HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0067.043 2006-2008 f am speaking regarding Bill 345. This bill has been requested by the State Department of
Health and desires to increase the number of unrelated persons living in a residence. The Office
of Health Care Assurance licenses Special Treatment Facilities. It appears theses Special
Treatment Facilities have an interest in density increase.
A Special Treatment Faalities is defined as a facility "which provides a therapeutic
residential program for care diagnosis treatment or rehabilitation services for socially or
emotionally distressed persons mentally itl persons persons sufferirm from substance abuse and
developmentally disabled persons."
These facilities come under Title 11, Chapter 98 of Hawaii Administrative Rules
(HAR). Chapter 98 states its' purpose is to establish minimum requirements for protection of
health, welfare & safety of residents, personnel and the public in Specal Treatment Facilities.
While increasing the number of unrelated persons legally residing in a house might seem
insignificant, one may want to think about density from 5 to 8 or from 10 to 16 residents and also
think about the Department of Health's own description & purpose of a Special Treatment Facility:
("a therapeutic residential program for care, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation services for
socially or emotionally distressed persons, mentally ill persons, persons suffering from substance
abuse and developmentally disabled persons.")
• Because of this type of facility, one could easily surmise neighborhood difficulties,
especially with increasing the number of residents. Nowhere in this chapter is there a requirement
for the facility's staff and neighborhood to come together to resolve & or mitigate problems that
could or have occurred when such a treatment facility becomes a part of a neighborhood. This
bill/amendment proposes to increase density and leave neighborhoods on their own to deal with
the problems.
• Hopefully you will see a need for more attention to this
bill/amendment. It is not an issue of Not In My Back Yard. It is Not an issue of No Aloha. It is an
issue of putting in writing a requirement that the Dept of Health, Office of Health Care Assurance,
the facility and the neighbofiood come together to develop a mechanism where problems can be
mitigated and or solved so there can be success -a win/win for all.
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