STEP UP Texas is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to bring trauma-informed and restorative practices training and implementation support to school districts, law enforcement, and the judicial system toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in engagement with the juvenile justice system. It is a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Williamson County Juvenile Services, and STARRY. Initially funded in 2021, STEP UP Texas began providing training in Williamson County, Texas while also convening a Task Force of community and organizational stakeholders to better understand the local issues and possible solutions. In 2022, STEP UP Texas received additional funding to include implementation support alongside the training and to expand its reach to additional jurisdictions in Texas.
STEP UP Texas Leadership

Hello, my name is Clarence “Teddy” Jones and I am the Director of Restorative Practices Training…(Click to read full bio)
Clarence “Teddy” Jones, BA

Matt Smith is the Assistant Executive Director for the Williamson County Juvenile Services Department…(Click to read full bio)
Matt Smith, LPC-Supervisor
STEP UP Texas Training And Technical Assistance Professionals

Kaitlyn Bruch is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is the Trauma Informed Training and Technical Assistance Professional…(Click to read full bio)
Kaitlyn Bruch, MA, LPC#79552

Kristy Montes was born and raised in California. She attended California State University, Northridge, majoring in Child and Adolescent Behavior…(Click to read full bio)
Kristy Montes, MDiv



This project is supported by Grants # 2020-JX-FX-K003 & 15PJDP-21-GK-04689-MUMU awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.