HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.010 1996-1998 ~ The YWCA of Hawaii Island Family Support Services (FSS) requests funding to
z continue its current Healthy Start family therapy services. FSS has been quite successful
3 in its goal of preventing child abuse and neglect. However, due to the economic
a deterioration on the Big Island in the recent years and the new welfare reform initiative,
5 many families being served by our program have benefited from therapeutic crisis
s intervention services. Currently approximately 10 percent of the 400 Healthy Start
~ participants are being provided therapy services. It is estimated that 11.25 percent will be
a in need of therapy in FY '97-98. Affordable resources for participants in East Hawaii are
s generally not available. Combined with inadequate transportation and lack of child care
? RECEIVED
to create further obstacles for those families in need of therapy. nma.._-..._.____. ay_______________________
Dab ~ ~ -
11 ~--tiyt,. County Council '
12 Guided by a belief that the time of a crisis can be a turning point in a person's life,
13 FSS has identified significant positive results, if therapy can be provided at the time of a
14 crisis, when individuals and families are most ready to seek and accept growth and
15 change. When a family member has been identified as being in crisis and being
is appropriate for therapy services, the Family Therapist will visit the family in their home to
provide short term cognitive/behavioral therapy with emphasis on problem solving.
is
The target group for the FSS Family Therapist will be those families enrolled in
is
Healthy Start, with newborn infants to five years old, in East Hawaii.
20
zt
Should the County of Hawaii choose not to contribute, FSS family therapy services
zz
would not be able to serve at-risk families in East Hawaii and, potentially, young children
23
may suffer extreme abuse or death. The impact of not funding this service would be that
za
the incidence rate of confirmed abuse would continue to increase now and for the future
25
generations of these families. There will also be a continuing escalation of violence in the
26
community with accompanying social and economic costs. IG~~, ~ O
Conx~ Dio.
1+'ile I<fo.. ~U i7
Presented~~Q~
kl.;.fi. 1:
o.tc~_ fiAR
l1 9 1„9~9~~ y,..