STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3518

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 553, 555, 556, 594

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 553, 555, 556, and 594, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

State Council on Mental Health

 

G.M. No. 553

SANDRA SIMMS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 555

CHAD KOYANAGI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 556

HAAHEO MANSFIELD,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016; and

 

G.M. No. 594

TYRA DU BOSE,

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 Sandra Simms, Chad Koyanagi, Haaheo Mansfield, and Tyra Du Bose to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Mental Health.

 


SANDRA SIMMS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Sandra Simms from the Department of Health and two individuals.

 

     Judge Simms served the District Court until she was appointed to the First Circuit Court in 1994, and worked there until her retirement in 2004.  Through her career experiences, Judge Simms has garnered thorough knowledge of the challenges and issues that face individuals with a mental illness as well as the systems and resources that may assist these individuals.  Judge Simms is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors and Chair of Resource Development of Mental Health America of Hawaii, which supports mental wellness and seeks to reduce the stigma of mental illness.  She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding mental health, substance abuse, and the proceedings of the legal system to the State Council on Mental Health.

 

CHAD KOYANAGI

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Chad Koyanagi from the Department of Health and Mental Health America of Hawaii.

 

     Dr. Koyanagi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine; Medical Director of Kekela, the inpatient psychiatric unit of The Queen's Medical Center; Psychiatrist for the Pacific Survivor Center for victims of torture and human trafficking; and a Provider of Rural Mental Health Services for Molokai General Hospital and the Community Clinic of Maui, Inc.  His work in rural and urban areas throughout the State as well as his experience in an academic and hospital setting have provided Dr. Koyanagi with an impressive breadth of experience.  Furthermore, Dr. Koyanagi's work with the most acutely ill and disadvantaged of the mentally ill population make him a very valuable asset to the State Council on Mental Health. 

 

HAAHEO MANSFIELD

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Haaheo Mansfield from the Department of Health and eight individuals.

 

     Ms. Mansfield is the Vice President of Programs for Parents and Children Together (PACT) and has been working with this organization for over twenty-three years.  She is very familiar with the provision of social services in the State, and she has provided critical information regarding the ways that budget cuts have diminished services for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses, resulting in these individuals resorting to adjunct services, such as domestic violence shelters and family strengthening programs, when help is sought.  Ms. Mansfield will serve the State Council on Mental Health as a family member of an individual with a mental illness. 

 

TYRA DU BOSE

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Tyra Du Bose from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Du Bose works as a Lanai City Parent Partner for Hawaii Families as Allies to promote awareness of developmental disabilities within her community by providing workshops and support groups as well as making outreach efforts.  Ms. Du Bose has become familiar with working with occupational, speech, physical, and behavioral therapists and teachers in providing care for her seven-year-old child, who is autistic. Consequently, Ms. Du Bose will serve the State Council on Mental Health in her capacity as a parent. 

 

     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, M.D., Chair