Presented at ISEC 2000
Voices Throughout the Islands: The Role of the Felix Consent Decree in
Improving Special Education and Mental Health Services in Hawaii
Dennis McDougall - University of Hawai'I, USA
Abstract
This presentation describes the genesis, development, status, outcomes,
and implications of the Felix Consent Decree. The Decree requires the State of
Hawai'I to develop a comprehensive, interagency, "seamless" system of care
(special education and mental health services) for the Plaintiff class based on
the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) principles. Initially,
the presenter will provide a historical primer on the Decree. Next, the
presenter will highlight the status of the Decree by describing key results and
recommendations of a Federal Court-ordered "Management and Accountability
Study" (Schrag, Barber, Barber, McDougall, & Abanag, 1998).
This Accountability Study incorporated input from numerous and diverse
stakeholder groups and:
- identified barriers that inhibited effective service delivery;
- provided recommendations to assist stakeholders in improving special
education and mental health services;
- summarized findings for seven inquiry topics: organization; human,
organizational, and fiscal resources; accountability; staffing; paperwork;
parent partnerships; and alternative placements.
Following the presentation, participants will be able to:
- identify conditions that promote and inhibit litigation as a
mechanism for systemic change;
- compare and contrast special education and mental health services in
their respective locales;
- propose solutions to barriers in providing comprehensive services for
diverse populations.
