LT. GOVERNOR AIONA PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL MEETING ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
For Immediate Release: July 2, 2004
HONOLULU – Lt. Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. returned from Washington, D.C., where he participated in the 35th meeting of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Advisory Council. Lt. Governor Aiona was appointed to the 12-member national advisory council by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson earlier this year in recognition of his continued leadership in the fight against illicit drug use.
SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health service delivery systems. The advisory council addresses program priorities relating to co-occurring disorders, substance abuse treatment, strategic prevention, mental health, children and families, and criminal justice.
The national advisory council meeting (June 30 – July 1) included decision-making on various policy requirements for SAMHSA, as well as discussions on national and state legislation relating to illicit drug use, the Mental Health Systems Transformation rollout, co-occurring disorders, and the status of SAMHSA’s Access to Recovery initiative.
Next week, Lt. Governor Aiona will travel to Big Sky, Montana, to attend the National Lt. Governors Association (NLGA) 2004 Annual Meeting from July 7–10. The meeting will focus on opportunities, challenges and policy issues that affect state government. Topics to be addressed include energy policies, business and economic development, education, public-private partnerships, crisis communications, and historic preservation.
While in Montana, Lt. Governor Aiona will give his fellow Lt. Governors and their staff and families a preview of what to expect at next year’s meeting, which will be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village from June 27-30, 2005. Between 300-400 people are expected to attend the 2005 NLGA meeting, which will be hosted by Lt. Governor Aiona.
A special luncheon on Saturday, July 10th, in Montana will take on a Hawai`i theme, including Island-grown flowers, lei, foods, entertainment and Hawai`i-made products that will be flown in from Hawai`i, compliments of numerous Hawai`i businesses and organizations. Chefs at the Big Sky Resort will prepare Island recipes provided by chefs from the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The NLGA will cover the costs for the Hawai`i luncheon, and various products and services are being donated by: Robert's Hawai`i, Island Princess, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau, O`ahu Visitors Bureau, Maui Visitors Bureau, Polynesian Cultural Center, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut, Hirasaki-Nakagawa Design, Kaleo Paik-Matsuura, Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl, Kaipo's Creations, Ultimate Hawai`i Gear, University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture, and the Hawai`i Tropical Flower Council.
“Hawai`i has a lot to share at the national level, and these two meetings provide opportunities to showcase some of our successful programs and policies that can serve as models for other states,” said Lt. Governor Aiona. “In particular, serving on the SAMHSA National Advisory Council will allow me to form national partnerships and to gain additional support and resources for our Administration’s drug control and treatment strategies.
“During the Montana meeting, I also plan to get my fellow lieutenant governors excited about next year’s NLGA meeting, as well as illustrate that Hawai`i is the ideal place for business, leisure travel and family vacations,” the Lt. Governor said.
Lt. Governor Aiona will also stop in San Francisco to visit the Delancey Street Foundation. This well-known and widely praised prison reintegration program began in 1971. Located in the busy Embarcadero area of San Francisco, the Delancey Street Foundation provides a structured educational and living environment in which men and women, ex-felons and substance abusers, can learn the skills they need to rebuild their lives and become productive citizens.
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For more information, contact:
Celyn Chong Kee
Public Liaison
Phone: 586-0255
Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: 586-7705
Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: 586-0043
Visit the Lt. Governor's Web site at www.hawaii.gov/ltgov
