STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1579

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 555, 556, 558, 559, 560, 645, 646, 647

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 555, 556, 558, 559, 560, 645, 646, and 647, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

State Council on Mental Health

 

G.M. No. 555

KATRINA LORENZO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

 

G.M. No. 556

LOUISE CRUM,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 558

PATRICK BROWN,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 559

SHEILA CALCAGNO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 560

WANDA MARIE VORSINO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 645

JONATHAN HARRIS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

 

G.M. No. 646

STEVEN SHIRAKI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015; and

 

G.M. No. 647

G. NOELANI WILCOX,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Katrina Lorenzo, Louise Crum, Patrick Brown, Sheila Calcagno, Wanda Marie Vorsino, Jonathan Harris, Steven Shiraki, and G. Noelani Wilcox to possess the requisite commitment, sincerity, dedication, and qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Mental Health. 

 

KATRINA LORENZO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Lorenzo is serving on the State Council on Mental Health on an interim basis as the youth representative.  Currently, she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Nursing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  She has a significant amount of clinical experience as a student nurse and is involved with the Teens for Safer Communities Coalition, National Student Safety Program, and First United Protestant Church Outreach Committee.  Ms. Lorenzo is nominated to fill the youth representative position on the Council.

 

LOUISE CRUM

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health and five individuals.

 

     Ms. Crum earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and a Master's degree in Education in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Hawaii.  Ms. Crum has worked with individuals with mental illness for the past twelve years.  She is currently the Mental Health Coordinator for the Mental Health Court, a program that reduces recidivism and incarceration rates of those with mental illness.  Ms. Crum is passionate about improving outcomes for individuals with mental illness and seeks to facilitate interagency cooperation to ensure that individuals with mental illness receive the highest level of services.  She fills the position of a state agency employee who represents the criminal justice system.

 


PATRICK BROWN

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Dr. Brown retired from the federal government after thirty years of service, mostly as a human resources manager.  He has over twenty years of experience living and working with foster care youth with addiction and mental illness and co-wrote a book to assist other families struggling with the effects of mental illness and addiction.  He currently serves as the Chair of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Oahu Service Area Board and is nominated to the State Council on Mental Health as the Oahu Area Service Board representative.

 

SHEILA CALCAGNO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Calcagno is an active member of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Kauai Service Area Board and was elected by that Board to serve as its representative on the State Council on Mental Health.  Ms. Calcagno studied Human Services and Women's Studies at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  She is an outreach worker for individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and drug addiction and is a strong advocate for individuals with disabilities.

 

WANDA MARIE VORSINO

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Dr. Vorsino received a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu and went on to earn a Clinical Doctorate of Psychology from Argosy University.  Dr. Vorsino currently holds a position as a Forensic Clinical Psychologist at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility where she provides crisis counseling, substance abuse counseling, risk assessments, psychological testing, and family therapy.  She previously held a position as the performance manager for the Hawaii Department of Health's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division.  Dr. Vorsino understands first-hand the necessity for a robust mental health system of care and seeks to improve access to quality mental health services in Hawaii.  She is being nominated to serve as the Department of Health representative on the Council.

 

JONATHAN HARRIS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health and one individual.

 

     Mr. Harris earned his nursing degree from Kapiolani Community College.  Since then, he has worked as a registered professional nurse at various agencies including as a nurse consultant for adults and children with substance abuse and mental illness at the Office of Health Care Assurance.  He has served on the council since 2009 and currently serves as the state medicaid representative and first Vice-Chair on the Council.

 

STEVEN SHIRAKI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health and three individuals.

 

     Dr. Shiraki received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He worked as a certified special education teacher for fourteen years, as a Vice Principal at three elementary schools, and as an educational specialist at the district level.  He currently is an Administrator in the Student Support Services Branch in the Department of Education, which is responsible for the Department's Comprehensive Student Support System.  He seeks to connect children, families, and adults with appropriate and effective community-based services.  Dr. Shiraki is being nominated for his second term on the Council.

 

G. NOELANI WILCOX

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Wilcox earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Nursing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She worked for many years with the Department of Health in the Adult Mental Health Division and the Public Health Nursing Branch.  Ms. Wilcox possesses expertise in a variety of mental health areas, including co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders and crisis and emergency services.  She is also intimately familiar with the child and adolescent mental health system.  Ms. Wilcox is being nominated for her second term on the Council and fills the family member position.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair