Pubdate: Sun,  3 Aug 2003
Source: Garden Island (HI)
Contact:  2003 Kauai Publishing Co.
Website: http://kauaiworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964
Author: Kendyce Manguchei, TGI Staff Writer 
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Note: To read about the "ice epidemic" in Hawaii, go to
http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii .

NEW ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM FOR KAUA'I BEING DEVELOPED 

An islandwide drug prevention plan for Kaua'i is being developed by
Councilman Mel Rapozo along with heads of community programs and health
agencies.

The plan is called "Communities that Care," or CTC for short, and is aimed
at helping to mobilize the community against illicit drug use and dealing,
along with helping the build up resistance to drug use by local youth and
other groups through a variety of methods. 

The program is to provide anti-drug training for select local lawmakers and
residents, plus help organize surveys and information gathering aimed at
getting a handle on Kaua'i's drug problems and create a specialized
anti-drug plan for Kaua'i.

Judy Fraser, Good Beginnings Kaua'i coordinator, is the traveling team
leader. She said the first phase of the program includes assessment of the
how to develop the program for Kaua'i, and how to organize team leaders,
which should take six to nine months. Also, Kaua'i will develop plans for
creating a branch of the CTC organization on Kaua'i, make a needs assessment
for implementing the program on Kaua'i.

"We want to build a healthy community, start with our very youngest babies,
have healthy parents to raise them with healthy skills," Fraser said.

The coalition that won the funding for the project was required to show that
Kaua'i has a significant economic challenge, based on income, unemployment
rate and livable wage. Also, the mayor's actions helped, such as calling
drugs Kaua'i's No. 1 problem and hiring Roy Nishida as the county's drug
"czar." It was mandatory to have two community residents or volunteers, one
team leader and at least one or two elected officials.

"The way that CTC looks at it is protective factors, which is things we know
builds up a child's resistance to risky behaviors, such as smoking, teen
pregnancy, drugs, stealing. It also helps against school dropouts and
violent acts," Fraser said.

The Communities That Care traveling team is made up of Fraser and Rapozo,
Alu Like community coordinator and employment facilitator Diana Puahala, and
state Department of Health public health education section head Faye
Newfield.

"It looks at not only the individual but at community, school, families,
because we realize that just saying to people 'don't use drugs' isn't going
to stop them…it's more about looking at the root causes that lead them down
that path and addresses related areas, like health and community, and
environment," said one member of the group.

Of hundreds of applicants nationwide, only 30 communities were chosen to
take part in the program this year. The funding comes through what's known
as a "Greenhouse" grant, with funds coming from a federally-sponsored
program called Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). CADCA pays
for training and planning costs incurred by those being trained to run and
implement the program, and for the design of the program.

Though made up of people Mayor Baptiste has invited to drug summits, and
some who served on the committee that chose Nishida, the coalition did not
go through the county to apply for the CADCA grant. They are not affiliated
with the County of Kaua'i and no one is being paid a salary, though travel
expenses are being covered.

The Greenhouse grant goal is to "grow" communities by collecting scientific
data on needs and wants on Kaua'i in the fight against drug abuse.

A five-person "traveling team" from Kaua'i plans to travel to New Orleans
and Seattle in August, and in October, for training. They've already made a
trip in June to Miami to meet with training directors and members of other
community coalitions.

Puahala, a community participant who traveled to Miami in June, said one of
the most important things she learned was that the CTC plan can be
customized to fit Kaua'i with public health models and strategic
consultation, training and research-based tools.

Some illicit drug use prevention programs already in operation on Kaua'i
including "Strengthening Hawai'i Families," a program that focuses on
cultural values and founded by the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawai'i, and
the "Smart Moves" peer education program from the Boys and Girls Clubs of
America.

The community coalition that got the CADCA grant began to organize in March
and is made up of some of the same folks invited to drug summit meetings
held by Baptiste in Lihu'e in February. The drug summits involved at least
100 people connected with related programs and agencies that deal with drug
abuse prevention and recovery, plus drug law enforcement.

After people at the drug summits and in the community challenged Mayor Bryan
Baptiste to help organize the "crisis on drugs," Baptiste hired an anti-drug
coordinator. As part of the process, six drug summit invitees volunteered to
serve on an interview and hiring panel.

Nishida, formerly Governor Ben Cayetano's Kaua'i public liaison and vice
president of the Kaua'i Rural Health Association, was chosen and is tasked
with raising funds and gathering data from each community on Kaua'i.

Nishida will be helped in his effort through the new program.

Mel Orpilla, Kaua'i's CADCA mentor, and Sherry Wong, Communities That Care
training director, are scheduled to come to Kaua'i throughout the year. Wong
was here last week to hold an information session and present a slide show
on the project to the Kaua'i County Council.
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MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk