HCAP WEEKLY January 30, 2023

HCAP District Managers Attend Community Consortium Meeting

Central and Windward District Managers Katy Perry and Sonny Preston attended the Community Consortium meeting with the Department of Public Safety division in hopes of bridging the gap regarding services provided to Hawaii’s correctional facilities. The goal of the event was to introduce community agencies and organizations to public safety department heads and to learn how HCAPs programs and services can be a resource for incarcerated people in Hawaii’s state facilities, as well as decrease the recidivism rate in Hawaii. “It was nice to reconnect with old partners due to COVID and introduce ourselves to new partners.” explained Katy Perry.

The conference provided both managers with critical information regarding the Department of Public Safety and the changes that will go into effect in January 2024. The Department of Public Safety will be branching off into its own department and already has great ideas on how they can better prepare those transitioning back into the community. Some of these ideas include assisting participants in gathering vital documents such as birth certificates, social security cards, and IDs prior to release. This would be a great start for those transitioning, because many times they are released with absolutely no documents. This hinders their ability to secure work, which ultimately decreases their ability to find housing.

HCAP currently assists participants in obtaining these documents, but there is a big catch. To obtain the documents participants need proof of residency and an ID, which you cannot obtain without a birth certificate and social security card. This can be very frustrating and overwhelming for those who have been out of society for a long period of time.

The district managers also discussed expanding services to include monthly HCAP orientations and resource fairs within Halawa Correctional Facility for those who will soon be paroled out of the prison system. The Department of Public Safety also hands out a resource packet to every individual exiting their facility to help provide information on the different resources available on the island. HCAP will be working with Corrections Program Services to begin including HCAPs program information in the packets as an added resource.

“I am really excited that we attended this conference, because not only were we able to share our interest in expanding our services with key public safety administrators, but we were also able to connect with numerous agencies in attendance to learn about their programs island-wide and set up in-person tours for all districts.” Sonny Preston explained.

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Troy the X-Ray Boy

The Head Start keiki at Jefferson, Kapālama, Pauoa and several others across the island were visited by Troy Osorno. Troy Osorno (aka Troy the X-ray Boy) works in radiology at the Maui Medical Group. Troy loves to volunteer and present at Head Start classrooms across the state because of the positive impact Head Start had on his family. During his visits, Troy familiarizes keiki with imaging exams such as x-ray, ultrasound, and MRI scans. He also introduces Skelerena! Skelerena the Skeleton encourages keiki to use their imagination, eat healthy foods, and take care of their bodies.

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Nā Lima Hana Participant Finds Success

In June of 2022, Alexander’s counselor contacted Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services to ask for assistance with Alexander’s job hunt. Alexander was able to complete all intake forms for the program, and participated in a Job Readiness Training class that provided him with important information on the state of the modern day workforce. During the JRT important topics were covered such as job interview questions, resume writing, job application, net-working, and much more. The goal of the intake is to lessen the stress and anxiety Alexander faces as he starts looking for work. The program offered Alexander assistance to help him succeed in his employment endeavors. 

In July, after collecting all the mandatory documents for his Disability HOLO card, Alexander met Central District Staff at the Kalihi Transit Center and staff was able to help Alexander with the purchase of his Disability HOLO card which is valid for an entire year. 

In August, Alexander found employment as a full time Laborer at Paradise Lua Inc. In December Alexander submitted copies of his 30, 60 and 90 days’ pay stubs from Laborer at Paradise Lua Inc. to Nā Lama Hana. The pay stubs confirmed that Alexander retained employment with the same employer for at least 90 days. They also confirmed that Alexander completed Milestone 3, 4 and 5 of the Nā Lima Hana Program; thus, earning him incentives. In January, Central District Staff dropped off $100 worth of gift cards for Alexander. Central District Staff would like to congratulate Alexander for surpassing more than 90 days of employment with Paradise Lua, Inc.

Click Here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services