UNITED WAY OF DENTON COUNTY INC

COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING DC HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM, DC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP TEAM, DC WORKFORCE SUCCESS LEADERSHIP TEAM:UWDC has developed strong partnerships and collaborative programs to meet the complex and expanding needs of Denton County, a county that exceed 1 million in population in 2023. UWDC Community Capacity Building investment of funding and resources is driven by the following principals: Alignment to critical unmet needs often in the areas of Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Community Resiliency, Alignment with UWDC mission, Must produce measurable results that indicate the level of outcomes expected. UWDCs cross-sector partnerships include universities, nonprofits, local government, faith-based organizations, businesses and school districts. Our efforts include utilization of community leaders, elected officials and other governance leaders who can influence policy across the community to improve systems and break down barriers. Summaries our major initiatives/programs are as follows: Financial Initiatives Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - IRS-certified volunteers help low and moderately-low income taxpayers e-file their federal tax returns for free in an accurate and timely manner. UWDC has operated VITA sites across Denton County since 2008 generating over $20 million in net refunds for over 16,000 Denton County low to moderately low income households. During the 2024 tax season ending this past April 2025, volunteer tax preparers filed tax returns for low-income taxpayers at eight host sites across Denton County. Completing a strong recovery towards pre-pandemic performance, 48 volunteers filed 2,010 returns for local taxpayers, returning $1.5 million in net refunds to people in Denton County, and saving our community an estimated $629,130 in tax preparation fees. Information about UWDCs VITA program can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/VITA. Mental Health Initiative Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team The purpose of UWDCs Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team (DCBHLT) is to convene as an appointed policy developing body to improve the planning, coordination, oversight, and implementation required to create systems change for behavioral health services in Denton County. The team is comprised of appointees from: Denton County Commissioners Court, County-wide Municipal Governments, Health Care Providers, Health Insurance Providers, Educational Institutions, Law Enforcement, Non-profits, Housing services providers, and other community organizations. DCBHLT functions as a quasi-governmental team with a guiding charter and bylaws under the backbone support of UWDCs Collective Impact Model approach to system change. DCBHLT Vision is to provide comprehensive behavioral health for every person in Denton County. In the 2024-25 fiscal year the DCBHLT with UWDC backbone support accomplished the following main initiatives. Mental Health Navigators as an established program funded by Denton County and located in the Denton County Public Health Department connecting residents with mental health professionals who meet the criteria they are looking for. Sustained funding support for CredibleMind, an online platform the provides free, evidence-based mental health resources to Denton County residents. Information about UWDCs Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/MentalHealth. Housing & Homelessness Initiative Denton County Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team The purpose of UWDCs Denton County Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team (DCHHLT) is to convene as a policy making team to improve the planning, coordination, oversight, and implementation required to create systems change, for homelessness and housing services in Denton County. The DCHHLT is comprised of appointees from: Denton County Commissioners Court, Municipal Governments across Denton County, Health Care Providers, Health Insurance Providers, Educational Institutions, Law Enforcement, Non-profits, Housing and homelessness services agencies, and other community organizations. DCHHLT functions as a quasi-governmental team with guiding charter and bylaws under the backbone of UWDCs Collective Impact Model approach to systems change. DCHHLTs Vision is that every person in Denton County has a place to call home that is safe, affordable, accessible and supported by community resources and that homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring. In the 2024-25 fiscal year the DCHHLT with UWDC backbone support achieved the following. DCHHLT renewed its strategic plan with four main goals: Housing & Supports, Housing Crisis Response, Diversion & Prevention, and Strengthen Community Engagement & Collaboration. DCHHLT completed the HUD 2025 Point in Time homelessness census as well as gathered data to build upon the community-facing homelessness data dashboard. DCHHLT also launched an ad hoc Shelter Services Workgroup to implement new policies and procedures for the Denton Community Shelter that increase barriers, refines eligibility, sharpens case management and housing outcomes focus and lowers the non-inclement weather shelter capacity from 192 to 119 persons to achieve best practice case manager caseloads. DCHHLT also implemented the Cross Care Collaborative work group to improve operational points of intersection between the housing crisis response system and mental health crisis response system in Denton County. This work group was also responsible for annualizing a county-wide update to the Sequential Intercept Model Map for mental health crisis services. Information about UWDCs Denton County Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/Homelessness. Education & Workforce Initiatives Denton County Workforce Success Leadership Team (DCWSLT) UWDC continued in 2024-25 the work of the DCWSLT, a collective impact initiative, 23-38 member appointed, quasi-governmental body with UWDC serving as the backbone support organization. The vision of the DCWSLT is that all individuals in Denton County achieve financial security through workforce success by securing employment that provides a sustaining level of income that aligns with the cost to live in Denton County. The DCWSLT, with backbone support of the UWDC, accomplished several key initiatives this year. Partnering with Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas and other local nonprofits, DCWSLT continued its successful workforce referral program, connecting individuals with both employment and childcare resources. Additionally, the DCWSLT completed year three of implementing the EMPathways program in Denton County, equipping case managers with additional tools for trauma-informed care and economic mobility support for their clients. To support early childhood providers, the Childcare Workgroup under the DCWSLT hosted two early childhood conferences. The DCWSLT further mobilized the community by hosting job skill training workshops and proactively addressed emerging needs by launching new workgroups focused on Denton County's senior population and data analysis. Information about UWDCs Denton County Workforce Success Leadership Team can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/Families.