THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1023
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION COLLABORATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the department of human services has lost a large portion of its child welfare services staff since 2009 and is still working to rebuild with suitable experienced social workers.  Twenty-one per cent of the department's child welfare services positions were eliminated during the 2009-2010 reduction in force.  By nature, child welfare services also experience attrition of its valuable workforce due to the intense and difficult circumstances under which child welfare services employees work.  As of December 2013, the child welfare services branch had sixty-four vacant positions.

     The legislature also finds that the department will face a critical shortage of experienced child welfare services workers and leaders in the coming five years.  As of 2012, thirty-six per cent of the child welfare services workforce had twenty-one or more years of experience.  However, there is concern about impending retirements as more than thirty-six per cent of staff is fifty years of age or older, and almost thirty per cent of staff is in their forties.

     The legislature further finds that between 1998 and 2008, the department of human services, child welfare services branch, and the University of Hawaii, Myron B. Thompson school of social work, successfully ran the Hawaii child welfare education collaboration.  The Hawaii child welfare education collaboration was a successful workforce recruitment and training program that provided a continuous stream of qualified social workers to fill vacant child welfare positions.  Each year, full-time and part-time students entered the program and received a specialized child welfare services curriculum, field integration seminars, and practicum placement in child welfare settings.  The program admitted one hundred nine students, one hundred of whom completed the program and twenty-five of whom are still employed at the department in child welfare services positions.

     The legislature finds that restoration of the Hawaii child welfare education collaboration is needed to help fill the current child welfare services position vacancies and establish a future workforce of experienced child welfare workers.  In return for reimbursement of tuition, fees, and required educational expenses, participants of the program would agree to become employed in child welfare services for a minimum of three years after graduation.  The program will help keep Hawaii's children safe and increase the level of services for Hawaii's families as well as meet federal and state authority mandates and avoid financial penalties.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Build a workforce of highly qualified social workers who will increase the level of child welfare services in Hawaii and improve outcomes for Hawaii's children; and

     (2)  Make an appropriation to the department of human services to restore the Hawaii child welfare education collaboration between child welfare services and the University of Hawaii Myron B. Thompson school of social work.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the Hawaii child welfare education collaboration between the child welfare services branch of the department of human services and the University of Hawaii Myron B. Thompson school of social work.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

 

Report Title:

Hawaii Child Welfare Education Collaboration; University of Hawaii School of Social Work; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to restore the Hawaii child welfare education collaboration to assist with the recruitment and training of graduate students from the University of Hawaii Myron B. Thompson school of social work for child welfare positions at the department of human services.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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