STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1340

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 708, 709

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 708 and 709, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

State Council on Mental Health

 

G.M. No. 708

CHARLENE DARABAN,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015; and

 

G.M. No. 709

THERESA MINAMI,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Charlene Daraban and Theresa Minami to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Mental Health.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Charlene Daraban from the Department of Health and Hawaii Families as Allies.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Daraban's experience working with families of children with mental health-related issues qualifies her for appointment to the State Council on Mental Health. 

 

     For over twenty years, Ms. Daraban has been an advocate for families of children with emotional or behavioral challenges.  Ms. Daraban is currently a Consumer Family Relations Specialist for Hawaii Families As Allies, a nonprofit organization with a mission to support families of children with emotional or behavioral issues.  In her current role, Ms. Daraban provides site visitation and supervision services, conducts staff training, and provides technical assistance and support services.  Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Daraban served as a Family Court Coordinator/Youth Program Assistant for Hawaii Families As Allies where she established and facilitated support groups to bring together members of families served by Child Welfare Services, Family Court, and juvenile justice agencies. 

 

     Ms. Daraban has been a strong advocate for children and families dealing with the struggles that emotional and behavioral disorders present, and your Committee finds that as a parent of a son facing mental health issues, she will bring much needed representation of this particular constituency to the State Council on Mental Health.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Theresa Minami from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Mental Health America of Hawaii, and one private citizen.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Minami's experience in mental health, substance abuse, developmental disabilities, and domestic violence qualify her for appointment to the State Council on Mental Health. 

 

     Ms. Minami currently serves as an Assistant Program Administrator at the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services Branch.  Prior to joining the Department of Human Services, Ms. Minami served as an Adjunct Instructor at Hawaii Pacific University's Department of Communication.  Ms. Minami also worked as a Developmental Disabilities/Mental Retardation Medicaid Waiver Liaison and Program Specialist at the Department of Health's Developmental Disabilities Division, Case Management and Information Services Branch.  During her tenure at the Department of Human Services, Ms. Minami participated with several interagency and community groups including the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Task Force, Transition Aged Youth Task Force, and the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Oversight Body for the Strategic Statewide Plan implementation.

 

     Ms. Minami has been instrumental in the implementation of the Department of Human Service's highly successful Differential Response System, which has significantly reduced the number of children in foster care through the enhanced assessment and provision of voluntary services to children and families at risk.

 

     Ms. Minami has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications from Colorado State University and a Master of Arts degree in Communication from Hawaii Pacific University. 

 

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Minami will bring the knowledge and experience gained from her extensive work in the public health sector to the State Council on Mental Health.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair