Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 2, 1 September 1981 — Health and Human Resources [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Health and Human Resources

Ihe Health and Human Kesources Committee is assessingthe social and health needs of Hawaiians. Some of their concerns are mental health services, and public assistance programs whieh many Hawaiians have been reluctant to apply for although eligible and in need. Another eoneem voiced has been the difficulty encountered by Hawaiians seeking to validate their blood quantum eli gibil - ity for Hawaiian Home Lands. Efforts to meet such concerns will require extensive coordination and cooperation with public assistance agencies and social services.

In addition, as a result of a meeting with interested individuals on the crime problems affecting Hawaiians, an Ad Hoe Committee on Crime has been formed to make a thorough in-depth study of the crime problem. One method is to interview residents of Hawaiian ancestry at the Youth Correctional Facility and also at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center to begin to understand the causes of their incarceration and then develop preventive measures. Trustee Kaulukukui has been invited to participate on the Advisory Committee for the coming Honolulu Health Fair to be held in May of 1982. He has also met with the developers of a new program that will test young children and tell mothers of hearing and speech problems. This program recently introduced in Hawai'i will be made available to parents in the near future. Kaulukukui hopes that mothers of infants and toddlers will take advantage of this Infant Hearing Assessment Program.

Kaulukukui