HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

250

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to conduct a study ON the feasibility of establishing "receiving homes" in East and West Hawaii.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii County recognized the need to develop a comprehensive strategic plan in 2000 to identify priority risk factors and implement solutions to juvenile delinquency, and thereafter established the Hawaii County Comprehensive Strategy Steering Committee (Youth Builders), composed of criminal justice, social services, and education partners, to address issues pertaining to juvenile justice; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, Youth Builders developed a Hawaii County Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Juvenile Justice which included the findings of its Objective Decision-Making Group (ODM), which mapped the current juvenile justice system to identify the critical decision points and to document the current decision- making processes; and

WHEREAS, ODM concluded that an infrastructure of interagency collaboration of the juvenile justice, mental health, child welfare, and education systems would improve the delivery of coordinated and effective services to youth who are neglected and abused, at-risk, status offenders, or delinquent; and

WHEREAS, ODM designated as its top priority for juvenile justice in the County of Hawaii, the establishment of "receiving home" facilities in East and West Hawaii where juveniles may be placed at any time, night or day, to receive a comprehensive multi-disciplinary screening and risks and needs assessment to ensure an integrated model of care and seamless array of services; and

WHEREAS, the Big Island Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (BIJIAC) committee was formed consisting of representatives from the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services of East and West Hawaii, District Family Court of the Third Circuit, Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Department of Education, Hawaii District, Department of Health, Family Guidance Center, Office of the Public Defender, and Hawaii County Police Department; and

WHEREAS, these collaborating agencies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding memorializing their general agreement to develop an intake and assessment process and physical facilities in Kona and Hilo, and establish a database of shared information to support the project; and

WHEREAS, the establishment of such receiving facilities will alleviate the present practice of Hawaii County police holding youth in its custody until a determination can be made as to which agency should have the lead role in placement and services; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is requested to conduct a study, based upon available information, on the feasibility of establishing receiving homes in East and West Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, is requested to identify and examine each of the following areas relating to juvenile justice:

(1) Available data and rationale regarding the current processes used in handling juveniles;

(2) Feasibility of a single point of entry for youth into the juvenile justice or social service system;

(3) Development of a system-wide screening and assessment instrument to be used when the youth first enters the juvenile justice or social service system;

(4) Existing federal and state laws and local and agency rules relating to confidentiality, privacy, and privilege and their impact on interagency information sharing;

(5) Existing regulatory and licensing requirements for youth care providers, facilities, and services and their effect on establishing receiving facilities;

(6) Development of a system of interagency information sharing to reduce service redundancy; and

(7) Existing programs and resources and those that need to be developed to prevent or reduce gaps in service;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is requested to submit, not later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007, its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature for establishing receiving homes, multi-agency screening, and risk and needs assessment in Hawaii County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chief Justice, Director of Human Services, Superintendent of Education, Director of Health, State Public Defender, Mayor of Hawaii County, and Hawaii County Chief of Police.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Receiving Homes; Hawaii County