THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

227

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

creating an advisory board and planning task force for the healthy start program.

 

WHEREAS, the Healthy Start program is Hawaii's premier child abuse prevention program which has provided a prototype for Healthy Families America programs across the country; and

WHEREAS, the Healthy Start program has experienced many pressures due to increased severity of family problems related to substance abuse and domestic violence, and the requirements of the Felix Consent Decree related to IDEA and OSEP; and

WHEREAS, due to these pressures, the current service delivery mechanisms have become complex and are in need of re-structuring; and

WHEREAS, while some current program issues, such as engagement and retention of families, the need for better outcome measures, the structure of interventions in the home, and dealing effectively with substance abuse and domestic violence are common to other Healthy Families America programs, some Healthy Families America programs have developed exportable technology to meet these challenges; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Family Support Institute is committed to and has expertise to support Healthy Start in best practice program development; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawaii Family Support Institute be designated as an official Advisory Board to the Healthy Start program to provide consultation, technical assistance, and resources, with the goal of strengthening and streamlining the program to improve outcomes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Advisory Board is requested to convene a task force to work with the Healthy Start program in restructuring the program for greater effectiveness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include at least one representative from the following:

(1) The Department of Health, including one representative each from Family Health Services, the Maternal Child Health Branch, and Early Intervention Services;

(2) The Department of Human Services Child Welfare Branch;

(3) The Healthy Start provider agencies, including representatives from family assessment and home visiting units, as well as the training unit;

(4) The University of Hawaii evaluators; and

(5) The Hawaii Family Support Institute; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that goals and areas of focus for the planning and restructuring sessions include, but are not limited to:

(1) Strengthening the program focus on and effectiveness of interventions in prevention of child abuse and neglect based on strategies of nurturing, promoting capacity through parallel process, addressing family risk factors, and strengthening protective factors;

(2) Reducing program complexity, streamlining requirements related to IDEA and OSEP to enable staff to achieve goal (1) above;

(3) Considering restructuring intensity of services, such as a two-tier system based upon severity of risk;

(4) Considering restructuring contract goals in terms of outcomes required by funders and establishing output monitoring within quality assurance at program and state-wide levels;

(5) Considering piloting curriculum to structure home visits and ensure inclusion of basic activities to promote positive child development;

(6) Reviewing and considering evidence based best practices to enhance overall program effectiveness, particularly related to engagement and retention and outcome indicators, with a view to incremental piloting and state-wide adoption; and

(7) Considering reallocating more resources to training and TA mentoring to enhance staff effectiveness and to program outcome data evaluation for regular reports to funders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Family Support Institute is requested to contract with a facilitator, whose role will be to facilitate planning sessions, to provide minutes for sessions, and to prepare an annual report for the Department of Health to be submitted with findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Sessions of 2006 and 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Advisory Board and task force shall cease on April 30, 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Director of Human Services, the Interim President and Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the Healthy Start provider agencies, and the Hawaii Family Support Institute.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Healthy Start Program; Advisory Board and Planning Task Force