Ka`u News Briefs Friday, March 17, 2017

Teen Alert is one of the many programs represented at Ka`u Rural Health Community Association's annual meeting on Friday. Photo from Teen Alert

EXPERTS ON HELPING COMMUNITIES, VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS of drug abuse and domestic violence came to Pahala on Friday with a lot of skills and hope. They participated in the 19th Annual Rural Health Conference and General Membership Meeting of Ka`u Rural Health Community Association. The public meeting was held at Pahala Community Center. Many of the participants wore black tee shirts promoting the word "Respect."
     Honorable Chief Circuit Court Judge Ronald Ibara talked about the Drug Court helping to improve the lives of drug users who were going in and out of jail, as if they were in a revolving door. Ibara is known for his idea of "training the entire person," and working with drug court teams to help people stay off drugs, complete drug rehabilitation, establish stable housing, become educated, work, and stay away from the social groups that would help to get them back in trouble.

Ka`u Coffee farmer Delvin Navarro wears the conference themed t-shirt promoting respect. Photo by Julia Neal

     Ibara brought the program to the Big Island and it has been successful, producing a low recidivism rate. The police officers serving with the drug court are perceived more as case workers, he noted. They encourage and provide structure for persons convicted of drug crimes to solve their problems rather than just sit in jail and go back on the street and resume an unhealthy and dangerous lifestyle.
    Danielle Ortiz Padilla, of the Teen Alert Program, stressed the importance of helping teens to gain the strength to make good choices to avoid becoming victims of violence, abuse and drugs. The organization stresses the importance of separating young people from brain damaging drugs such as methamphetamine. Padilla noted that meth does physical damage to the brain that can make it impossible for a person to recover full mental and emotional functions, even after quitting. The damage can lead to impaired thinking and the inability to make the right decisions.
     Gary Shimobokura of Laulima, LLC. shared his experience of working with businesses, families and community groups on drug and domestic abuse, as well as sexual violence problems. His programs help youth choose a different Shimobokura has worked with Pa`a Pono Molili`i and its youth camps. His programs help youth to choose a positive path away from bad habits they may have witnesses or experienced as children.
     Ed Flores, of the Boys to Men program, talked about the natural ability of athletic coaches to help youth in their overall life development. He said he would meet with Ka`u High School coaches.
     Also making presentations were David Nishthal, Education Coordinator of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center; Valerie Mariano, of the Department of the Attorney General Community and Drime Prevention division; and Auntie Jessie Marques, Executive Director of Ka`u Rural Health Community Association.

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MEALS ON WHEELS, which are available homebound persons 60 years and older in Ka`u, are at risk of losing funding under the proposed budget cuts that Pres. Donald Trump has sent to Congress. The meals are available through the Hawai`i County Nutrition Program which also provides meals in group settings at such places as Pahala Senior Center.
The county receives some Meals on Wheels funding through Community Services Block Grants each year - a program Trump's budget eliminates entirely. About 35 percent of Meals On Wheels funding comes from another federal source, through the  Older Americans Act, which is also likely to be cut, according to a statement from Meals on Wheels of America. " Ellie Hollander, President of Meals on Wheels, said the budge cuts "would be a devastating blow to our ability to provide much-needed care for millions of vulnerable seniors in America, which in turn saves billions of dollars in reduced health care expenses."

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FILLING JOBS AT THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTERS is the aim of bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Mike Bost (IL-12). The bill to address the growing problem of VA medical centers operating without permanent directors unanimously passed the House on Friday as an amendment to VA reform legislation.The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard introduced legislation that passed Congress on Friday to push for VA jobs to be filled. Photo from Tulsi Gabbard

     "The mission of the VA is to take care of our veterans, and to do so they need strong, accountable leaders who are committed to that mission. In Hawaiʻi and many other states, veterans have gone without a permanent VA health center director for more than a year. Our bipartisan legislation that passed today will direct the VA Secretary to prioritize hiring qualified, accountable leaders to serve our veterans and their families," said Gabbard.
     She explained that more than 20 VA medical centers currently lack a permanent director, including some that have not been staffed by a permanent director in almost two years. "In lieu of a permanent director, these facilities have been managed by interim directors who may only serve in that capacity for a short time, with the average tenure of an interim director being 120 days. The revolving door of directors serving in an acting capacity undoubtedly hinders the ability to engage in long-term planning and other functions necessary to improve service delivery to our veterans," said Gabbard.
     The VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act, which passed as an amendment to H.R.1367 t would: Require the Secretary of the VA to develop and submit to Congress a plan to hire highly-qualified medical directors for each medical center that lacks a permanent director within 120 days of enactment; identify possible impediments to staffing facilities with permanent directors; and assess the possibility of promoting and training qualified candidates from within the VA for promotion to Senior Executive Service positions.

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