Bill > SB950

This bill addresses the need for trauma-informed care in Hawaii's child welfare system by empowering the Office of Wellness and Resilience to develop and implement comprehensive organizational assessments and training programs. The bill recognizes that children and families referred to child welfare services often experience significant trauma and can be retraumatized by insensitive system responses. To address this, the office will design evidence-based assessment tools to evaluate the child welfare services branch's policies and procedures, as well as measure staff well-being and the impacts of vicarious trauma and burnout. The proposed program includes creating a training curriculum with mentors, providing branch-wide trauma-informed care training with ongoing technical assistance, offering specialized supervisor training, and engaging a child welfare services expert to guide implementation. The office is authorized to contract with public or private entities to support these efforts and will receive a budget appropriation of $425,000 for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund the program. The bill aims to transform the child welfare system by adopting a more compassionate, trauma-aware approach that supports both the families served and the workers providing services.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=950&year=2025