Prevention

The prevention plan divides the county into three districts, coinciding with school district complexes, West, Central, and East Kaua`i. Goals are targeted to the specific risk and protective factors identified in each district.

West Kaua`i priority 1-2 year goals include:

1. Reduce alcohol and drug use of people of all ages by increasing community awareness, preventing underage access, enforcing laws, and mobilizing the community.
2. Help youth and parents/guardians strengthen family bonds by creating opportunities for teens to contribute to the family, improve communications, and resist peer pressure.
3. Promote youth social development by creating opportunities to bond with an individual who promotes healthy beliefs and clear standards.

Central Kaua`i priority 1-2 year goals include:

1. Support broad-based, interfaith, interracial activities for youth to increase youth and family attachment to the community.
2. Reduce alcohol and drug use of people of all ages by increasing community awareness, preventing underage access, enforcing laws, and mobilizing the community.
3. Enhance students’ self-esteem, feelings of self-efficacy, ability to make decisions, and ability to resist peer and media pressure to increase their commitment to school.

East Kaua`i priority 1-2 year goals include:

1. Help youth and parents/guardians strengthen family bonds by creating opportunities for teens to contribute to the family, improve communications, and resist peer pressure.
2. Promote early intervention literacy programs for the lowest achieving elementary school students.
3. Promote mentoring, community service, social competence training, and family activities to build youths’ sense of personal responsibility for self and community.

Island-wide priority 1-2 year goals include:

1. Promote after-school, weekend, and summer youth and family activities that encourage a drug-free life.
2. Increase public transportation access to and from activities.
3. Strengthen and develop the organizational structure of the Kaua`i Drug Prevention Coalition (KDPC).

1. Monitor and support lobbying efforts that support drug enforcement, support intervention programs, and eliminate inconsistencies in the law.
2. Identify and secure funding for law enforcement and support funding for intervention programs.
3. Prevent illegal drugs from entering Kaua`i at all points of entry, including harbors, airports, and postal services.
4. Provide an effective way for the community and police to work together to curb illegal drug activity on Kaua`i.
5. Educate the community on the role of law enforcement, intervention programs, and the criminal justice system.

1. Coordinate communications and services with planned on-island treatment facilities and promote additional facilities.
2. Provide financial assistance to individuals to cover incidental costs of off-island residential treatment.
3. Develop a substance abuse help line to provide referrals and information to individuals and families in need.
4. Educate the community on the causes and treatment of substance addiction.
5. Provide professional training opportunities for substance abuse counselors, mental health professionals, and social workers.
6. Designate safe drop-in facilities throughout the island and coordinate services so that personnel at these facilities can provide resources for family, addicts, and others.

1. Develop “store-fronts” or one-stop shops where ex-drug users can make a transition to a drug-free life in their own communities.
2. Identify and train “navigators” who will work with ex-drug users leaving treatment and/or incarceration until they are solidly integrated into the community.
3. Identify and work with community-based and faith-based organizations to provide community integration support services.
4. Work with Kaua`i Community Correctional Center to help ex-offenders develop exit plans that will ensure their successful community integration and support families in the process.

1. Identify and secure sustainable funding for drug programs.
2. Adopt a management system to coordinate implementation of the plan over the next two years, including measuring outcomes.
3. Develop and make available information on drug-related community resources to help individuals and families.
4. Coordinate messages to the public to heighten awareness of the goals, activities, and outcomes of the Kaua`i Community Drug Response Plan .

In May 2004, the State Legislature approved funding for treatment and prevention. The amount of funds available to Kaua`i, and whether or not the funds will be released is not known at the time of this writing.

• Committed and sustained participation of members on the action team, committees, and coalition.
• Continued, ongoing support by the Administration and County Council.
• Willingness of current and new nonprofit and community-based programs to seek funds for and implement various activities in the plan.
• To secure a new, sustainable funding source for drug programs.
• Willingness to amend and revise the plan over time to address lessons learned and changing conditions.
• Clearly defined outcomes to provide a measurement of success.

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