• Drug abuse treatment Drug abuse treatment An island-wide drug abuse treatment plan set forth Friday by Mayor Bryan Baptiste is an ambitious undertaking. The plan aims at bringing residential drug treatment programs to Kaua‘i. Currently those needing such treatment
• Drug abuse treatment
Drug abuse treatment
An island-wide drug abuse treatment plan set forth Friday by Mayor Bryan Baptiste is an ambitious undertaking. The plan aims at bringing residential drug treatment programs to Kaua‘i. Currently those needing such treatment must be sent to another island in Hawai‘i or to the Mainland to become “clean and sober.”
The mayor outlined plans that touch every corner of the island, and involve social agencies, churches and government offices.
He said the County of Kaua‘i is working to put together a live-in youth treatment facility at the old Kaua‘i Humane Society facility near Salt Pond Beach. Permits are in process for the creation of this center, which is located well away from residential areas of Hanapepe. Kaua‘i’s YWCA is planning to work with women, in particular in helping women who need treatment be able to take their young children with them into the treatment facility. Hale Opio is working with the Bobby Benson group in Honolulu to enhance their work with teens. The Aloha Church in Lihu‘e is ready to bring in Northern California-based Teen Challenge once they have a center set up on their property, and Calvary Chapel Kaua‘i in Kapa‘a has U-Turn-for-Christ from California as a partner in an adult treatment facility to be built on the church’s land along the Kapa‘a By-pass road. Kauai Economic Opportunity is bringing in the homeless and transient housing segment of licking the drug problem, and Hina Mauka drug treatment facility is looking at helping to bring residential drug treatment help to the island.
Overall the mission of the mayor and his variety of partners is to provide places where those with drug and alcohol abuse problems can turn their lives around at home on Kaua‘i.
The mayor said many needing treatment are being sent off island, to the Mainland and other islands, creating another set of problems due to being away from family during a critical transition time in their lives.
The funding for the programs is coming from a variety of sources including federal funds, foundations, volunteers and the new wave of “faith-based” initiatives set up by President Bush.
As Mary Lou Barela of Hale Opio said at a meeting of the various organizations and the press held Friday, the drug abuse problem also generates negative drip-down problems, in particular a “zooming” count of Kaua‘i children in need of a foster home. It is hoped that building up the drug treatment facilities available on Kaua‘i will help cut back on the need for foster homes for the children of addicted parents who can no longer provide or care for their children.
There is hope among the representatives of this wide-ranging group that’s trying to tackle the after effects of Kaua‘i’s serious drug abuse program.
The County of Kaua‘i’s drug czar Roy Nishida is moving ahead with sustaining this network and said another meeting will be held soon.
This gathering of drug abuse treatment groups is an ambitious undertaking. The treatment philosophies vary among the groups, though the end result is a common goal. Combining the oversight and support of the County of Kaua‘i with the resources that are available into a comprehensive plan is a good idea.
The first test of the success of the program won’t be known for months as most of the plans are still in the planning stage. Hopefully this will be sooner than later if the parties involved remain on track in their individual plans.
Meanwhile, our drug problem continues in every district of Kaua‘i, and the social problems resulting from this continue to mount.
Whether this is a growing or declining trend in the future may very well hinge on the success of the mayor’s new initiative.
