| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish the Malama Ohana working group to seek, design, and recommend transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system; (2) Appropriate funds to the department of human services to increase the procurement of contracted services to provide additional support and resources to families receiving benefits from the State's adoption assistance and permanency assistance programs; and (3) Appropriate funds to the office of wellness and resilience for the working group. SECTION 2. (a) There is established within the office of wellness and resilience for administrative purposes a Malama Ohana working group to seek, design, and recommend transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system. (b) The Malama Ohana working group shall consist of the following: (1) The executive director of the office of wellness and resilience, or the director's designee; (2) The chief executive officer of the office of Hawaiian affairs, or the chief executive officer's designee; (3) Two investigators, case managers, or their assistants, from the department of human services' child welfare services branch, as designated by the branch administrator; and (4) The chairperson of the trauma-informed care task force established within the department of health for administrative purposes pursuant to Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, or the chairperson's designee; (c) The Malama Ohana working group shall invite the following representatives to join the working group: (1) The executive director of Effective Planning and Innovative Communication, Inc., doing business as EPIC Ohana, or the executive director's designee, who shall be requested to serve as co-chair of the working group; (2) The chief executive officer of Hale Kipa, Inc., or the chief executive's designee, who shall be requested to serve as co-chair of the working group; (3) Four members of Nā Kama a Hāloa; (4) Two members from each of the following constituencies, as identified by Nā Kama a Hāloa: (A) Former foster youth; (B) Birth parents who were involved in the child welfare system, specifically with the department of human services' child welfare services branch; (C) Licensed resource caregivers; and (D) Kinship resource caregivers; (5) The chief executive officer of Kamehameha Schools, or the chief executive officer's designee; and (6) The chief executive officer of Liliuokalani Trust, or the chief executive officer's designee. (d) The Malama Ohana working group shall develop recommendations to establish a child welfare system that is trauma-informed, sustains a community-based partnership, and responsive to the needs of children and families in the child welfare system and among the larger community. In carrying out its purpose, the working group shall: (1) Conduct listening sessions throughout the State and with affected constituencies; (2) Conduct meetings to brainstorm and develop concepts for recommendations; (3) Develop recommendations on ways to better coordinate and improve the protection and well-being of children and families in the child welfare system; (4) Identify training and best practices, assessment criteria, and ways to sustain an effective workforce within the department of human services' child welfare services branch; (5) Identify training and best practices, assessment criteria, and ways to sustain an effective workforce within the larger circle of community agencies serving the child welfare system; (6) Identify best practices, including Native Hawaiian cultural practices, for providing assistance to children and youth who were involved in the child welfare system and their families; (7) Identify other cultural practices that build wellness and resilience in communities and improve collaboration between communities and the child welfare services branch; and (8) Collaborate with the trauma-informed care task force, and where appropriate, conduct joint listening sessions or design sessions for the purpose of reforming the child welfare system. (e) Members of the Malama Ohana working group shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessary for the performance of their duties, including travel expenses. No member of the working group shall be subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of the member's participation in the working group. (f) The office of wellness and resilience may contract with an administrative facilitator to provide necessary support for the Malama Ohana working group in carrying out its activities, including preparation of the report required pursuant to subsection (g), without regard to chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (g) The Malama Ohana working group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025. (h) The Malama Ohana working group shall cease to exist on July 1, 2025. SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the procurement of contracted services to provide additional support and resources to families receiving benefits from the State's adoption assistance program and permanency assistance program, for the purposes of assisting with family strengthening and the maintenance of a safe home environment for adopted children; provided that: (1) $ shall be expended for the development and maintenance of necessary information technology systems, including the establishment of two full time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions; (2) $ shall be expended to increase compensation to fill vacancies and retain employees in existing child welfare services branch investigator, case manager, and social worker positions; provided that any increase in compensation shall be subject to collective bargaining with the objective of expeditiously filling all vacancies; (3) $ shall be expended for the department of human services to contract with a third party for enhanced permanency support services, including additional training for resource caregivers, wellness visits within a year of adoption or guardianship of children formerly in foster care, respite care, and enhanced supportive services to assist with family strengthening and maintenance of a safe home environment for adopted children; and (4) $ shall be expended for the establishment of one full time equivalent (1.0 FTE) planner or project specialist position to administer and monitor additional service contracts and assist with additional service coordination. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the Malama Ohana working group established pursuant to section 2 of this Act, including for the office of wellness and resilience to contract with an administrative facilitator to provide necessary support for the working group in carrying out its activities. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the office of the governor for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 30, 3000; provided that section 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Establish the Malama Ohana working group to seek, design, and recommend transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system; and (2) Appropriate funds to increase the procurement of contracted services to provide additional support and resources to families receiving benefits from the State's adoption assistance and permanency assistance programs. SECTION 2. (a) There is established within the department of human services for administrative purposes a Malama Ohana working group to seek, design, and recommend transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system. (b) The Malama Ohana working group shall consist of members from the following governmental entities, and members from the following private entities and constituencies who shall be invited to voluntarily participate, as follows; (1) The executive director of Effective Planning and Innovative Communication, Inc., doing business as EPIC `Ohana, or the executive director's designee, who shall be requested to serve as co-chair of the working group; (2) The chief executive officer of Hale Kipa, Inc., or the chief executive's designee, who shall be requested to serve as co-chair of the working group; (3) Four members of Nā Kama a Hāloa; (4) Two members from each of the following constituencies, as identified by Nā Kama a Hāloa;: (A) Former foster youth; (B) Birth parents who were involved in the child welfare system, specifically with the department of human services' child welfare services branch; (C) Licensed resource caregivers; and (D) Kinship resource caregivers; (5) The director of human services, or the director's designee; (6) Two members representing the child welfare services branch's investigators, case managers, or their assistants, as designated by the branch administrator; (7) The chairperson of the trauma-informed care task force established within the department of health for administrative purposes pursuant to Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, or the chairperson's designee; (8) The chief executive officer of the office of Hawaiian affairs, or the chief executive officer's designee; (9) The chief executive officer of Kamehameha Schools, or the chief executive officer's designee; and (10) The chief executive officer of Lili`uokalani Trust, or the chief executive officer's designee. (c) The Malama Ohana working group shall develop recommendations to establish a child welfare system that is trauma-informed, sustains a community-based partnership, and responsive to the needs of children and families in the child welfare system and among the larger community. In carrying out its purpose, the working group shall: (1) Conduct listening sessions throughout the State and with affected constituencies; (2) Conduct meetings to brainstorm and develop concepts for recommendations; (3) Develop recommendations on ways to better coordinate and improve the protection and well-being of children and families in the child welfare system; (4) Identify training and best practices, assessment criteria, and ways to sustain an effective workforce within the department of human services' child welfare services branch; (5) Identify training and best practices, assessment criteria, and ways to sustain an effective workforce within the larger circle of community agencies serving the child welfare system; (6) Identify best practices, including Native Hawaiian cultural practices, in providing assistance to children and youth who were involved in the child welfare system and their families; (7) Identify other cultural practices that build wellness and resilience in communities and improve collaboration between communities and the child welfare services branch; and (8) Collaborate with the trauma-informed care task force, and where appropriate, conduct joint listening sessions or design sessions for the purpose of reforming the child welfare system. (d) Members of the Malama Ohana working group shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessary for the performance of their duties, including travel expenses. No member of the working group shall be subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of the member's participation in the working group. (e) The department of human services may contract with an administrative facilitator to provide necessary support for the Malama Ohana working group in carrying out its activities, including preparation of the report required pursuant to subsection (f), without regard to chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (f) The Malama Ohana working group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025. (g) The Malama Ohana working group shall cease to exist on July 1, 2025. SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the procurement of contracted services to provide additional support and resources to families receiving benefits from the State's adoption assistance program and permanency assistance program, for the purposes of assisting with family strengthening and the maintenance of a safe home environment for adopted children; provided that: (1) $ shall be expended for the development and maintenance of necessary information technology systems, including the establishment of two full time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions; (2) $ shall be expended to increase compensation to fill vacancies and retain employees in existing child welfare services branch investigator, case manager, and social worker positions; provided that any increase in compensation shall be subject to collective bargaining with the objective of expeditiously filling all vacancies; (3) $ shall be expended for the department of human services to contract with a third party for enhanced permanency support services, including additional training for resource caregivers, wellness visits within a year of adoption or guardianship of children formerly in foster care, respite care, and enhanced supportive services to assist with family strengthening and maintenance of a safe home environment for adopted children; (4) $ shall be expended for the establishment of one full time equivalent (1.0 FTE) planner or project specialist position to administer and monitor additional service contracts and assist with additional service coordination; and (5) $ shall be expended for the Malama Ohana working group established pursuant to section 2 of this Act, including for the department of human services to contract with an administrative facilitator to provide necessary support for the working group in carrying out its activities. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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