Primary Department: Public Health Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton - Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Award
Project ID (if applicable): FY26_CONN2
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Connective
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): 0%
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Grantor does not allow indirect cost capture
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by Public Health Services for approval to accept from Connective grant funds in the amount of $80,000, with no required match, for the Phase 3 Unlock My Benefits Texas Project.
end
Background and Discussion:
In May 2024, Connective awarded Harris County Public Health (HCPH) a $71,000 grant to join its Public Benefits Pilot Hub. This initiative, now known as the Unlock My Benefits TX Project, aims to help Harris County families successfully apply for and receive state public benefits for which they qualify. The overall goal is to improve household economic stability in Harris County by increasing residents' utilization of public benefits programs. HCPH is requesting the court's approval to participate in the third phase of this project, which will further expand benefits screening and application support among eligible households in Harris County through HCPH's Connect team.
Expected Impact:
In Harris County, $1 billion in annual assistance goes unclaimed in part because of barriers in securing and maintaining public aid. Connective's Unlock My Benefits TX online screener, technical tools, and comprehensive training for benefits screeners has enabled HCPH's Connect team to provide application assistance to more than 1,000 households annually, helping them access public benefits that help sustain and stabilize their families. This project also aligns with Harris County's strategic plan goals to increase utilization of health-related public benefits programs.
Alternative Options:
The court could opt not to accept this award. However, that would disrupt a nearly three-year partnership between HCPH and Connective. It would also impact HCPH Connect's capacity to provide benefits eligibility screening and application assistance. Without such support, eligible and at-risk families might struggle to access programs that would help address their health, well-being, and economic stability. This could in turn increase their reliance on county social service resources, impacting the cost of providing public health services.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 4. Improve physical and mental health outcomes across all communities.
County Strategic Plan Objective: O: Increase access to quality health care, including preventive and behavioral health.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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10/08/2024 |
219 |
Grant award acceptance |
Location:
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$80,000 |
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$80,000 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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Anticipated Court Date: 3/19/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 3/19/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Jamie Hughes, Director of Health Prevention and Coordinated Care Division, Public Health Services
Attachments (if applicable): Grant Notice of Award