LIHU‘E — In the wake of last week’s deadly shooting in Newtown, Conn., local administrators are reassuring parents that Kaua‘i’s schools are safe and that resources are available for those in need. On Dec. 14, 20-year-old Adam Lanza forced his
LIHU‘E — In the wake of last week’s deadly shooting in Newtown, Conn., local administrators are reassuring parents that Kaua‘i’s schools are safe and that resources are available for those in need.
On Dec. 14, 20-year-old Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and gunned down 26 people — including 20 children — in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
Later that day, the Hawai‘i State Department of Education’s Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Branch met with Honolulu Police Department officials to review security procedures for all of the state’s public schools.
“All of Hawai‘i’s public schools have emergency procedures in place, and today our teams revisited those procedures with a heightened awareness,” DOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said in a Dec. 14 news release. “While this tragedy is incomprehensible, all of our schools have counseling services available for students, parents and teachers who may need them.”
In light of the recent tragedy, Kaua‘i Superintendent Bill Arakaki said he wants parents and the public to know that administrators are working diligently to keep Kaua‘i schools safe and nurturing environments.
Safety
There are policies in place to address all types of on-campus incidents, be it a hostage situation, an intruder, a student disruption or a campus incident, Arakaki said.
Tragedies like Sandy Hook bring a heightened sense of awareness to the current policies and procedures, and Arakaki said it is about “adjusting and revising” as schools move forward.
“All of our schools are being asked to review and really be reminded of the safety policies,” he said.
The DOE is responsible for providing a safe and harmonious workplace, according to the Board of Education website.
Workplace violence includes acts involving physical attack and property damage, as well as verbal statements that a reasonable person would perceive as expressing or suggesting intent to cause physical or mental harm to another person, the website states.
Emergency procedures — such as evacuations, lock-down drills and sheltering students and teachers in case of emergencies, including a chemical spill or gas leak — are routinely practiced, Arakaki said.
“There are plans in place,” added Deborah Ullman, a Behavioral Health Educational Specialist for the DOE on Kaua‘i. “There is practice for kids to give them that confidence in the event that there’s some kind of a crisis.”
Additionally, the Kaua‘i DOE works closely with the Kaua‘i Police Department, which provides schools with School Resource Officers, who work with students and are visible on campus.
“We’re very fortunate that KPD has provided that support,” Arakaki said. “They help us in reviewing our plans and are part of our Safety Committees.”
In a recent letter to the editor, Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry wrote that the KPD is well positioned and trained to respond in the protection of Kaua‘i’s faculty members and students.
“We are currently in the process of providing additional invaluable training to our local schools with the assistance and cooperation of Mr. Bill Arakaki, Complex Area Supervisor, for Kaua‘i,” he said.
Resources
Kaua‘i schools are leading the rest of the state — and much of the country — with the level of mental health resources available to students and teachers, according to Arakaki and Ullman.
“Services provided at the school level are school counselors, as well as the Mokihana team, which includes clinical psychologists, masters-level therapists and case managers,” Ullman said. “Through that group setting, students have access to individual and group support.”
The Mokihana Project, which started after Hurricane ‘Iniki, partners the Department of Education and the Department of Health to provide mental health services for students and faculty.
Ullman says that Kaua‘i schools are able to offer a higher level of care, with clinical psychologists available at nearly every public school on Kaua‘i. Smaller schools — such as Hanalei and Kilauea — share a clinical psychologist.
Dr. Brad Klontz, a local clinical psychologist and former president of the Hawai‘i Psychological Association, said that level of service is what makes Kaua‘i unique.
“There’s nothing like it,” he said. “On the Mainland, when a crisis like (Sandy Hook) happens they bring in outside clinical people. We are already there. We know the kids. We know the families. We know the teachers. It’s a real asset.”
Klontz believes Kaua‘i has perfected the model for the rest of the state.
The other resource, Ullman said, is the Kaua‘i Crisis Mobile Outreach program, through Child and Family Service, a local nonprofit funded by the state Department of Health. The CMO program provides face-to-face support, consultation, assessment and referrals to all youth whose immediate health and safety may be in jeopardy due to mental health issues. Their services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, whether at home, school, hospital or another related setting. The CMO access line phone number is (800) 753-6879.
Prevention
Despite all the resources offered on Kaua‘i, early intervention remains a crucial piece of the puzzle, Arakaki said.
“Parents and students, they need to let us know,” he said. “Let a teacher know. Let someone know they’re having an issue. That’s the most important thing.”
The goal is to be preventive instead of reactive.
When it comes to prevention, Klontz said Kaua‘i’s system is good at identifying not just children who are “trouble makers,” but also those who may feel ostracized socially or bullied.
“That is something all schools on Kaua‘i are paying close attention to — the medical health of kids who are perhaps at risk of being angry at their peers,” he said.
The bottom line, Arakaki said, is that resources are available for those that need help, with ongoing partnerships between the DOE, DOH, KPD, Child and Family Service and other groups.
“We all work together because children and the families are what we are about here,” he said. “That’s the main message. Any parent that has a concern about how a child is reacting to the situation, or if they have someone that they feel may need some assistance because something may not be right, they can talk to someone at the school — an administrator, a counselor or a Mokihana staff person.”
Last weekend marked the beginning of winter break for Hawai‘i public schools. Students return to class Jan. 3. Parents and/or students who need counseling services during this time are encouraged to contact their school or the DOE for assistance at (808) 586-3232.
