2017-04-24 Letter to Dept of Health and Human Services RE Going Home Hawaii's In-reach and Reintegration pg

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rv ofp.. ' ,, . WilOkabe •l k(. Managing Director Harry Kim • ,.:6-... . ,„t,�'I i• Mayor z_-vs•r_ _ Barbara J.Kossow ,p;47 .'-,Me.t rp.; Deputy Managing Director ,Tt OF'M►'� Clintof Pa1i a Y ®fftxle of ter 4.1tavor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo,Hawai`i 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.,Bldg.C • Kailua-Kona,Hawai`i 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 April 24, 2017 Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration RE: FOA No. TI-17-009 To whom it may concern, On behalf of the County of Hawaii, I extend our wholehearted support for Going Home Hawaii's In-Reach and Reintegration (IRR) program's application for the above referenced FOA. Going Home Hawaii's IRR program is designed to promote access to behavioral health treatment and other recovery-oriented services for their participants who are homeless,justice-involved adults (18 years of age or older) charged with nonviolent offenses,who have a substance use disorder(SUD) or co-occurring mental and substance use disorder(COD), with a special focus on Native Hawaiians. This population of focus represents our chronically homeless people. Sadly,Native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians make up approximately 27% of the general population but almost 40%of the prison population and they are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system, according to the HCR 85 Task Force's report to the State Legislature for the regular session of 2017. Native Hawaiians also make up 33%of our homeless population. The IRR program addresses a Hawaii County priority by: (1) Reducing the number of chronically homeless,justice-involved individuals with SUDs or CODs on Hawaii Island; and (2) Reducing the number of Native Hawaiian people who are homeless with SUDs or CODs and enmeshed in our criminal justice system. The inclusion of the IRR program to our county's overall reentry strategy will undoubtedly strengthen our fight against recidivism here in Hawaii County and increase public safety for our families and communities. It is our sincere hope that Going Home's application meets your approval. Sincerely, VICt,Iff.„, Harry Kim MAYOR County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.