October 18, 2024 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT MINUTES – Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Page 4 Friday, October 18, 2024 accomplishment. Committee Member Zaidoff suggested changing it from Collaboration with UH Hilo to making plans to go out into the community. Committee Member Julia Althoff explained that based on the conversation during the last meeting where Committee Member Althoff had informed the Committee that she would be in touch with Susan Shirachi about collaboration with UH Hilo, Susan Shirachi has suggested that some students with disabilities be involved in the planning. Committee Member Julia explained that it could be expanded to say working to coordinate with community organizations and students at UH Hilo. Chair Michelle Hiraishi asked about the connection with the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities and section 3 of the report which is Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. Committee Member Zahava Zaidoff explained that part of the stigma that we’re trying to work through the disability community is precisely the fact that substance use and mental illnesses aren’t seen by the disabled community as a disability, however mental health and substance abuse is combined in a category, and about a decade ago was changed to be called behavioral health. Committee Member Zaidoff explained that mental illness is a disability as categorized by the Federal Government and the State, and that invisible disabilities aren’t seen as disabilities in a lot of cases and specifically those that are related to the brain. Committee Member Zaidoff expressed that the Committee has a unique ability to help rid the stigma around mental health and substance use not being a disability by specifically including it in the report. Committee Member Robert Efford explained working in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities and according to the waiver, the definition of intellectual developmental disability is that it had to occur before the age of 22, so if we're talking about definitions, it really depends on whose definition we want to look at. Committee Member Efford stated that if it occurred after the age of 22, it could be a traumatic brain injury or mental health issues, and then there's dual diagnosis. Committee Member Zahava Zaidoff explained that the bylaws for this committee does not specifically define a disability in a narrowed viewpoint, and made it a point not to make any changes in the bylaws around where it talked about disability, because they want to be inclusive of all disabilities. Committee Member Sandra Shuffler stated that she is agreement with both Committee Member Efford and Committee Member Zaidoff in that mental health/behavioral health can occur before and after age 22. Committee Member Zahava Zaidoff explained fighting stigma as people with disabilities, where substance use disorders can be considered disabled by Federal and State regulations. Committee Member Zaidoff stated that she can ask Committee Member Althoff to change the heading of section 3 of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders to say Behavioral Health Disorders because behavioral health is specifically substance use disorders and mental illness, although substance use disorders are illnesses because people can quality as disabled as a result. County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.