Testimony in Support of Maui A.I.D.S Foundation County Council Proposal (Fiscal Year 2023-2024)
4/26/23
To the Maui County Council Budget Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in support of the proposal Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation (MAF) submitted to you earlier this month to fund expanding its free sexual health clinic and Harm Reduction services.
My name is Bryan Chin and I work as a Nurse Practitioner at MAF. I serve as the only healthcare provider on staff, prescribing medications for HIV treatment, HIV prevention, and a range of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). MAF is Maui County’s only free and confidential sexual health clinic, and we also oversee the County’s “Harm Reduction” services that include opioid overdose prevention, Narcan training/distribution, and syringe exchange.
I have seen the cases of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea increase each year since COVID-19 began, largely in the non-insured, under-insured and youth populations that frequent our services the most. We partner with Hawaii Department of Health to access supplies, labs, and medications for these STIs, but the overall volume of folks needing our services could benefit from other provider on staff to help meet the demand.
Additionally, while the requests for our Harm Reduction services on Maui have remarkably increased, so have the requests from Lanaʻi and Molokaʻi. Being able to hire a Harm Reduction Specialist on Molokaʻi particularly will increase our capacity there for opioid overdose training, Narcan distribution (for injection drug users as well as the elderly), HIV/STI services, and linkages to care.
MAF’s proposal to Maui County for additional funding for the upcoming fiscal year has the intention of helping greatly with these causes. Thank you for considering it.
Sincerely,
-Bryan Chin, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Director of Clinical Services
Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation
Wailuku
808-242-4900
Testimony in Support of Continued Funding in Full for
Mediation Services of Maui
(dba Maui Mediation Services)
Dear Maui County Council Budget Committee,
Maui Mediation Services (“MMS”) provides consensual conflict resolution services and training at little or no cost to all citizens of Maui County. These services empower citizens of Maui in conflict with one another to resolve their own differences in ways that can be life-changing. The value of the mediation process to those served cannot be overstated.
As the second largest community mediation center in the state, MMS works with a tiny administrative staff of four and a pool of professionally trained volunteer mediators to provide mediation services to any and all citizens of Maui. During the past fiscal year, we served over 1200 residents of Maui County with their disputes involving child custody and visitation, consumer/merchant interactions, employment disputes, educational issues, business disputes, neighbor relations, and tenant evictions among other subject matter areas. These cases include over 400 Tenant Eviction cases heard under Act 57, which helped to keep many Maui County residents housed during the lean economic times of COVID 19.
Whether these cases are self-referred or ordered by the Courts, the persons involved in mediation are encouraged to listen to one another, rationally evaluate their situation, and make informed decisions about how best to resolve the issues between them. The results often result in better understanding among disputants and more durable terms than those imposed by the courts or others.
Listen to what the parties themselves have told us about their experience with us:
• “I felt very respected, and my concerns were heard”
• “Without the mediation the conflict would still remain”
• “They took time to make sure all parties were satisfied”
• “I feel the mediators did a fantastic job and I have much gratitude and appreciate their ethical conduct”
• “I thought it was fabulous”
In addition to providing mediations, MMS provides a number of trainings each year for Maui
County Residents including Basic Mediation Training(s), Domestic Relations Mediation Training, Civility in the Workplace trainings and others.
As President of the Board of Directors and as a volunteer mediator for the organization myself, I am grateful for the County’s past support and I urge and encourage the Maui County Council’s Budget Review Committee to recommend continuing to fund Maui Mediation Services with its budget allocation through the Department of Housing and Human Concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Stanley Majka, Esq.
Board President, Maui Mediation Services
Maui Mediation Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1982.
Each summer for the past several years Camp Imua, a camp for Maui County children with special needs, has relied on MEO for transportation. A few of our participants require wheelchairs, and all of them have physical or mental disabilities. We rely on the expertise and care of the MEO team to make sure they are brought safely to and from camp, and on our camp excursions. Without MEO we would have a very difficult time taking our 40 campers plus a large number of volunteer counselors to the beach and other outings. This Summer, MEO will provide necessary transportation for our entire camp from Camp from Keanae to Hana Bay for a beach day, free of charge. This would have cost several hundred dollars through Robert's or any other commercial venture. Camp Imua runs on community support, and without MEO, we would likely not be able to take our campers to the beach.
This summer (as well as in 2018 and 2019) with our camp taking place at Camp Keanae we need to offer rides from Central Maui out to Keanae. Without MEO. Many of our participants would have been unable to attend camp because of their lack of transportation. This week of summer camp is very special to the children who participate. For one week they are granted the opportunity to make new friends and to try all sorts of activities that with the help of our community partners such as MEO are made accessible.
In Gratitude,
Rainelle Lushina
Camp Imua & Dream Imua Program Coordinator
Testimony in Support of Maui A.I.D.S Foundation County Council Proposal (Fiscal Year 2023-2024)
4/26/23
To the Maui County Council Budget Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in support of the proposal Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation (MAF) submitted to you earlier this month to fund expanding its free sexual health clinic and Harm Reduction services.
My name is Bryan Chin and I work as a Nurse Practitioner at MAF. I serve as the only healthcare provider on staff, prescribing medications for HIV treatment, HIV prevention, and a range of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). MAF is Maui County’s only free and confidential sexual health clinic, and we also oversee the County’s “Harm Reduction” services that include opioid overdose prevention, Narcan training/distribution, and syringe exchange.
I have seen the cases of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea increase each year since COVID-19 began, largely in the non-insured, under-insured and youth populations that frequent our services the most. We partner with Hawaii Department of Health to access supplies, labs, and medications for these STIs, but the overall volume of folks needing our services could benefit from other provider on staff to help meet the demand.
Additionally, while the requests for our Harm Reduction services on Maui have remarkably increased, so have the requests from Lanaʻi and Molokaʻi. Being able to hire a Harm Reduction Specialist on Molokaʻi particularly will increase our capacity there for opioid overdose training, Narcan distribution (for injection drug users as well as the elderly), HIV/STI services, and linkages to care.
MAF’s proposal to Maui County for additional funding for the upcoming fiscal year has the intention of helping greatly with these causes. Thank you for considering it.
Sincerely,
-Bryan Chin, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Director of Clinical Services
Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation
Wailuku
808-242-4900
Testimony in Support of Continued Funding in Full for
Mediation Services of Maui
(dba Maui Mediation Services)
Dear Maui County Council Budget Committee,
Maui Mediation Services (“MMS”) provides consensual conflict resolution services and training at little or no cost to all citizens of Maui County. These services empower citizens of Maui in conflict with one another to resolve their own differences in ways that can be life-changing. The value of the mediation process to those served cannot be overstated.
As the second largest community mediation center in the state, MMS works with a tiny administrative staff of four and a pool of professionally trained volunteer mediators to provide mediation services to any and all citizens of Maui. During the past fiscal year, we served over 1200 residents of Maui County with their disputes involving child custody and visitation, consumer/merchant interactions, employment disputes, educational issues, business disputes, neighbor relations, and tenant evictions among other subject matter areas. These cases include over 400 Tenant Eviction cases heard under Act 57, which helped to keep many Maui County residents housed during the lean economic times of COVID 19.
Whether these cases are self-referred or ordered by the Courts, the persons involved in mediation are encouraged to listen to one another, rationally evaluate their situation, and make informed decisions about how best to resolve the issues between them. The results often result in better understanding among disputants and more durable terms than those imposed by the courts or others.
Listen to what the parties themselves have told us about their experience with us:
• “I felt very respected, and my concerns were heard”
• “Without the mediation the conflict would still remain”
• “They took time to make sure all parties were satisfied”
• “I feel the mediators did a fantastic job and I have much gratitude and appreciate their ethical conduct”
• “I thought it was fabulous”
In addition to providing mediations, MMS provides a number of trainings each year for Maui
County Residents including Basic Mediation Training(s), Domestic Relations Mediation Training, Civility in the Workplace trainings and others.
As President of the Board of Directors and as a volunteer mediator for the organization myself, I am grateful for the County’s past support and I urge and encourage the Maui County Council’s Budget Review Committee to recommend continuing to fund Maui Mediation Services with its budget allocation through the Department of Housing and Human Concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Stanley Majka, Esq.
Board President, Maui Mediation Services
Maui Mediation Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1982.
Each summer for the past several years Camp Imua, a camp for Maui County children with special needs, has relied on MEO for transportation. A few of our participants require wheelchairs, and all of them have physical or mental disabilities. We rely on the expertise and care of the MEO team to make sure they are brought safely to and from camp, and on our camp excursions. Without MEO we would have a very difficult time taking our 40 campers plus a large number of volunteer counselors to the beach and other outings. This Summer, MEO will provide necessary transportation for our entire camp from Camp from Keanae to Hana Bay for a beach day, free of charge. This would have cost several hundred dollars through Robert's or any other commercial venture. Camp Imua runs on community support, and without MEO, we would likely not be able to take our campers to the beach.
This summer (as well as in 2018 and 2019) with our camp taking place at Camp Keanae we need to offer rides from Central Maui out to Keanae. Without MEO. Many of our participants would have been unable to attend camp because of their lack of transportation. This week of summer camp is very special to the children who participate. For one week they are granted the opportunity to make new friends and to try all sorts of activities that with the help of our community partners such as MEO are made accessible.
In Gratitude,
Rainelle Lushina
Camp Imua & Dream Imua Program Coordinator