Probation Services, said Miller has been her mentor and friend for many years.
“She is an incredible human with integrity and wisdom. As my supervisor, she was my rock. She was the person who always got me what I needed so I could do my best work. I appreciate her so much and always will,” Kintzer said.
Here are some tributes from County Juvenile Probation Chiefs who’ve worked with Amy Miller:
“From my first interaction with Director Miller, it was evident she was a practitioner with broad knowledge and expertise regarding juvenile justice. More importantly, it was even more obvious Director Miller possessed an immeasurable heart for kids and was committed to positively impacting every person she came into contact with. . . (she) became an immediate lifeline of support and consultation.
“Amy has always ensured you truly knew and understood she was there for you, whether for questions surrounding stateside operations and policy or to be a sounding board to help navigate and problem solve local issues; she has always been there. Director Amy Miller is the gold standard for what it means to be called to serve others. I aspire to have a career as impactful and meaningful. I will miss her immeasurably and wish her well in this next chapter of her life.”
-Lynn Hadnot, Director Collin County Juvenile Services.
“You have been an amazing advocate for all those working to improve the experiences and outcomes for young people impacted by the justice system and for the staff working with those children and families. You have a deep understanding of the complexities of juvenile justice and the knowledge of how the many state and county system components fit together. We will miss your tenacious spirit supporting our efforts and helping to guide progress. Thank you for all your hard work, candor, and commitment to doing what needs to get done. Looking forward to hearing about your next adventures!”
- Jill Mata, Chief Bexar County Juvenile Services.
“Three things I will say about Amy Miller, she was my friend, she was always a friend to probation, and she will be sorely missed.”
- Kirk Wolfe, Chief Wichita County Juvenile Services.
“In our personal and professional lives, people come and go, leaving little marks or memories, or lessons. Then there are those that come into your life that make indelible, lifelong impressions; those that have the ability to say one word, show the smallest act of kindness, lend you their ear and their shoulder of support, or provide those words of wisdom that changes the entire trajectory of everything happening in your small piece of the world. For me, that is Amy Miller.Very early on in my tenure as a Probation Chief, also responsible for a pre- and post-adjudication facility, I was challenged with the possibility of facility closure, staff and youth challenges that are inherent in our work. Amy became a sounding board, a coach, and a cheerleader for me. Her years of facility operations and administration experience, coupled with her knowledge of field operations, and that necessary balance between rehabilitation and accountability was and is a very unique skillset. Amy’s ability to meet you where you’re at in the moment is something we all preach but few are fully capable of embodying.
“I have a profound respect for Amy because when she says she is going to do something, she does it. When she asks what you need and you say, ‘I need you to come talk to my Commissioners’ Court,’ she’s there, with the team in tow! In twenty-four years (24) in Texas Juvenile Justice, I have never witnessed someone fight as hard as Amy has during a legislative session to bring the field together and have such a profound positive impact on our funding and our operations. She helped us to find our unified voice…and we are far better for it! Amy is a true leader, and she will be greatly missed.”
- Dawn Owens-Chief-Bell County Juvenile Services.
“I first met Amy Miller at a SNDP – TCOOMMI stakeholders meeting held in Dallas. I was very impressed with how well she facilitated the members present at the meeting, since there were some tensions with “growing pains” amongst both programs.Amy was extremely patient, professional, yet tactful in addressing the concerns and managed to get the group to reach a positive outcome. Meeting Amy that first time, I immediately knew she understood our juvenile justice field and most importantly, she was all about the youth/families we serve. And I especially liked that she was an Aggie! In 2017 during the first few months as CJPO, Lou Serrano and Amy were instrumental in guiding me through a major challenge within the department. Amy came down to Cameron County and provided valuable technical assistance and support. Based on her previous expertise and the current management structure with TJJD, we were able to model TJJD and create an Executive Management Team (EMT), so we could have better internal controls within the organization. What I truly appreciated from Amy was her professional demeanor, guidance, yet non-judgmental with what we needed to correct to move forward. Throughout the years, Amy was our “lifeline” for quick and easy answers. Plus, we could easily chat about family and A&M football, softball, and baseball. She will be missed tremendously. We wish her the best in her new journey.”
- Rose Gomez-Chief-Cameron County Juvenile Services
A note from the author James Bateman: Even though I only worked for Amy Miller for a short time, I have known her through various project assignments with both TJJD and the legacy TYC. I am both humbled and honored that I was able to write about a superior manager and dear friend.
Photo: Amy Miller and her husband Matt Miller
Rachel Gandy joins the agency as Chief of Staff
- Written by Barbara Kessler
By TJJD Communications
This summer TJJD welcomed Rachel Gandy as the agency’s new Chief of Staff.
Gandy replaces Sean Grove, who has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director and will be focusing on improving operations and working closely with the secure facilities.
She comes to TJJD with a uniquely informed perspective, having served as the project manager for the Sunset Advisory Commission’s review of the agency. In that role, she worked with TJJD leadership and other stakeholders to identify agency strengths and weaknesses and recommend changes.
The Sunset review was an independent legislative evaluation of TJJD to determine whether Texans still need the agency and if so, how it can improve its efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. For example, Sunset identified ways TJJD could expand support for county juvenile probation departments and update certification processes to increase local job opportunities.
Gandy will oversee the implementation of the Sunset recommendations for TJJD, which will undergo another review in four years.
In addition to working with the executive team on the day-to-day operations at TJJD, she will have oversight of the newly budgeted and planned TJJD facilities, working with the Texas Facilities Commission. She will manage initiatives to build capacity at the county level, collaborate with the TJJD Board and work on legislative and stakeholder engagement.
Gandy’s educational years prepared her well for this new leadership position in Texas juvenile justice. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, she received graduate degrees from both the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the UT Steve Hicks School of Social Work, where her interest in improving the juvenile justice system took hold.
She was the lead author for a year-long policy research project to identify, evaluate, and publish a report on correctional oversight bodies in adult and juvenile justice systems across the United States.
After earning her master’s degrees, she joined Disability Rights Texas, achieving more remarkable career milestones. She won a fellowship funded by the Hogg Foundation to advocate for reforms to federal, state, and local policies regarding disability and mental health services. She developed, supervised, and executed a targeted legislative campaign to improve the identification of and service delivery to students with disabilities. That campaign led to important legislative changes, and she received the 2017 Justin Dart Memorial Award for Outstanding Service from the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.
Gandy also served as vice chair of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and co-facilitator of the City of Austin Youth Justice Task Force.
Later, while working at the Sunset Commission, she and her team were awarded the 2023 Certificate of Impact from the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society for documented policy changes.
Gandy says she couldn’t be more excited about joining the TJJD team.
“I am thrilled to join a team of folks who dedicate themselves so completely to safety and rehabilitation across a unified juvenile justice system,” she said. “This work is tough, but the opportunities for impact were too good to pass up.”
“Usually when a Sunset bill passes, I am excited to immediately dive into a new policy area. But when TJJD’s bill passed in May, walking away from the juvenile justice system seemed unfathomable. Everyone I encountered throughout the review – from agency staff to probation chiefs to advocates – had a passion for improving youth outcomes, and it turns out, that passion was contagious.”
Expansive TJJD Capstone project brings treatment and case management innovations
- Written by Barbara Kessler
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications
This summer a group of TJJD leaders kicked off a special program for the agency that aims to improve cohesivity, working conditions, youth engagement and behavior management at the secure facilities.
Under the guidance of the Georgetown University’s Youth in Custody Practice Model (YICPM), the agency is pursuing a “Capstone” project that will put strategic changes into play and track and report about them. The aim is to develop a more unified treatment plan for TJJD youth that can make a big difference in youth outcomes, starting with the girls in residence at Mart. At the end of the project, TJJD will receive a certification from GU recognizing the agency’s work to improve and establish best practices.
Antonio Houston, Superintendent of the McLennan County secure facility at Mart, is a key leader of the project and his campus will serve as the flagship program for the Capstone initiatives.
“This is going to give our agency a better toolbelt to help these kids,” Houston said. And an important feature of the project is that the people who work day-to-day at the facility will shape the operational changes, he said.
Houston has already had focus meetings with Juvenile Correctional Officers, Case Managers, and other staffers to gather input that will drive the direction of modifications.
“In the past we’d have Central Office say, ‘Hey, you’re going to do this program.’ Instead of that, we’re getting the staff feedback and saying give us your ideas.”
“We had a training (at Mart) and we talked about the culture and how we can align that with this new program.”
Developing the Plan
TJJD was accepted to participate in the Georgetown University program in May. In June, 12 TJJD executives and program leaders traveled to Washington DC for a week-long training at the GU Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.
In addition to Supt. Houston, the group included: Executive Director Shandra Carter, Director of Structured Programming and Accountability Henry Schmidt III, Deputy Executive Director Sean Grove, Sr. Director of Integrated Treatment Evan Norton, Deputy Director of Treatment Lacey Evans, Training Director Chris Ellison, Senior Director of Secure Facilities Alan Michel, Director of Research Emily Knox, Senior Strategic Advisor Cameron Taylor, Manager of Institutional Clinical Service Erin Nemons and Clinical Director for Forensic Mental Health Services at Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex Autumn Lord.
The TJJD team participated alongside other state juvenile justice professionals from South Carolina, Maryland, and Hawaii. That alone was instructive because everyone shared useful ideas, Houston said.
The hard work came as the facilitators led the state groups through a process of evaluating their programs, benchmarking against best practices, and developing improvement plans.
TJJD leaders concluded that the Texas system follows many best practices but could use improvement in getting everyone out of their departmental silos to better coordinate and collaborate as they make plans for a youth’s progress through the system and beyond, into reentry and back home, Houston said.
“A youth’s case plan is primarily driven by case managers and the youth also have to deal with mental health providers, floor JCOs and dorm leadership. That can be confusing to kids, right?” he said.
The Capstone group knew that implementing a "one case plan" would require that all the adults working with a youth would have to collaborate, practice a team approach and be “speaking the same language, so the kids are not confused,” Houston explained.
Diving deeper the group identified barriers to implementing the plan and came up with ways to overcome those barriers by looking at all areas -- case planning, education, behavioral health, behavioral management, transition/reentry and community-based services, Houston said.
At the same time, they kept the top-level goals in mind of promoting a “safe, fair and healthy environment for the youth” while properly equipping and empowering staff, he said.
The overall case plan would have to include everyone on the ground at the facility and reach outward to include probation officers and families, who are vital to a youth’s enduring success.
“We don’t do a good job of asking the families what their needs are,” Houston said.
The Capstone plan recognizes that shortcoming and is building in multiple ways to engage families more thoroughly throughout their youth’s justice involvement, at TJJD and beyond.
Treatment is Paramount
Another beneficial aspect of moving to a unified case plan approach is that it recognizes the foundational importance of specialized treatment, said TJJD Strategic Advisor Cameron Taylor, who helped outline the Capstone project goals.
Only when youth and their treatment teams effectively address antisocial or dysfunctional behaviors can the youth move forward to make progress mentally, socially, and academically. Conversely, unaddressed dysfunctional behavior will perpetually block their progress.
That’s why the Capstone effort at Mart will encompass a specific treatment protocol already underway at the campus, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which has proven effective in correctional environments. DBT is a form of therapy developed by the psychologist Marsha Linehan that places high value on helping clients with problem-solving, incorporating aspects of acceptance and mindfulness.
Mart staff who work with the girls in residence have been getting training in DBT that includes learning a protocol for managing youth crisis behaviors, such as suicidal, self-harming or assaultive acts.
The training directs staff to consider and explore the antecedents – life events or prior experiences – that lead to these behaviors. Through understanding root causes, the staff learns to strategize solutions for and more effectively manage these behaviors.
“Understanding that youth disruptive or dysfunctional behaviors are their efforts to solve legitimate problems in their lives is core to beginning to offer meaningful treatment to them,” said Dr. Schmidt, who is leading the treatment training at Mart. “The cognitive-behavioral protocol for responding to these behaviors helps the youth and staff understand the youth’s intent and goals, so that we can work to offer them tools to more successfully navigate the challenges of life.”
“We can help youth by providing them with skills to regulate their emotions, tolerate distress, and navigate relationships with others; these are challenges that we all have experienced and share in common. Our primary task is helping youth to clearly see and evaluate their goals (short-term and long-term), have a variety of options for responding, and to increasingly use skillful means,” Schmidt explained. “We do this by balancing our support for change with acceptance of the challenges of learning new behavior and ways of thinking and acknowledging that change takes time and practice.”
The staff need to be aligned in their help for the youth, he said, and “working from the same sheet of music.”
“The unified treatment plan will assist us to do that, with line staff, case managers, mental health staff, and security all coaching and encouraging the youth in the same direction.”
Far-reaching Impact
The Capstone project is a big endeavor that touches many areas of operations and requires all oars in the water as the team at Mart pilots this project with the girls’ program.
And while it focuses on an effective, unified treatment plan for the youth, it reaches outward to incorporate many adjustments to operations that will facilitate the core goals and have intrinsic value as well.
For example, Supt. Houston is looking at ways to improve the work/life balance for staff to improve the overall campus culture, creating an environment that fosters success. This and other modifications lay the groundwork for the Capstone project, but extend to improve all lives, staff, and youth.
So far staff have told him they’re eager for innovations that will ripple outward.
The Capstone project plan, for instance, calls out that TJJD will cultivate “teamliness” and shared responsibility to meet its new goals of more effective treatment and case management. It’s not hard to envision how that can positively affect many operations at TJJD campuses.
It also calls for reaching out to families, and probation officers and community groups that can help address needs as a youth moves through their proscribed program and prepares to reenter their community.
The hope is that staff at all levels and across departments will be engaged in both developing and finetuning the unified treatment plan and the final set of processes developed will be clear and comprehensive so staff can easily and consistently apply the behavioral interventions they have learned.
As the Capstone plan notes, the quality of services provided to youth is contingent on the quality of training and support provided to the staff. Only when all the parts come together – the training, shared vision, positive work culture and team energy -- can staff most effectively assist and empower the girls at Mart.
Houston says that watching the early progress at the campus, he is optimistic.
In this early stage, everyone is working in concert, setting goals and taking baby steps, but what staff have reported to him after discussions has been positive. “What I heard was ‘thank you,’ for getting our input," he said.
Like them, Houston wasn’t sure what to expect when he was tapped for the Capstone project.
"Going into it I felt kind of apprehensive,” he recalls of the trip to DC. “Is this really going to work? Or will this be a program where we go through the motions? But after going through the training and listening to the presenters and the ideas that the executive team had, I feel confident about it.”
(Photo above: The Capstone team in DC; McLennan County campus Supt. Antonio Houston.)