{"id":8379,"date":"2022-08-10T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-10T19:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/?p=8379"},"modified":"2023-03-10T11:07:19","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T21:07:19","slug":"improving-hawaiis-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/improving-hawaiis-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Hawaii\u2019s Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Original story published on Hawaii Business Magazine on August 10, 2022, click here to read<\/a><\/em><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minors of the Kawailoa Youth & Family Wellness Center have the opportunity to work at the 5-acre Kupa \u2018Aina Farm on the grounds of the facility. | Photo: courtesy of Partners in Development Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Social factors have a big impact on health and well-being. For instance, job instability can compromise a healthy lifestyle and lead to food and shelter issues. Homelessness further deteriorates one\u2019s well-being, and chronic homelessness often leads to an early death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known locally and nationally as a high quality, affordable health care provider, Kaiser Permanente\u2019s<\/a> care extends beyond its hospital walls by investing in Hawai\u2018i organizations to address issues of housing and homelessness, food security, and economic opportunity. It believes that good health is a fundamental right and is focused on making a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ending Veteran Homelessness<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in Hawai\u2018i, Staff Sergeant Sterling Beair had difficulties assimilating to everyday civilian life when he completed service and returned home. For 10 years, he worked as a U.S. Army combat medic in Iraq and other missions and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beair eventually found himself homeless for two years and then was incarcerated. That\u2019s when he was connected to U.S.VETS<\/a>, whose mission is to end veteran homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe put his heart and soul into the program,\u201d says Gregory Williams, executive director of U.S.VETS Barbers Point at Kalaeloa<\/a>. \u201cHe got his associate, bachelor\u2019s, got his master\u2019s, started a career as a therapist, and then within the last year and a half was elected to the national board of directors for U.S.VETS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all veteran stories are as successful as Beair\u2019s but U.S.VETS is there to support any veterans who gave of themselves to serve the country, should they need the help to regain their independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S.VETS\u2019 ultimate goal is to keep veterans in permanent housing, and that requires a commitment from the veteran to do the work in addressing their personal challenges, whether that\u2019s getting a better job, anger management issues, or substance abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would say that no veteran that comes to us is without some kind of issue that they\u2019re dealing with,\u201d says Williams. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t necessarily say there\u2019s a 100% correlation between those issues and the reason why they\u2019re homeless, but for sure, those are definitely contributing factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKaiser Permanente generously awarded a grant for nursing support,\u201d says Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support the health and wellness of homeless veterans, Kaiser Permanente awarded U.S.VETS a grant that staff s a full-time nurse at its facilities in Barbers Point and Wai\u2018anae. The nurse also visits Kama\u2018ok\u016b Kauhale village, a tiny-home community<\/a> for homeless civilians and veterans that U.S.VETS operates in Kalaeloa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Kama\u2018ok\u016b Kauhale tiny-home village is operated by U.S.Vets in Kalaeloa. | Photo: courtesy of U.S.Vets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The nurse provides health education and advice for minor medical issues that may include encouragement to visit a doctor or hospital. The hope in the future is to bring a doctor on full time or at least schedule visits once a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Beair, many of the veterans who live in Hawai\u2018i have some connection with the Islands and have probably served in Hawai\u2018i at some point in their career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On O\u2018ahu, there were 3,951 people experiencing homelessness, and veterans make up 7% of the adults, according to Partners In Care\u2019s March 10, 2022 Point In Time Count. Partners In Care performs the count annually to learn more about the homeless population and determines what solutions are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of our veterans who are experiencing homelessness are single, and a majority of them are also men,\u201d says Laura Thielen, executive director of Partners In Care, a coalition of organizations dedicated to eliminating homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2022 report<\/a> showed some positive news. Veteran homelessness decreased by 57% since 2015 and 44% since 2020. It\u2019s believed to be due to increased efforts to house veterans through the \u201cMayor\u2019s Challenge,\u201d a national initiative Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell accepted in 2015<\/a>, and the \u201cBuilt for Zero\u201d movement, started by national nonprofit Community Solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaiser Permanente has actively participated in these efforts, as well as with local nonprofits such as U.S.VETS and Partners In Care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of them have trouble going through the VA [Veterans Affairs] system. It\u2019s a complex system and there\u2019s a lot of waiting, so that\u2019s one of the big issues that we\u2019ve seen is there may be services available to folks, but they have to wait a long time,\u201d says Thielen. \u201cThat\u2019s where the landlord engagement program and other programs we run really helps them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners In Care\u2019s landlord engagement program finds landlords on the island who are willing to rent units to homeless individuals. In its three years, the program has assisted over 1,000 individuals get into housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaiser Permanente funds a landlord engagement program specialist specifically for veterans. Seanya Nakapalau, who\u2019s been working in the human services field for 12 years, has worked in the position for a year. Last month, she assisted six veterans, including one family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work entails screening veterans, finding housing, doing home tours, and working on relationships with landlords. The stigma of her homeless veterans sometimes makes it more difficult to house them, so she\u2019s always searching for new landlords who are willing to work with them or decide to have a change of heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOur job takes a lot of advocating and sometimes it can be more difficult to match a specific situation to a landlord,\u201d says Nakapalau. She says the program offers incentives for landlords and points out that veterans have a consistent source of military benefits that can help pay rent. The specialist is there to help with any concerns, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of the stories that my veterans share of how they got to this situation is very disheartening,\u201d says Nakapalau. \u201cI do think that some of them have a harder time getting housed because of all the trauma that they faced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When there is a suitable match for a veteran, though, she finds joy in the program\u2019s success. \u201cGoing through the process with them, getting to know them and their stories, and then actually housing them is an amazing feeling,\u201d Nakapalau says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning Children\u2019s Lives Around<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey weren\u2019t born bad,\u201d says Deborah Spencer- Chun, president and CEO of Adult Friends for Youth<\/a>. \u201cCircumstances happened to them along the way and so our work is to peel the layers and get to the core of who they really are. They\u2019re really loving and really good kids and very respectful actually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth exposed to situations beyond their control, such as domestic violence, homelessness, and financial challenges, have a higher probability of dropping out of school or not continuing on to college. Offering support and guidance, Hawai\u2018i nonprofits, like Adults Friends for Youth, are there to help turn things around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating Positive Pathways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a mission to stop violence and create a peaceful community, Adult Friends for Youth serves 600 kids who voluntarily joined its programs on O\u2018ahu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of our kids are already engaged in some type of destructive behavior,\u201d says Spencer-Chun. \u201cA lot of them think we\u2019re the police or someone they\u2019re not sure about because they\u2019ve had so many people in their lives, but we\u2019re consistent. We keep coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nonprofit has a 32-week curriculum over four years that\u2019s tailored to each child\u2019s needs, including healing from trauma, coping skills, and communication. It also discusses life after high school with the youth and helps them create a path forward, whether that\u2019s in college, vocational school or the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been real fortunate because a private foundation such as Kaiser Permanente has really stepped up, especially during the pandemic,\u201d says Spencer-Chun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaiser Permanente supports Adult Friends for Youth through a grant it provides for redirectional therapy. Half, or 300, of its kids take part in this form of group counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adult Friends for Youth staff, including Lisa Tamashiro, Siutiti Takai, and CEO Deborah Spencer-Chun, held a youth presentation at Kap\u0101lama Elementary School. | Photo: courtesy of Adult Friends for Youth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as they can redirect the negative behavior they have built along the way, if that can change, then the sky\u2019s the limit for them,\u201d says Spencer-Chun. \u201cSuccess is not measured by money but by how happy they are, how much better they\u2019re feeling about their lives now and how they\u2019re trying to strive to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another organization supporting youth in communities, Partners in Development Foundation<\/a> helps foster kids by training local families and relatives who can take them in; runs a safe house for adjudicated boys; and cares for the 5-acre Kupa \u2018Aina Farm on the grounds of the Hawai\u2018i Youth Correctional Facility, which has been renamed to the Kawailoa Youth & Family Wellness Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of a program<\/a>, Kupa \u2018Aina Farm programming offers minors from the correctional facility, as well as other youth, the opportunity to work on the farm, learn about food nutrition, and enjoy being in the outdoor space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of our staff are trauma-informed and they support the youth by mentoring them and helping to grow positive behaviors,\u201d says Shawn Kana\u2018iaupuni, president and CEO of Partners in Development Foundation. It also provides youth an opportunity to develop career skills by working on the farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt provides a little bit of cushion where they can practice a bit before they go out and get that regular job,\u201d says Kana\u2018iaupuni. \u201cWe\u2019re able to support youth to become engaged as positive community contributors by supporting their workforce readiness and skills development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Support to Lean On<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming from financially challenging situations, children\u2019s basic needs are addressed at the Boys & Girls Club, such as providing food or offering a safe space to decompress, so the kids can turn their focus on the future and having a successful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEighty-two percent of our children come from what are designated as low to very-low income families. We always try to have a healthy snack or preferably a hot meal when they arrive after school,\u201d says Paddy Kauhane, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Hawai\u2018i<\/a>, which covers O\u2018ahu and Kaua\u2018i. Teens make up almost half of its members at 45%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: courtesy of Partners in Development Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the reasons we do that is kids who are hungry don\u2019t learn as well. Kids who have full tummies are able to focus and concentrate better. For some of our kids, the last meal they have of the day is often in our clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaiser Permanente has been a supporter of its healthy living and athletics programs in the past, but in 2020, it started funding the club\u2019s What\u2019s Next program, too. The new program<\/a> is for kids specifically who have higher needs and less resources than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe bring them in, we start them at grade nine, and they go all the way through, in the same pod until they graduate high school,\u201d says Kauhane. \u201cThrough those years, from nine to 12, we start to really intensely work on social and emotional learning, workforce development, career clusters, and applications for scholarships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has also taken the kids, some of whom have never left Hawai\u2018i, to the mainland to visit colleges. Following high school graduation, the club keeps track of the kids who have gone on to college or trade school, and helps them return home to visit families during breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe beautiful thing that\u2019s happening now is these kids are attending college, and when they do come home, they\u2019re actually working for the clubs now as interns during their summer breaks. So they get to earn money and still reconnect, and they also become adult mentors,\u201d says Kauhane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the Boys & Girls Club on Maui has three major core program areas, including academic enrichment, character and leadership and healthy living. One of its goals is to focus on inclusion so as to increase teen engagement in programs and give opportunities for them to be a part of planning for activities and events, such as its annual Teen Expo, so they have a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, Kaiser Permanente has worked with us, supported our programs, our events, and in the past supported our big chef event which promotes culinary career explorations working with our little chefs and big chefs of Hawai\u2018i,\u201d says Kelly Maluo-Pearson, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Maui.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivating Teen Leaders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaiser Permanente awarded a grant to Boys & Girls Club of Maui to support its leaders in training program, which gives teens healthy activities to engage in with topics of how to be leaders, social emotional learning, tobacco and vaping prevention and awareness, and healthy alternatives to drugs and alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe leadership development is very important because what we\u2019re trying to do is make sure that they really do understand and feel confident that they can do whatever they desire to do in life after they leave our clubs,\u201d says Maluo-Pearson.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Boys & Girls Club of Hawai\u2019i gives youth a stable environment, where they can eat a warm meal, do homework, and find a safe place to decompress. | Photo: courtesy of Boys & Girls Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

At the club, teens create resumes, do mock interviews, participate in club service and service outside the community, understand financial literacy, and explore different career pathways. This is also the first year the club will be sending a group of teens to the national Boys & Girls Club leadership development conference in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want them to be successful in their lives,\u201d says TJ Daya, director of operations for the Lahaina Boys & Girls Club. \u201cWe want them to be happy in their lives and realize they can achieve anything they want if we provide them with the tools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advocacy for Maui Businesses<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Building wealth and creating jobs is integral to the physical and mental well-being of the community, and the Maui Economic Development Board<\/a> (MEDB) is focusing efforts on underserved populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MEDB, whose mission is to inspire innovation in business, education and community in Maui County, received a grant from the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders funded by Kaiser Permanente. The grant<\/a> has traditionally been used for the Latino community, but because its population is small in Hawai\u2018i compared to other states, the grant opportunity expanded to include all vulnerable populations, such as the Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and Micronesian populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKaiser Permanente wanted to make sure this kind of community asset development was happening in Hawai\u2018i,\u201d says Leslie Wilkins, president and CEO of MEDB. \u201cIt really led us to focus on those underserved communities in our business outreach and development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grants been used to work with community members and help businesses get fiscal infrastructure so they can continue to grow. MEDB also coaches on business reorganization and how to move into ecommerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so amazing how Kaiser Permanente doesn\u2019t just invest in our physical and mental health, but they invest in the health of a community,\u201d says Wilkins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Focusing on vulnerable and underserved populations, Kaiser Permanente provides support to many nonprofit organizations, including Partners in Development Foundation, to uplift the community\u2019s overall health and well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":8380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[181,21,20,445,122],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","category-fundraising","category-news","category-opportunity-youth-action-hawaii","category-partners"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8379"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18380,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8379\/revisions\/18380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pidf.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}