Report Title:

UH; Mental Health Services; Campus Security Services; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for mental health and campus security services within the University of Hawaii system.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2586

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to the university of hawaii system.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that when a student enters a college or university, there is an expectation that the student will have emotional and academic support to successfully complete the student's post-secondary education.  Such support should be part of a comprehensive student support services system.  For all students, there should be academic support, primarily provided at the department level.  For some students there will be a need for guidance and emotional support, which should be provided by advisors, housing staff, and related personnel.  However, some students have severe emotional and behavioral needs.  These students need access to counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

     The legislature further finds that the University of Hawaii system recently has had to focus on meeting the mental health needs of more students with more extensive psychological or medical problems or conditions.  Some of the students had the support of Felix programs, such as school-based behavioral-health, school counseling, special education, and other programs in the department of education's comprehensive student support system.  However, the provision of those same services does not extend to these students now seeking higher education.

     The need for additional mental health services is also necessary because of the increased number of former military personnel who are pursuing post-secondary education, many of whom possess issues relating to trauma suffered as a result of their combat experiences.

     The overall goal of the University of Hawaii system should be to assure that there are comprehensive student support services.  For approximately ninety per cent of students, this would assure that academic and behavioral support are provided through students services, as well as through academic departments and housing.  However, for approximately ten per cent of the students, their needs are so great that they require counseling, psychological, psychiatric, and other advanced mental health services.

     Nationally, in one year, 8.9 per cent of students, or one in eleven enrolled students, sought counseling or psychological help, according to the 2006 National Survey of Counseling Center Directors.  From an internal analysis by the University of Hawaii system, it is apparent that there is a need to enhance mental health and campus safety services.  For example, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa there was a twenty-six per cent increase in the number of students seeking mental health services from the fall 2006 to the fall 2007 semester.

     The legislature believes that there is a need to support additional mental health services and campus safety throughout the University of Hawaii system.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide funding to the University of Hawaii system to address current mental health and campus security needs at each campus.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to ensure the provision of student mental health services within the University of Hawaii system.  The University of Hawaii at Manoa counseling and student development center has documented that there are not enough mental health services available.  The counselor/psychologist to student ratio is one to four thousand.  The nationally recommended full-time counselor/psychologist to student ratio at university counseling centers is one to one thousand or one thousand two hundred.  Funding to ensure the provision of student mental health services within the University of Hawaii system shall be allocated for the following purposes:

     (1)  Three additional counselors/psychologists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa at a cost of $240,000 per year; and

     (2)  Additional personnel to staff mental health services at the other University of Hawaii campuses and community colleges.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to ensure the provision of campus safety services within the University of Hawaii system; provided that the funds shall be allocated for the following purposes:

     (1)  Positions and funding for the University of Hawaii at Hilo for its security and safety programs, including safety in field work, workshops on such topics as workplace nonviolence, sexual harassment, hazardous waste operations, first aid or CPR, shipping of dangerous goods, and additional security coverage;

     (2)  Personnel costs for three positions, institutional support—director of security, allied health and safety, and a clerk at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, at the cost of $137,000;

     (3)  Necessary operating and equipment costs at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, at the cost of $146,185;

     (4)  Additional personnel to staff a central emergency response center, campus security personnel, and the expansion of the campus security student patrol programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa;

     (5)  Security guard services at the University of Hawaii West Oahu campus, at the cost of $57,780; and

     (6)  Additional positions and other expenses at the community colleges to address health and safety concerns on each campus.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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