North Hawaii youth develop life skills and protective assets and make positive life choices.

Larger image

• #  Juvenile illegal drug-related arrests (Chart).
• #  Adult illegal drug related arrests (Chart).
• % Adults reporting illegal substance use.
• % Student self-reported alcohol and illegal drug use (Chart).

• % Arrested people testing positive for illegal drugs.
• % Alcohol and drug related motor vehicle fatalities and crashes in Hawaii County (Chart).
• # Single car night time motor vehicle-related crashes in Hawaii County.
• Suicide rate (Chart).
• % Youth involved in constructive after school activities.
• % Youth who have opportunities for positive involvement in community and school.

• Hawaii County experiencing a methamphetamine epidemic.
• Increasing property crimes associated with illegal drug use.
• Higher number of youth drug-related arrests in late 90’s.
• Decreasing juvenile drug arrest rates in 2003 and 2004 (Chart).
• Wide community consensus of inadequate opportunities for youth activities, life skill development and job training.
• Youth self-reported rates for alcohol and illegal drug use are higher in West Hawaii (which includes North Hawaii) than the State and Nation (2002 ADAD Report).
• High risk behaviors often linked to poor reading skills and academic failure.
• Frequently high community rates of substance abuse associated with poor economy.
• Minimal public transportation.
• Local economy challenged by recent sugar plantation closures, high cost of living, rapid growth of high-end housing and rising housing costs.
• Visitor industry and restaurant industry (cash payments) increase risk of easy access to illegal drugs.
• Behavioral health and chemical dependency treatment resources lag far behind the need.
• Lack of standardized comparative outcome measures for chemical dependency programs.
• Recent development of youth residential chemical dependency treatment facility and program.
• Lack of mental health resources.
• Lack of training in treatment of chemical dependency and dual diagnosis (mental health and chemical dependency).

• Primary Prevention:

  • Asset-based youth development (Search Institute).
  • School support for strong families through teachers and parent education (Robert Wood Johnson study, see page 46).
  • Focus on life skills - support for reading skills by 4th grade (Kauai Resilience Study).

  Early and Effective Intervention:

  • Island-wide community awareness education and empowerment approach.
  • Recognize key intervention points for youth (cigarettes and alcohol) and intervene early and effectively.
  • Harm-reduction school policies and work policies which reflect early intervention opportunities for a first offense, and recognize the "teachable moment" and co-occurrence of depression.

  Effective Enforcement:

  • Drug Court

  Effective Rehabilitation:

  • Access to effective inpatient and outpatient programs.
  • Collaboration with Employers and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and model drug-free work programs.
  • Recognize and treat "dual diagnosis" common association with chemical dependency and mental health issues, especially depression.

• Community meetings and events to increase community awareness and change norms.
• Community Task Forces and Capacity Building with training.Drug Court for adults established in 2004, for juveniles established in 2005.North Hawaii Drug Free Coalition and local task force Groups including: Kohala Coalition Against Drugs, Power of Choice-Hamakua, Waikoloa Community Action Group, Waimea Power of Choice. Two State Incentives Grants: Project Venture in North Kohala and Laupahoehoe Train Museum to develop prevention programs.
• Links with national resources: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, OJJDP, and Office National Drug Policy.
• OJJDP grant awarded to North Hawaii Drug Free Coalition through its fiscal agent Five Mountains Hawaii for community collaboration addressing substance abuse. Kohala Therapeutic Living Center opened in 2000.Lokahi Treatment Center (previously Waikoloa Community Based Substance Abuse and Recovery Program) opened in 2000.
• Community based research on culturally-based practices and acupuncture to improve outcomes for outpatient methamphetamine treatment through Samueli Institute.
• Substance abuse intervention training for community advocates – Fairmont Orchid 06-26-04.Collaboration with County & State Meth Summit I and II in 2002 and 2003.Development of Chemical Dependency Data Book 2004.
• Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce - Employer education on substance abuse policies.
• Collaboration on Policy advocacy: Human Resources Worksite Hui.

Increase Awareness:

• That “treatment works” and existing resources for treatment.

Obtain Additional Data:

• Conduct Department of Health ADAD – Survey yearly or at minimum every two years.
• Annual report on effectiveness
• of Drug Courts.
• Annual report on outcomes of chemical dependency treatment on the Big Island.
• Assess effectiveness of youth residential facility and need for expansion.
• Annual county and sub county “Drug Impact Index” to monitor and assure progress.
• Collaborate to assure timely and useful evaluation of interventions and identification and diffusion of what’s working
• Collect information on waiting list and waiting time for treatment.

Inventory and Build Existing Resources:

• Conduct County chemical dependency and mental health inventory of current resources including inpatient and outpatient resources.
• Investigate advisability and feasibility of inpatient chemical rehabilitation services in Hawaii County.

Increase Organizational Links:

• Continue to support stakeholder collaboration through North Hawaii Drug Free Coalition and Solutions 2000.

Identify and Address Barriers:

• Persistently understaffed police force.
• Limited number of treatment programs.
• Limited reimbursement for mental health, dual diagnosis.

Promote Effective Programs:

• Consider Robert Wood Johnson grant to demonstrate duplication of results from schools collaborating with families.

Promote Effective Practices:

• Youth Development: Increase activities, break down transportation barriers, increase life skills and job training.

Promote Effective Policies:

• Collaborate with Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce on addressing issue and disseminating model chemical dependency policies and EAP programs.
• Collaborate with schools and parents to develop for more harm reduction effective policies.

Improve Health Systems:

• Increase professional education in dual diagnosis: chemical dependency and mental health.