Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 3, 1 March 2022 — Providing Hope, Healing and Transformation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Providing Hope, Healing and Transformation

BISAC staff and clients in the Pōhaku Circle they are in the process of building - a spiral walking path to invite contemplation, meditation or pule. - Photos: Jason tees

Two OHA grants support the work of the Big lsland Substance Abuse Council By Ed Kalama "Ua ola loko i ke aloha; Love gives life within." Love is imperative to one's mental and pkysical welfare. - 'Olelo No'eau They inspire individuals to reclaim and enrich their lives by harnessing the strengths that lie within eaeh person. It's rewarding work, with benefits that ean far outweigh a paycheck. "Substance abuse and mental heahh are often stigmatized, but the more awareness we ean bring to the topic, the more people will be accepting and willing to get help," said Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita, chief executive officer at the Big Island Substance Abuse Oouneil (BISAC), where she has led the organization for more than 10 years. "Ihe best thing about our work is seeing our lāhui thrive - that people have hope, transform, and then be able to make a difference in their own life, in the lives of their 'ohana and in their community. It is such a good feeling to see these changes."

Created in 1956 by the Rev. Gerald Loweth of the Rector Church of the Holy Apostles in Hilo as the Big Island Committee on Alcoholism to assist struggling alcoholics, the committee acquired government funding and ofHcially established the Big Island Substance Abuse Couneil in 1964. Over the years the organization expanded its scope of services from alcoholism counseling to a small halfway house to now being a distinguished Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities accredited program addressing substance abuse and mental health issues. Today, BISAC is a multi-million dollar organization committed to serving not just Hawai'i County but the State of Hawai'i. BISAC's services include a 24-hour Therapeutic Living Program (TLP), intensive outpatient treatment, and running a elean and sober house. More than just an 'Ōiwi leader, CEO Preston-Pita is the living definition of a "Hawaiian Hammah." The Kamehameha Schools graduate has two doctoral degrees - one in elinieal psychology and the other in transformational educational leadership. A former Native Hawaiian Health Care Scholar, she has served on numerous boards such as Mental Heakh of America and Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Ōiwi and currently serves on Hawai'i County's Status of Women Committee. Highly involved in community relations, she special-

izes in treating rural underserved populations and authors children's books and therapeutic tools on topics like anger management and self-esteem as her spare time hobby. This fiscal year BISAC was awarded two OHA grants - a $150,000 'Ohana and Community Based Grant and a $150,000 COVID-19 Impact Response Grant. "The Big Island Substance Abuse Center provides ex-

cellent service with a therapeutic living treatment program for Native Hawaiian adults who were previously incarcerated and offers wraparound services to support continued sobriety. Their work for the lāhui equips Native Hawaiians with skills and coping meehanisms for long-term recovery and success to reintegrate into the community," said OHA Grants Ofīicer Angela Lopes. "The COVID-19 grant's purpose is to implement a COVID-19 operational plan - monitoring, eommunieation, and continuity of care - that ensures eomplianee with the Center for Disease Control, Substance Abuse and Mental Heakh Service, Department of Heakh and best practices and mitigates gaps in services and meets needs," Preston-Pita said. "Funds will be utilized to provide personal protective equipment, incidentals for individuals from prison, providing bunk beds to comply with new licensing COVID-19 requirements, and providing mohile service to rural underserved areas." Preston-Pita said the 'Ohana and Community Based Grant will provide therapeutic living treatment to adults previously incarcerated with the intention of providing wrap-around services to support clients' continued sobriety such as mental heakh services and vocational training. "The Therapeutic Living Program is a structured 24hour staffed facility providing ongoing evaluation, care, life skills training, self-help, encouragement, transportation to social activities and therapeutic services," Pres-ton-Pita said. "There is also a specialized TLP for Pregnant, Parenting, Women and Children program that provides a variety of case management and treatment services focused on women with children in order to ensure the wellbeing of the mother and to establish a safe, solid and nurturing SEE H0PE, HEALING AND TRANSF0RMATI0N ON PAGE 7

HOPE, HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION Continued from page 6 foundation for the children to grow." Preston-Pita said she was grateful to OHA for the assistance provided in serving the community. "These grants will allow us to prepare to move toward a one-stop-shop and have a micro-unit campus that will expand the number of individuals that we treat ffom 24 to 100. They will also permit us to provide needed services to those individuals who don't have the re-

sources or means to be in treatment. "I believe that OHA's programs help address issues in our community that have the greatest need and provide the foundation to help improve the overall heahh and wellness of our lāhui. "Mahalo nui loa OHA for your continued support." ■ The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Grants Program supports Hawai'i-based eommunity organizations that have projects, programs and initiatives that serve the lāhui in alignment with OHA's Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan. A record total of $16 million was awarded in fiscal year 2021.

Working the 'ōino is on importont port of the heoling process and BISAC has a mōla (garden) near their administrative offices in Kea'au for this purpose. Dr. Preston-Pita (far left) poses with staff and clients in their dryland lo'i kalo. - Photo: Courtesy

BISAC clients Aaron Naniho (left) and Stephen "Alika" Felder take a needed break from their work in the mōla. "The best thing about our work is seeing our lōhui thrive," said Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita. - Photo: Jason tees

in n# WGffT f CHOIfiF Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita, BISAC's CEO.