Hawaii SB 950: RELATING TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE.

Bill Text

S.B. NO. ^50
THE SENATE
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
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JAN 1 7 2025
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that children and
families who are referred to child welfare services undergo a
significant amount of trauma. Families and children can be
retraumatized if the system they are referred to is not trauma
informed. According to The National Child Traumatic Stress
Network, trauma-informed care occurs when all parties involved
recognize and respond to the impact of traumatic stress on those
who have contact with the organization, including children,
caregivers, and service providers.
The legislature further finds the malama ohana working
group has submitted a report that provides recommendations to
create transformative changes to the State's existing child
welfare system, including having all child welfare services
branch staff in the department of human services receive
comprehensive trauma-informed care training as part of
developing a trauma-informed system.
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The legislature also finds that, in order for an
organization to fully adopt a trauma-informed approach, there
must be policies and practices that address the needs of the
staff, including the effects of vicarious trauma, secondary
traumatic stress, and burnout.
The legislature finds that Act 291, Session Laws of Hawaii
2022, established on a temporary basis the office of wellness
and resilience within the office of the governor. The office
was established to address the various barriers that impact the
physical, social, and emotional well-being of all people in the
State by building wellness and resilience through trauma-
informed, strength-based strategies. The office's duties also
include supporting state agencies in their individual efforts to
address trauma-informed care and move toward a collaborative,
purpose-driven collective system reform.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate
funds to the office of wellness and resilience to support the
development of a trauma-informed child welfare system in the
State.
SECTION 2. (a) The office of wellness and resilience
shall design, implement, and administer trauma-informed
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organizational assessments and a training curriculum for the
child welfare services branch of the social services division of
the department of human services. The organizational
assessments and training curriculum shall include:
(1) An evidence-based assessment tool to guide child
welfare services' assessment of its policies and
procedures in the context of best serving children and
families who have experienced trauma;
(2) An evidence-based assessment tool to measure how child
welfare services addresses worker well-being,
including the effects of vicarious trauma, secondary
traumatic stress, and burnout for all child welfare
services staff;
(3) A training curriculum for the establishment of a
cohort of trained mentors to provide guidance;
(4) A branch-wide trauma-informed care curriculum
accompanied by ongoing technical assistance;
(5) Specialized trauma-informed supervisor training and
technical assistance to ensure sustainable
implementation of the curriculum; and
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(6) A child welfare services expert to consult on the
implementation of the assessments' findings.
(b) The office of wellness and resilience may contract
with other public or private entities to design, implement, and
administer the trauma-informed organizational assessments and
training curriculum required pursuant to this section.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $425,000 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the
same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
2026-2027 for the office of wellness and resilience to design,
implement, and administer trauma-informed organizational
assessments and a training curriculum to support the development
of a trauma-informed child welfare system in the State,
including contracting with public or private entity to provide
necessary services.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the office of
wellness and resilience for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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S.B. NO.
Report Title:
OWR; CWS; DBS; Trauma-Informed Care; Trauma-Informed Care;
Training Curriculum; Organizational Assessment; Appropriations
Description:
Requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience to design,
implement, and administer trauma-informed organizational
assessments and a training curricu