Texas Youth Commission Notes, Spring 1989 Page: 6
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Agency Utilizes Focus Group Process
In April 1988, the Texas Youth Commission held a training session in regard to the implementation of
regional focus groups. These groups were designed to serve as a forum for soliciting input in reference
to TYC's services from constituency groups that are directly impacted by the delivery of those services.
The groups included judges, district attorneys, police officers, school administrators, citizen volunteers,
victims, former TYC youth and their parents.
From June 1988 to February 1989, twelve focus groups were held in the agency's five regions. Prior to
each focus group meeting date, the participants were provided with a brief introduction to the process
and given an agency overview document. The recommendations presented at each session were
received in response to the following two sets of questions:
* Based on your understanding of current Texas Youth Commission operations, are there programs
and services which should be offered but are not available at this time? What are they?
* Are there current programs and services that the Texas Youth Commission should continue but in
some altered form? What are they?
Utilizing the Nominal Group Technique, the recommendations of each group were presented, dis-
cussed and ranked in order of importance. As a result of this process, a total of 294 recommendations
were documented. The following is a presentation of seven broad categories in which half of the
responses could be grouped. The diverse nature of the remaining recommendations did not facilitate
categorization.Central
East
North
South
west
Total
# % # % # % # % # % # %
I 3.13 1 2.00 6 5.05 1 2.38 14 4.76
Education,Vocational
or Employment Services
Substance Abuse
Programming
TYC Staff/
Supervision
Parole Rules/
Revocations4 7.15 5 15.63 4 8.00 15 12.61 7 16.16 35 11.90
2 3.58 1 3.13 5 10.00 3 2.53 4 9.53 15 5.10
4 7.15 2 6.25 8 16.00 8 6.73 1 2.38 23 7.82
1 1.79 1 3.13 0 0.00 6 5.05 4 9.53 12 4.08Interagency
Communication/
Coordination
Public Awareness6 10.72 5 15.63 5 10.00 10 8.48
5 11.91 31 10.54
5 8.93 4 12.50 3 6.00 5 4.21 1 2.38 18 6.12
Having received this comprehensive review of how various communities perceive the delivery of
services by TYC, the agency will utilize this body of information to supplement and interpret the
empirical data produced by the biennial needs assessment process. The perspective provided by this
focus group project will serve to assist TYC in ensuring that appropriate services are available to youth
in proximity to their homes. As a side benefit, this process has also served to reestablish or enhance
communication between TYC and the key community representatives who must work together if youth
are to successfully return to their home communities.GOP Training (Continued from page 5)
policies, all of TYC's general
policies were changed and im-
plemented with the completion
and distribution of the new
General Operating Pol icy
Manual (GOP),effective March I.
"Revision of this manual has
taken a long time because such a
project requires that an agency
reevaluate long standingdecisions and the philosophy
that directed those decisions,
said Lindgren. " We encourage
everyone to call or send their
policy questionsto the central of-
fice child care division so that we
can interpret consistently and
refine as needed."Klug named to A.I.A.
(continued from page 5)
ing the most outstanding
projects for a traveling exhibit
that will appear at the August
American Correctional
Association's Congress of Correc-
tions, the October A.I.A. Com-
mittee on Architecture for
Justice meeting, and various
other sites and conferences
through early 1990.6
Family
Counseling/
Involvement5 8.39
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Texas Youth Commission. Texas Youth Commission Notes, Spring 1989, periodical, Spring 1989; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1031801/m1/6/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.