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“Ho`opio Ke Puhi”(Put out the smoke) Hale Na`au Pono (Creating Inner Balance), aka Wai`anae Coast Community Mental Health Inc., is a non-profit agency serving the seriously mentally ill (SMI) along the Wai`anae Coast. HNP was created by the people of Wai`anae 20 years ago to meet the mental health needs of the community and beyond. Today, HNP has a wide array of community services for adult needs including clinical and case management support, housing choices, a clubhouse in the heart of Wai`anae, anger management training, and an alcohol and other drug treatment program. Its children’s program provides psychiatric and psychological support along with its specialized foster homes programs and individual services for the developmentally disabled and mentally retarded. It’s unique Wai`anae Neighborhood Place program servicing families with housing needs, conduct issues, and generally help families through difficult times when they know of no other place to turn. Within Hale Na`au Pono is "Ho`opio Ke Puhi (Put out the smoke)," a tobacco cessation program for consumers and staff along the Wai`anae Coast. The program will be modified including some native Hawaiian cultural values to suit the target population. Half the tobacco sold in the United States is targeted and sold to the mentally ill. The State Department of Health declared the leading cause of death for the mentally ill to be tobacco related - not suicide. Tobacco use rates of people with schizophrenia and manic depressive disorder are 90% and 50% respectively. Because of the high consumption of tobacco among the mentally ill, they experience greater physical health consequences and earlier deaths compared to the general population. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey of Hawai`i 2005, Wai`anae has the highest current smoking rate in the state at 36%. Hale Na`au Pono’s “Ho`opio Ke Puhi” program will work in partnership with the American Lung Association of Hawai`i. The program will train Case Mangers, Group Home staff, Substance Abuse counselors, Clubhouse and other Hale Na`au Pono program and administration staff to facilitate the tobacco cessation classes. Ho`opio Ke Puhi’s work with the Seriously Mentally Ill Population will provide important information for future programs serving the psychologically challenged |
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