'OHANA CONFERENCING
EPIC began with ‘Ohana Conferencing in Honolulu, Hawaii in July 1996 as a collaborative effort by the Family Court of the First Circuit, the Department of Human Services-Social Services Division, and the Wai‘anae community on the island of O‘ahu. ‘Ohana conferencing is a family group decision-making process, adapted from the Polynesian model of problem solving developed by the Maori people in New Zealand to better address issues of child abuse and placement of children in foster care. Parents, extended family members and Child Welfare staff work together in a facilitated meeting to collectively problem solve and plan for the safety of children and the development of service plans to strengthen parents. Since 1996, more than 16,000 conferences have been conducted with more than 100,000 participants. YOUTH CIRCLES
EPIC ‘Ohana, Inc. began offering E Makua Ana Youth Circles in Hawai‘i in 2004. Youth Circles empower young people transitioning out of foster care into adulthood with careful planning, developing a support system, and identifying necessary resources. Youth Circles help current and former foster youth transitioning out of the foster care system by bringing together a youth’s family, providers and other supporters to highlight the youth’s strengths, share resources, and brainstorm options through a collaborative, culturally sensitive process. The youth chooses who will be invited, what kind of food will be served, and the youth chooses his/her own plan.
'OHANA FINDING & 'OHANA CONNECTIONS
In 2007, EPIC ‘Ohana, Inc. developed and implemented ‘Ohana Findings and ‘Ohana Connections services to identify relatives and make connections for children in foster care. Social capital and a supportive personal network are important to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in foster care. These two programs work hand-in-hand to identify relatives and make meaningful connections between the children, their families, and their community supporters. INITIATIVE
Founded in 2009, HI H.O.P.E.S. helps young people between the ages 14 and 26 make successful transitions from foster care to adulthood. Youth engagement, partnerships and resources, public will and policy, evaluation, communications, and increased opportunities are core aspects of this work. HHI works with young people and public and private partners to provide access to education, employment, family connections, financial capability, housing, health, and social capital. The HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Boards provides the youth voice for HI H.O.P.E.S. Initiative and Department of Human Services-Child Welfare Services (DHS-CWS). Youth Leadership Boards are comprised of current and former foster youth between the ages of 14 and 26 and is a statewide initiative. FAMILY WRAP HAWAII
In 2014, the Family Wrap Hawaii program was launched as a demonstration project of the Title IV-E Waiver grant. Wrap, a powerful and collaborative engagement process, is a positive addition to the continuum of services and interventions provided by CWS. Through consistent team meetings, Family Wrap Hawaii offers a strengths-based, culturally sensitive, respectful and responsive approach to the self-identified needs of the children and their families. INDEPENDENT LIVING COLLABORATOR (ILC)
Celebrating its kick-off in 2016, ILC works to improve services for young people ages 12 to 26 affected by foster care by building collaboration between CWS, Independent Living providers and other youth-serving organizations, and by being a resource for foster youth resources.
