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~ The YWCA of Hawaii Island Family Support Services (FSS) requests funding to <br /> z continue its current Healthy Start family therapy services. FSS has been quite successful <br /> 3 in its goal of preventing child abuse and neglect. However, due to the economic <br /> a deterioration on the Big Island in the recent years and the new welfare reform initiative, <br /> 5 many families being served by our program have benefited from therapeutic crisis <br /> s intervention services. Currently approximately 10 percent of the 400 Healthy Start <br /> ~ participants are being provided therapy services. It is estimated that 11.25 percent will be <br /> a in need of therapy in FY '97-98. Affordable resources for participants in East Hawaii are <br /> s generally not available. Combined with inadequate transportation and lack of child care <br /> ? RECEIVED <br /> to create further obstacles for those families in need of therapy. nma.._-..._.____. ay_______________________ <br /> Dab ~ ~ - <br /> 11 ~--tiyt,. County Council ' <br /> 12 Guided by a belief that the time of a crisis can be a turning point in a person's life, <br /> 13 FSS has identified significant positive results, if therapy can be provided at the time of a <br /> 14 crisis, when individuals and families are most ready to seek and accept growth and <br /> 15 change. When a family member has been identified as being in crisis and being <br /> is appropriate for therapy services, the Family Therapist will visit the family in their home to <br /> provide short term cognitive/behavioral therapy with emphasis on problem solving. <br /> is <br /> The target group for the FSS Family Therapist will be those families enrolled in <br /> is <br /> Healthy Start, with newborn infants to five years old, in East Hawaii. <br /> 20 <br /> zt <br /> Should the County of Hawaii choose not to contribute, FSS family therapy services <br /> zz <br /> would not be able to serve at-risk families in East Hawaii and, potentially, young children <br /> 23 <br /> may suffer extreme abuse or death. The impact of not funding this service would be that <br /> za <br /> the incidence rate of confirmed abuse would continue to increase now and for the future <br /> 25 <br /> generations of these families. There will also be a continuing escalation of violence in the <br /> <br /> 26 <br /> community with accompanying social and economic costs. IG~~, ~ O <br /> Conx~ Dio. <br /> 1+'ile I<fo.. ~U i7 <br /> Presented~~Q~ <br /> kl.;.fi. 1: <br /> o.tc~_ fiAR <br /> l1 9 1„9~9~~ y,.. <br /> <br />