8:30 a.m. REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST

9:00 a.m. WELCOME
Kevin Adaniya, J.D., Program Emcee
Honorable Dyan M. Medeiros, Family Court of the First Circuit
Trista Speer, Deputy Director, Department of Human Services

9:10 a.m. JUDICIARY AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH: CHILD WELFARE INITIATIVES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND PLANS FOR 2025-2026
Honorable Jessi L.K. Hall, Family Court of the First Circuit
Dr. Kurt Humphrey, Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division
Tonia Mahi, Assistant Branch Administrator, Child Welfare Services
*See Department of Education handout

9:50 a.m. CHILD WELFARE STATUTORY CHANGES AND APPELLATE DECISIONS
Jamie L. DeMello, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
Derek D. Peterson, Deputy Attorney General, Department of the Attorney General

10:30 a.m. BREAK

10:40 a.m. INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT (ICWA)
Domingo DeGrazia, ICWA Supervising Attorney, Office of the Atorney General, Pascua Yaqui Tribe

11:40 a.m. LUNCH, AWARDS, & JEOPARDY

12:40 p.m. ICWA CONTINUED
Domingo DeGrazia, ICWA Supervising Attorney, Office of the Atorney General, Pascua Yaqui Tribe

1:40 p.m. BREAK

1:50 p.m. REPRESENTING NON-OFFENDING PARENTS
Nicole K. Cummings, J.D.
Honorable Jill M. Hasegawa, Family Court of the Third Circuit
Julio Herrera, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Department of the Attorney General
Emiko Meyers, J.D.
Puafisi “Pua” Tupola, Section Administrator, Child Welfare Services
Jessica “Jaycee” Uchida, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

2:50 p.m. BREAK

3:00 p.m. CHANGES TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT AND A NEW WAY TO ASSUME TEMPORARY FOSTER CUSTODY
Erin K.S. Torres, Deputy Attorney General, Department of the Attorney General
Lynne M. Youmans, Deputy Attorney General, Department of the Attorney General

4:00 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS
Kevin Adaniya, J.D., Program Emcee

Download a copy of the program.

KEVIN ADANIYA has been practicing family law since 1996. He’s been involved in child welfare law as court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, counsel for parents and intervenors, a facilitator for EPIC ‘Ohana, a member of the Child Protective Act Task Force, a member of the Child Welfare Law Update Planning Committee, and a mediator with the Oahu Child Welfare Mediation Program.

NICOLE K. CUMMINGS was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She completed her Juris Doctor degree in 1999 at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. Nicole began her legal work as an AmeriCorps Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. She then worked as a Deputy Attorney General, representing the State’s Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services in Child Welfare hearings and trials. After a brief departure to tort law in the private sector, Nicole returned to work with families at EPIC Ohana Conferencing as a managing attorney and facilitator. Nicole began her private practice in 2006 and has been a Parents’ attorney and GAL in CWS cases and she was one of the initial members of the Hawaii Zero to Three Court. Currently, Nicole continues as a GAL in CWS and adult guardianship cases; she also focuses on child related issues in private custody matters as a Best Interest Fact Finder, Guardian ad Litem, Parenting Coordinator, and Volunteer Settlement Master in mediations. and participant with various court committees. In addition, Nicole is a member of the Child Law Section, the Association of Family and Conciliation Court, the American Bar Association, and serves on various committees within family law.

DOMINGO DEGRAZIA is the ICWA supervising attorney for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. He has been practicing child welfare law for 20 years in trial court and appellate court. Prior to joining the Pascua Yaqui Tribe he served 4 years in the Arizona Legislature. Domingo holds a Juris Doctorate in law, a Master’s in Aeronautical Science, a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Studies and has special training in data privacy. He is a licensed pilot and former concert guitarist.

JAMIE L. DEMELLO is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii – Windward Oahu Branch. Jamie practices in all areas of poverty law and is a Guardian Ad Litem for youth in foster care. Jamie received her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Hawaii Pacific University. Jamie is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and a lifelong resident of Kaneohe.

HONORABLE JESSI L.K. HALL has been a District Family Court Judge of the First Circuit, State of Hawai`i since December 2017. She has been the lead judge in all divisions in the Family Court, as well as the presiding judge of the Nā Kama Lei child welfare specialty court working with families involved in the child welfare system with children from birth to the age of five years.

Currently Judge Hall is the lead judge and sits in the Juvenile division, which addresses juvenile criminal cases as well as child welfare cases.

HONORABLE JILL M. HASEGAWA has been a District Family Court Judge in the Third Circuit, State of Hawai`i since July 2022, and also served as a Per Diem District Family Court Judge in the Third Circuit from October 2020. Judge Hasegawa currently presides over all types of family law cases, including: child welfare, divorce, paternity, criminal, juvenile, protective order (TRO), adoptions, guardianships and involuntary hospitalizations. She also presides over district court matters, including criminal, traffic and civil matters. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Hasegawa worked for a law firm on Oahu, focusing her practice primarily in the area of family law, before relocating back to the Island of Hawaii.

JULIO HERRERA has been a Deputy Attorney General with the Family Law Division (FLD) of the Department of the Attorney General for over 26 years, and the Supervising Deputy Attorney General for FLD since 2016. He is a 1994 graduate of the University of Hawai‘i-Manoa, and a 1997 graduate of the Santa Clara University School of Law. Julio has spent most of his professional career representing state agencies in family court handling matters related to child welfare, juvenile offenders, adult protection, adult guardianship, and involuntary hospitalizations.

KURT HUMPHREY is Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health. Kurt is originally from Colorado and received his M.D. from the University of Colorado – Denver.  He stayed in Colorado for his residency and fellowship training in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry. After moving to Hawaiʻi in 2014, Kurt joined the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division’s Family Court Liaison Branch before transitioning into the Medical Director role. Kurt’s clinical interests include trauma and related disorders, telepsychiatry and mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ population.

TONIA MAHI is Assistant Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator for Department of Human Services. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in Social Work. She has been with Department of Human Services since 1991, working as an assessment worker, supervisor, trainer, and section administrator until assuming her current position in May 2019.

HONORABLE DYAN M. MEDEIROS is the current Senior Family Court Judge of the First Circuit. Prior to serving as Senior Family Court Judge, Judge Medeiros served as a Family Court Judge during which time, she served in all three divisions of the First Circuit Family Court: Domestic Division, Juvenile Division, and Special Division. Judge Medeiros has also presided over the First Circuit’s Girls’ Court since July 2019.

Judge Medeiros was born and raised in Honolulu and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Hawai‘i in 1993 and her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1996.

EMIKO MEYERS has been a family law practitioner on Kauai for almost twenty years. Her practice focuses primarily on divorce and custody, as well as parent’s counsel in Child Welfare cases. She has also served as a Guardian Ad Litem in private matters and Child Welfare matters. Prior to entering private practice in 2014, Emiko was an AmeriCorps Attorney, Staff Attorney, and Managing Attorney of the Kauai Legal Aid of Society of Hawaii office from 2004 to 2013. Emiko graduated from the Seattle University School of Law in 2003 and moved to Kauai, Hawaii shortly thereafter.

DEREK D. PETERSON is a deputy attorney general in the Family Law Division of the Department of the Attorney General where he handles primarily child welfare cases. Prior to his current role, Derek served in other public interest capacities, including serving as: a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City & County of Honolulu; a staff attorney and guardian ad litem with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi; and a staff attorney with the Northwest Justice Project, Washington State’s statewide civil legal aid organization. Derek proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi and was selected as a fellow for the 17th Annual Hawaii State Bar Association Leadership Institute. Derek earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Washington and is licensed to practice law in Washington State and Hawaiʻi.

TRISTA SPEER is a Deputy Director at the Hawaii Department of Human Services. She has more than a decade of experience in a variety of critical public service and legal roles and combines this expertise to make a difference for people and communities, leveraging innovative strategies and driving meaningful change. Prior her current role, Trista served as a Deputy Attorney General for the Department of the Attorney General, where she advised multiple state agencies on various legal and policy matters and represented the state in both state and federal litigation cases. Before serving at the department to the Attorney General, Trista gained extensive experience in complex civil litigation in the private sector and spent nearly a decade serving as a prosecutor specializing in a trauma-informed approach in handling child welfare matters, as well as major crimes, including human trafficking and sexual assault cases. She also serves as a lecturer at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

ERIN K. S. TORRES received her Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2006. She has been a Deputy Attorney General at the Department of the Attorney General, Family Law Division (FLD) for 18 years, advising and representing state agencies in Family Court matters including child protection, adoption, minor guardianship, juvenile offender, truancy, adult protection, adult guardianship, and involuntary hospitalization cases. Erin has been a FLD lead deputy since 2016.

PUAFISI “PUA” TUPOLA is Section Administrator for Oahu Child Welfare Services Section 4 (East Oahu) for Department of Human Services. She graduated from Brigham Young University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and from the University of Hawaii Manoa with a master’s degree in Social Work. She has been with Department of Human Services since 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2011, working as a youth service/adoption worker, case manager/permanency worker, supervisor, and section administrator. She assumed her current position in February 2019.

JESSICA “JAYCEE” UCHIDA is a Senior Staff Attorney for Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi’s Hilo Office, where she has worked since 2018. She practices primarily in Family Law (divorce, child custody, post-decree enforcement/modifications, and guardianships of incapacitated adults and minors) and Child Welfare Law (parents’ counsel and guardian ad litem). Jaycee is currently spearheading the Rural Paternity Advocate Pilot Project which aims to train qualified non-lawyer advocates to provide full representation to indigent litigants in Family Court child custody matters. Prior to her career at Legal Aid, she served as a Judicial Assistant to the Honorable Greg K. Nakamura (ret.) on Hawaiʻi Island and a Law Clerk to the Honorable Colette Y. Garibaldi (ret.) on Oʻahu. Jaycee graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law (J.D.) and International Christian University (B.A., Tokyo, Japan).

LYNNE M. YOUMANS is a Deputy Attorney General for the Department of the Attorney General, focusing her work on representing the Department of Human Services (DHS) and providing policy advice for DHS. Prior to working as a Deputy Attorney General, Ms. Youmans worked for fourteen years in private family law practice representing individual clients in divorce and custody cases. Ms. Youmans started her career as a family law attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i specializing in representing children in child abuse and neglect cases as a Guardian Ad Litem. Ms. Youmans moved to Hawai‘i in 1998 after completing her law degree at the University of Michigan.

In-Person Evaluation

7:45 a.m. REGISTRATION

8:30 a.m. WELCOME
Honorable Brian Costa, Family Court of the First Circuit
Trista Speer, Deputy Director, Department of Human Services
Kevin Adaniya, J.D., Program Emcee

8:40 a.m. CHILD WELFARE STATUTORY CHANGES AND APPELLATE DECISIONS
Presenters: Derek Peterson, J.D., Deputy Attorney General, Family Law
Division; Emily Hills, J.D., Senior Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

(Q&A to follow)

9:00 a.m. JUDICIARY AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH: CHILD WELFARE INITIATIVES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND PLANS FOR 2024-2025
Family Court: Honorable Brian Costa, Family Court
Department of Education: Yvonne Humble, Ph.D., Director of Student Support Services
Department of Human Services: Elladine Olevao, Branch Administrator, Child Welfare Services
Department of Health: Kurt Humphrey, M.D., Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division

(Q&A to follow)

9:45 a.m. BREAK

10:00 a.m. CASE PLANNING FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE
HI H.O.P.E.S. Board Members, Melissa Mayo and Tianna Celis-Webster

Discussion facilitated by Delia Ulima, J.D., Executive Director, EPIC Ohana, Inc.

10:30 a.m. REASONABLE EFFORTS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN OF A CHILD WELFARE CASE
Honorable Natasha Shaw, Family Court of the First Circuit; Crystal Asano, Esq.; Nicole Cummings, Esq.; Lisa Rapozo, DHS Section Administrator, Fifth Circuit; Kellie Kersten, J.D., Deputy Attorney General
Moderator: Emily Hills, J.D., Senior Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

12:00 p.m. WORKING LUNCH: REASONABLE EFFORTS TABLE/ZOOM BREAKOUTS DISCUSSION
Facilitator: Emily Hills, J.D., Senior Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

1:00 p.m. CULTURAL FEATURES OF CHUUK RELEVANT TO CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE; WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH CHUUK FAMILIES IN CHILD WELFARE CASES
Presenter: Jocelyn “Josie” Howard, Executive Officer, We Are Oceania

2:00 p.m. BREAK

2:10 p.m. CULTURAL FEATURES OF MARSHALL ISLANDS RELEVANT TO CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE; WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH MARSHALLESE FAMILIES IN CHILD WELFARE CASES
Presenter: Emma Kurashige, Ohana Conference Manager, EPIC Ohana, Inc.

3:15 p.m. LEGAL ETHICS IN CHILD WELFARE CASES;
REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY FOR AN INCAPACITATED PARENT IN CHILD WELFARE CASES THE ETHICS AND ROLES OF THE GAL AND ATTORNEY FOR THE INCAPACITATED PARENT
Honorable Rebecca Copeland, Family Court of the First Circuit; Barbara Higa-Rogers, Ph.D.; Rebecca Lester, Esq.; Caroline Cobangbang, Esq.
Moderator: Kevin Adaniya, J.D.

4:30 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS
Kevin Adaniya, J.D.

Download a copy below.

CRYSTAL ASANO
Crystal M. Asano, J.D., has been practicing in the area of Family Law for over 20 years. She began her career as a Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division (2002-2004) prior to going into private practice. She has been representing parents in Child Protective Act cases for almost a decade now. She also represents minors and resource caregivers, as well as legal guardians.

TIANNA CELIS-WEBSTER
Tianna is an eager 24-year-old currently pursuing her Psychology degree. Raised on the Big Island, Tianna is currently employed at EPIC ‘Ohana as a Pono Process Navigator and works collaboratively to ensure that youth rights are upheld within the Child Welfare Services (CWS) system.

Drawing from her own experiences navigating mental health and foster care systems at a young age, Tianna brings a unique perspective to her role, actively participating in crucial conversations aimed at improving system outcomes. In addition to her professional role, Tianna serves as the Vice President of the East Hawai’i HI H.O.P.E.S Youth Leadership Board. HI H.O.P.E.S., is dedicated to educating, advocating, and collaborating for improvements in the foster care system.

Tianna’s commitment to creating positive change for Hawaiʻi youth’s mental health includes being a Youth Advisor for the National Governor’s Association Policy Academy, where she helps create progress towards advancing holistic efforts to protect and support strong youth mental health and emotional well-being across state agencies, including strategies across prevention, awareness, treatment, and community and youth engagement. She is also involved with Mental Health of America’s: Youth Policy Accelerator, focusing on advancing youth peer support programs and services nationwide.

CAROLINE COBANGBANG
Caroline Cobangbang is a family law attorney in private practice for over 20 years. Since 2001, she has represented children as a court-appointed guardian ad litem on child welfare cases. Her practice also includes serving as a GAL, a Best Interest Fact Finder, or a parenting coordinator in high-conflict custody cases. Before private practice, she was a managing attorney with Domestic Violence Action Center (formerly Domestic Violence Clearinghouse), and clerked with Corporation Counsel. Caroline is currently a board member of HSBA’s Child Law Section, and a member of the Family Law, and Filipino Law sections. If Caroline has free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and most of all eating!

HONORABLE REBECCA COPELAND
Rebecca A. Copeland is a District Family Court Judge for the First Circuit. Judge Copeland currently sits in the Juvenile Division, presiding over Child Welfare Act and juvenile criminal cases. She also presides over Truancy Court and the Early Education Intervention Program, and is a former Lead Judge of the Family Court’s Special Division. Judge Copeland also serves as Co-Chair of the Hawaii Judiciary’s Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts, a Hawaii Justice Foundation Board Member, and on the Access to Justice Commission’s Committee on Increasing Pro Bono Services. As a member of the ATJ pro bono service’s Committee, she also served as Co-Chair of the Subcommittee on the Appellate Pro Bono Project, which was approved as a permanent program by the Hawaii Supreme Court in 2017.

Prior to joining the Family Court, Judge Copeland was a solo appellate practitioner and a Per Diem First Circuit District Court Judge. She also founded and served as a prior Chair of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Appellate Section, was a member of the HSBA’s Committee on Diversity Equality and the Law, and served several terms as a HSBA Board Member. Her previous community activities included serving on the boards of the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation and Equality Hawaii. As a board member for Equality Hawaii, she successfully advocated for the passage of the Transgender Birth Certificate Bill and the Transgender Insurance Bill. She is the proud mother of two LGBTQ+ children. She was recently appointed as a First Circuit Court Judge by Governor Josh Green.

HONORABLE BRIAN COSTA
Brian A. Costa is a District Family Court Judge in the Family Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai‘i. He received his undergraduate degree from Hawai‘i Pacific University in 1998, and his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson Law School in 2001. He was appointed to the bench in February 2015 as a per diem (part-time) judge in the family district court by Chief Justice Recktenwald, and was later appointed as a full-time judge in June 2017.

He has previously served as the lead judge of the Domestic Division, and he is currently the lead judge of the Juvenile Division. Judge Costa has also been the presiding judge for Juvenile Drug Court since December 2017. Prior to being appointed a as ajudge he was employed at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel as an associate attorney, he was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the city & county of Honolulu, a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Simeon Acoba, Jr., and a lawyer in private practice at his own firm, Costa & DeLacy, LLLC.

NICOLE CUMMINGS
Nicole K. Cummings was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She completed her Juris Doctor degree in 1999 at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. Nicole began her legal work as an AmeriCorps Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. She then worked as a Deputy Attorney General, representing the State’s Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services in Child Welfare hearings and trials. After a brief departure to tort law in the private sector, Nicole returned to work with families at EPIC Ohana Conferecing as a managing attorney and facilitator.

Nicole began her private practice in 2006 and has been a Parents’ attorney and GAL in CWS cases and she was one of the initial members of the Hawaii Zero to Three Court. Currently, Nicole continues as a GAL in CWS and adult guardianship cases; she also focuses on child related issues in private custody matters as a Best Interest Fact Finder, Guardian ad Litem, Parenting Coordinator, and Volunteer Settlement Master in mediations. and participant with various court committees. In addition, Nicole is a member of the Child Law Section, the Association of Family and Conciliation Court, the American Bar Association, and serves on various committees within family law.

EMILY HILLS
Emily M. Hills is a Senior Attorney in the Family Law Unit at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i. She works as a Guardian Ad Litem, representing the best interests of children involved in child welfare cases, and manages a caseload of other family court cases. In the spring, Emily co-teaches the Family Law Clinic at the University of Hawai‘i Richardson School of Law. Emily started her career as a public defender in Colorado, before moving to Hawai‘i to clerk for Judge Mark J. Bennett on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald on the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. She is a graduate New York University School of Law in 2013.

JOCELYN “JOSIE” HOWARD
Josie Howard is We Are Oceania’s, Chief Executive Officer. Josie graduated from Xavier High School in Micronesia and attended the Community College of Micronesia. She later transferred to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo studying Biology, Anthropology, and Pacific Island Studies in 1989 making her one of the first Micronesians migrating under the Compact of Free Association Treaty. At the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Josie Howard’s roles included student peer counselor, president of the International
Students Association, a student researcher at the Minority Biomedical Research Program, a resident assistant at the student housing, president of the Chuukese Students Association, as well as chairperson for the Campus Ministry.

Josie has over 15 years of servicing the community, with eight years working with private agencies contracted by the Department of Health Waiver program, five years in the Department of Education, and 5 years in program development, implementation, and piloting a onestop center model. Josie’s community involvement includes being the founder of the Young Voyagers, a youth club in Media with ‘Ōlelo, and the Micronesian Cultural Awareness Project. Josie earned her Master’s degree in Social Work and is now working as Chief Executive Officer for WAO.

Josie is most recognized for her contribution to the “Micronesian Voices in Hawai‘i Conference” where she participated as one of six steering committee members who worked with Micronesian Government leaders, community leaders, as well as conference sponsors. She is also known for her work at Goodwill Industries of Hawai‘i Inc.’s “Imi Loa Program” where she worked with families and their adult children providing direct services as well as managing the programmatic and fiscal operation. Mrs. Howard is a native of Onoun Island in Micronesia and she speaks Chuukese, Onounese, and English fluently.

YVONNE HUMBLE
Dr. Yvonne Humble has a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master’s degree in Special Education, a Specialist Degree in Behavior Disorders, and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis in Special Education. She has over 40 years in the educational system as a teacher, special education teacher, Behavioral Specialist, Director of Special Education, District Education Specialist and is currently the Director of Student Support Services for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education.

KURT HUMPHREY
Dr. Kurt Humphrey is Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health. Kurt is originally from Colorado and received his M.D. from the University of Colorado – Denver. He stayed in Colorado for his residency and fellowship training in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry. After moving to Hawaiʻi in 2014, Kurt joined the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division’s Family Court Liaison Branch before transitioning into the Medical Director role. Kurt’s clinical interests include trauma and related disorders, telepsychiatry and mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ population.

EMMA KURASHIGE
Emma Kurashige is a native of the Marshall Islands. She moved to Oahu in 2001 after graduating from Assumption High School in Majuro, Marshall Islands. She has lived in Honolulu for over 20 years. Emma is currently a Statewide ‘Ohana Conference Manager at EPIC ‘Ohana Inc. She is a graduate of Hawai’i Pacific University where she received both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work. Emma has worked with the aging, elderly and homeless population, but her focus has been supporting young people and families. While pursuing her graduate degree, she worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters as an Enrollment and Match Specialist. After graduating with her MSW, Emma worked with the YMCA as a Substance Abuse Counselor for students attending Kaimuki and Roosevelt High Schools. Emma joined EPIC ‘Ohana Inc in 2009.

Since then, she has held multiple roles. Emma was promoted to `Ohana Conference Manager in 2019. She also provides Marshallese cultural training around the state to help build connections and understanding. She is a proud founding member of We Are Oceania, a non-profit one-stop-shop that services the Marshallese and Micronesian Communities in Hawai’i.

REBECCA S. LESTER
Rebecca S. Lester has maintained a solo legal practice for eight years and currently resides on the Big Island of Hawaii. Her practice is largely focused on the representation of parties in HRS Chapter 587A cases including acting as parent counsel and Guardian Ad Litem. Ms. Lester has represented indigent, criminal clients in both state and federal court. Before opening up her legal practice, Ms. Lester was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, an associate attorney at the law firm of Kessner, Umebayashi Bain and Matsunaga in Honolulu, HI and an assistant public defender in Philadelphia, PA.

MELISSA MAYO
Melissa Mayo spent five years navigating the foster care system as a youth in care, and has emerged as a formidable advocate for change and empowerment in the Child Welfare System. As the President of the HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board in East Hawaii and a National Jim Casey Fellow, she has displayed unwavering dedication to positive transformation and youth empowerment that extends beyond her leadership roles. In her capacity as the Pono Process lead at EPIC ‘Ohana Inc., she promotes youth self-advocacy and ensures that the rights of children and youth in foster care are upheld and honored. Furthermore, Melissa serves as a Lived Experience Advocate at the Children’s Law Project of Hawai’i, providing peer support for young people in foster care. Alongside her professional endeavors, she is diligently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Melissa also has experience as a resource caregiver and adoptive parent.

ELLADINE OLEVAO
Elladine Olevao is Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator for the Department of Human Services. She began her work as a social worker on Molokaʻi. Prior to becoming the Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator in 2018, she was Section Administrator for the County of Maui. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Hawaiʻi.

DEREK D. PETERSON
Derek D. Peterson is a deputy attorney general (DAG) in the Family Law Division of the Department of the Attorney General where he handles primarily child welfare cases. Prior to his work as a DAG, Derek was a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City & County of Honolulu, a staff attorney and guardian ad litem with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi, and a staff attorney with the Northwest Justice Project (NJP), Washington State’s statewide civil legal aid organization. Derek earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Washington and is licensed to practice law in Washington State and Hawaiʻi.

LISA RAPOZO
Lisa Rapozo started her career at Child Welfare Services as a Case Support Aide and worked her way up to her current position as Kauai Section Administrator. She has worked for CWS for 18 years and six years with DHS BESSD First to Work Program. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Hawaii at Hilo.

BARBARA HIGA ROGERS
Barbara Higa Rogers, PsyD., LCSW, MPH is a forensic psychologist who has completed over 2,000 comprehensive psychological evaluations of children and adults for the Department of Human Services, the Hawaii State Judiciary, U.S. Probation, and private entities. She also conducts risk of dangerousness, competency, and penal responsibility examinations for the Hawaii State Judiciary. She is a member of the Threat Team Hawaii Consult Group & Steering Committee, as well as a member of Threat Team
Education. In child welfare cases, she conducts evaluations of parents for purposes of determining whether they are incapacitated, and she is a mediator in child welfare cases for the Hilo Family Court.

HONORABLE NATASHA SHAW
The Honorable Judge Natasha Shaw began her judicial career on January 14, 2019 when she was appointed by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald as a Per Diem District Family Court Judge in the First Circuit where she presided over domestic violence cases and other cases including, but not limited to, parentage, adoption, guardianships, involuntary hospitalization and assisted community treatment. Two and a half years later, on June 9, 2022, Chief Justice Recktenwald appointed her as a District Family Court Judge in the First Circuit, where she presides over Child Welfare and Juvenile matters in the Juvenile Division, and since January 2024, Senior Judge of the Family Court Matthew J. Viola designated her as the Presiding Judge of the Imua Kakou Specialty Court for the First Circuit. Prior to her judicial career, she practiced law in the areas of probate and trust litigation, contested conservatorships and guardianships, served as Kokua Kanawai and Special Master for the Probate Court and Circuit Court of the First Circuit, and was a law clerk for Chief Judge and Probate Court Judge Colleen Hirai (Ret.) of the First Circuit. Prior to her legal career, she was an internal auditor for a mainland corporation, and her background is in business management and accounting. Judge Shaw is a former President of the Korean American Bar Association of Hawaii and since 2018, serves on the Civil Justice Committee for the American Judicature Society. Judge Shaw is a JD/MBA graduate of Stetson University College of Law and College of Business.

TRISTA SPEER
Trista Speer is a Deputy Director at the Hawaii Department of Human Services. She has more than a decade of experience in a variety of critical public service and legal roles and combines this expertise to make a difference for people and communities, leveraging innovative strategies and driving meaningful change. Prior her current role, Trista served as a Deputy Attorney General for the Department of the Attorney General, where she advised multiple state agencies on various legal and policy matters and represented the state in both state and federal litigation cases. Before serving at the department to the Attorney General, Trista gained extensive experience in complex civil litigation in the private sector and spent nearly a decade serving as a prosecutor specializing in a trauma-informed approach in handling child welfare matters, as well as major crimes, including human trafficking and sexual assault cases. She also serves as a lecturer at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

DELIA ULIMA
Delia Ulima is Executive Director of EPIC ʻOHANA, Inc. She was formerly the HI H.O.P.E.S. Initiative Manager at EPIC ‘Ohana. HI H.O.P.E.S. brings together youth voice and community partners to improve policy, practice, relationships and outcomes for young people impacted by foster care in Hawai’i. Delia graduated from Kamehameha Schools, holds a BA in Political Science, a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution, an M.A. in Pacific Islands Studies, and a Juris Doctorate. She is an adjunct faculty member with the Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace at UH-Mānoa, where she teaches a Children’s Rights and the Law course. Delia serves as the vice-chair of the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council, sits on the Kalihi-Pālama Neighborhood Board and serves on the Native Advisory Council (Hawaiʻi Region) to the Congressional Commission on Native Children. Delia was born and raised in Kaluaopalena, Kalihi and lives there with her ʻohana.

In-Person Evaluation

8:00 a.m. WELCOME
Honorable Brian Costa, Family Court of the First Circuit
Joseph Campos, Deputy Director, Department of Human Services
Kevin Adaniya, J.D., Program Emcee

8:05 a.m. CHILD WELFARE STATUTORY CHANGES AND APPELLATE DECISIONS
Patrick Pascual, J.D., Deputy Attorney General, Family Law Division
(Q&A to follow)

8:35 a.m. JUDICIARY AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH: CHILD WELFARE INITIATIVES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND PLANS FOR 2022-2023
Family Court: Honorable Brian Costa, Family Court
Department of Education: Yvonne Humble, Ph.D., Director of Student Support Services
Department of Human Services: Daisy Hartsfield, J.D., DHS Social Services Division Administrator; Timothy Hitchins, MSW, DHS Social Services Division Assistant Administrator
Department of Health: Kurt Humphrey, M.D., Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division
(Q&A to follow)

9:25 a.m. BREAK

9:40 a.m. RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE
HI H.O.P.E.S. Board Members, Melissa Mayo and Anastasia Neumann

Discussion facilitated by Delia Ulima, J.D., HI H.O.P.E.S. Statewide Initiative Manager

10:20 a.m. NAVIGATING TESTING FOR SUBSTANCE USE: DHS POLICY AND LABORATORY TESTING
Clifford Gregory Wong, Ph.D. D-ABFT-FT
Michael Tovey, M.S., Lead Systems Trainer, DHS Staff Development
Facilitator: Crystal Asano, J.D.

12:05 p.m. LUNCH AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS UPDATES
Rebecca Liebowitz, Esq., Legal Aid of Hawaii: Special Immigrant Legal Status services
Makua Allies, Child Parent Psychotherapy: Erica Warner, Kimberly Nabarro, AA
Tia Hartsock, MSW, MSCJA, Office of Wellness and Resilience

1:05 p.m. PLACEMENT DECISION-MAKING: KEY ACTIONS ALONG THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT CONTINUUM
Honorable Brian Costa; Elladine Olevao, B.A. Branch Administrator, Child Welfare Services; Stacie Pascual, B.S.W., Assistant Program Development Administrator, Child Welfare Services; Kimberlie Tamori, B.A., Family Finding/EPIC Ohana;
Facilitator: Julio Herrera, J.D.

2:35 p.m. BREAK

2:45 p.m. SERVICES AND PLACEMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH HIGH OR COMPLEX NEEDS
Honorable Andrew Park; Honorable Darien Nagata; Scott Shimabukuro, Ph.D; Kurt Humphrey, M.D., Medical Director, DOH CAMHD; Curtis Toma, M.D., Medical Director, Hawaii Medicaid (Med-Quest); Ryan Lee, M.D., Medical Director, DOH Developmental Disabilities Division; Emily Hills, J.D.; Tonia Mahi, M.S.W., Assistant Branch Administrator, Child Welfare Services
Facilitator: Julio Herrera, J.D.

4:30 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS
Kevin Adaniya, J.D.

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KEVIN ADANIYA
Kevin Adaniya is a graduate of McGeorge School of Law and has been licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 1996. He has been practicing family law, including as an attorney for parents and as guardian ad litem in child welfare cases.

CRYSTAL ASANO
Crystal M. Asano, J.D., has been practicing in the area of Family Law for over 20 years.  She began her career as a Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division prior to going into private practice.  She has been representing parents in Child Protective Act cases for almost a decade now.  She also represents minors and resource caregivers, as well as legal guardians.

JOSEPH CAMPOS
Joseph Campos II was appointed as deputy director of the State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) since September 2020. Since 1994, he served as a State of Hawai‘i employee in various capacities and has extensive administrative experience with a strong understanding of the State system. Campos is a Maryknoll high school graduate and continued his education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa where he completed his Ph.D. in Political Science specializing in security studies and international relations in 2005. He is an author, a respected scholar in security and peace studies, and brings his passion for rectifying issues of injustice to DHS. As deputy director and as a dedicated public servant, he is committed to furthering the DHS mission – to encourage self-sufficiency and support the well-being of individuals, families, and communities in Hawai‘i.

HONORABLE BRIAN COSTA
Brian A. Costa is a District Family Court Judge in the Family Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai‘i. He received his undergraduate degree from Hawai‘i Pacific University in 1998, and his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson Law School in 2001. He was appointed to the bench in February 2015 as a per diem (part-time) judge in the family district court by Chief Justice Recktenwald, and was later appointed as a full-time judge in June 2017. He has previously served as the lead judge of the Domestic Division, and he is currently the lead judge of the Juvenile Division. Judge Costa has also been the presiding judge for Juvenile Drug Court since December 2017. Prior to being appointed a as a judge he was employed at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel as an associate attorney, he was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the city & county of Honolulu, a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Simeon Acoba, Jr., and a lawyer in private practice at his own firm, Costa & DeLacy, LLLC.

DAISY HARTSFIELD
Daisy Hartsfield brings to the Department of Human Services (DHS) a broad and diverse experience in the child welfare system.  She served as a Guardian Ad Litem, Counsel for the CASA Program, and on a limited basis represented parents and children in FC-S cases.  Daisy has come full circle as a government employee – she started as an investigator of child abuse and neglect, was a juvenile probation officer, a deputy public defender, deputy attorney general in the Family Law Division, supervisor of the Hawaii Drug Court Program, deputy prosecuting attorney, returned to DHS in 2019 as special assistant to former DHS Director Pankaj Bhanot, and has been Social Services Division Administrator since October 2020.

TIA L.R. HARTSOCK
Tia Hartsock, MSW, MSCJA, is Executive Director, Office of Wellness & Resilience . Tia L.R. Hartsock is an independent consultant and a researcher and evaluator on criminal justice and mental health systems for non-profits, state departments and federal agencies. She was most recently the Project Director of a federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) initiative in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division in Hawai`i’s Department of Health, to impact the use of data to inform clinical decision-making in mental health treatment. Ms. Hartsock has an appointment as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Hawai`i’s Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health and lectures in both the bachelors and master’s programs. She received her Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Chaminade University with a specialization in juvenile justice and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Hawai`i with a specialization focus on mental health. She is a certified Trauma-Informed Care trainer by SAMHSA’s Gains Center.

Previously, she was the Project Director on two separate SAMHSA initiatives within the Department of Health to develop and provide mental health services for adolescents involved in the juvenile justice, mental health and/or the child welfare systems. In those capacities, she oversaw multi-agency collaborations to improve Hawai`i’s mental health system’s delivery of services for trauma survivors from a gender-specific and trauma-informed foundation. 

In 2021, Ms. Hartsock was named the Chair of the Act 209 statewide Trauma-Informed Care Task Force, and has been a part of a local and national effort to address the disproportionate representation of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in Hawaiʻi’s system of care.  In July 2022, in partnership with the national Vera Institute of Justice, Hawaiʻi achieved Zero Girls Incarcerated and received national attention for this accomplishment. In December 2022, she was appointed by the Governor of Hawaiʻi as the Executive Director of the newly established Office of Wellness & Resilience in the Office of the Governor. Ms. Hartsock has been working to improve the child and adult serving systems in mental health and criminal justice in Hawai`i for nearly 25 years. 

JULIO HERRERA
Julio Herrera is the Supervising Deputy Attorney General for the Family Law Division of the Department of the Attorney General, and is a graduate of the Santa Clara University School of Law. He has been working in the Family Law Division representing various state agencies in family court since 1999.

HI H.O.P.E.S INITIATIVE
The Initiative works to ensure that young people who’ve experienced foster care — primarily those between ages 14 and 26 — have the relationships, resources and opportunities they need for success. They do this by working with public and private partners on the state and local level to improve policies and practices, promote youth voice and engagement, apply evaluation and research, and create community partnerships. Our work creates opportunities for young people to achieve positive outcomes in permanency, education, employment, housing, health, financial capability, and social capital.

The HI H.O.P.E.S. Initiative is a partner of the national Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Anne E. Casey Foundation.

EMILY HILLS
Emily M. Hills is currently a Senior Attorney in the Family Law Unit at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i.  Her caseload is balanced between work as a Guardian Ad Litem, representing the best interests of children involved in child welfare cases, and work on the divorce/paternity calendars primarily working with survivors of domestic violence.  Emily started her career as a public defender in Colorado, before moving to Hawai‘i to clerk for Judge Mark J. Bennett on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and then for Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald on the Hawai‘i Supreme Court.

TIMOTHY HITCHENS
Tim Hitchens is the Assistant Administrator for the Social Services Division of Hawaii’s Department of Human Services.  He earned his BSW from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and his MSW from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.  Tim Spent 11+ years with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services as a front-line Social Worker, Social Work Supervisor, Policy and Planning Supervisor, and after-hours Administrator.  He also taught at Temple University’s School of Social Work.  In 2017, Tim and his family moved to Hawaii, where he took a year off to explore Oahu with his then-toddler son and then spent almost 3 years as the Education and Training Program Manager for Ho’ola Na Pua, a Hawaii-based human trafficking prevention nonprofit.  He joined the Department in his current role in January of 2022.  Tim and his wife have a 7-year-old son, 2-year-old daughter, and 18-month-old puppy.

YVONNE HUMBLE
Dr. Yvonne Humble has a Bachelor of Science degree, a master’s degree in Special Education, a Specialist Degree in Behavior Disorders, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis in Special Education. She has over 40 years in the educational system as a teacher, special education teacher, Behavioral Specialist, Director of Special Education, District Education Specialist and is currently the Director of Student Support Services for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. 

KURT HUMPHREY
Dr. Kurt Humphrey is Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health.  Kurt is originally from Colorado and received his M.D. from the University of Colorado – Denver.  He stayed in Colorado for his residency and fellowship training in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.  After moving to Hawaiʻi in 2014, Kurt joined the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division’s Family Court Liaison Branch before transitioning into the Medical Director role.  Kurt’s clinical interests include trauma and related disorders, telepsychiatry and mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ population.

RYAN LEE
Dr. Ryan Lee was born and raised on Oahu, and currently resides in Nuuanu. He is a pediatric neurologist with specialty in neurodevelopmental disabilities. He received training at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. He has done research in brain imaging and genetic causes for autism. He is the medical director for the Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Division. He is passionate about helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

REBECCA LEIBOWITZ, J.D.

Rebecca is the managing attorney at the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (HIJC). HIJC provides services to low- income immigrants in need of assistance and immigrant survivors of domestic violence and other crimes. 

TONIA MAHI
Tonia Mahi is Assistant Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator for Department of Human Services.  She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in Social Work.  She has been with Department of Human Services since 1991, working as an assessment worker, supervisor, trainer, and section administrator until assuming her current position in May 2019.

MELISSA MAYO
Melissa Mayo is an alumna of foster care. She spent five years in the foster care system and is now the President of the HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board in East Hawaii. Melissa is also a current Jim Casey Fellow with Jim Casey Initiative. She has been an ambitious leader, with a passion for creating positive change and empowering her peers in the Child Welfare System. Melissa also uses her advocacy work in her role as the Pono Process lead at EPIC ‘Ohana Inc., promoting youth self-advocacy and assuring the rights of children and youth are being honored and upheld while in foster care. In addition to Melissa’s advocacy work, she is currently working on obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Administration of Justice at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. She is also a currently an adoptive mom to her beautiful niece. 

KIM NABARRO
Kim’s a mom who navigated addiction, adult probation, domestic violence, homelessness, and the CWS system.  Kim is a Hawaii Certified Peer Specialist by the Hawaii State Department of Health She completed a Human Services AA degree program and Certificate of Completion for Substance Abuse Counseling. Kim works as a Parent Partner at EPIC `Ohana, and serves moms with addiction issues in the Makua Allies program. She’s also a Parent Leader Consultant for Infant Toddler Court Programs National Resource Center, and is a Lived Experience Advisory Board member for Oahu’s Partners in Care Advisory Board.

HONORABLE DARIEN NAGATA
Judge Darien W.L. Ching Nagata is a District Family Court Judge presiding in the Third Circuit.   Chief Judge Mark E. Recktenwald appointed her to the bench in 2016.  The Hawaii Women Lawyers recognized Judge Nagata as the 2021 Outstanding Judicial Achievement Award recipient.   Judge Nagata is Hawaii’s statewide Child and Family Services (CFSR) Program Improvement Plan (PIP) judge.  She serves on numerous committees such as the: Statewide Child Protective Act Benchbook Revisions Committee (Co-Chair), Statewide Child Support Guidelines Committee, Committee on Operational Solutions (Family Court Co-Chair), Permanent Committee on Family Court Rules, Hawaii State Bar Association Nominating Committee, Court Improvement Program Advisory Committee, Statewide committee to apply for and manage the Children’s Justice Grant, and Standing Committee on Children in Family Court.  Prior to her appointment, Judge Nagata served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Hawaii Office of the Prosecuting Attorney from 1998 to 2016.  She is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1997. 

ANASTASIA NEUMANN
Anastasia Neumann is the president of the Oahu HI HOPES Youth Leadership Board and has served on the board for four years. She has lived experience in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Anastasia is 21 and currently works as the Pono Process Navigator at EPIC ‘Ohana, helping foster youth with concerns about their rights while in care. Anastasia also serves as the Chair of the Youth Committee of the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council.

ELLADINE OLEVAO
Elladine Olevao is Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator for the Department of Human Services. She began her work as a social worker on Molokaʻi. Prior to becoming the Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator in 2018, she was Section Administrator for the County of Maui. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Hawaiʻi.

HONORABLE ANDREW PARK
The Honorable Judge Andrew Park was appointed to the District Court of the First Circuit and assigned to Family Court on November 16, 2020, where he sits in the Juvenile Division and presides over Child Welfare and Juvenile Offender cases. Prior to his appointment, he served as a per diem judge of the District Family Court where he presided over all types of family court cases, was an attorney in private practice handling criminal cases, and was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the City & County of Honolulu. Judge Park is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the William S. Richardson School of Law.

PATRICK PASCUAL
Patrick Pascual is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Patrick has worked as a Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division with the Office of the Attorney General for over 20 years.

STACIE PASCUAL
Stacie Pascual completed her undergraduate studies at the University of San Francisco and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2000.  Upon graduating, she began her state career with the Department of Human Services’ Child Welfare Services Branch.  Stacie initially started as a case manager and then took a position as an investigator.  Stacie was an investigator for the department for five years before taking on a new challenge in 2006 at the CWS hotline.  Stacie dedicated 10 years to the hotline before being promoted to the Program Development Office as an Assistant Program Administrator.  Her program areas include Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), Child Death, Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA), Fingerprinting, and Criminal History.  Stacie serves as Deputy Compact Administrator for Hawaii’s ICPC and as Child Welfare Services Family Court Liaison.

SCOTT SHIMABUKURO
Dr. Scott K Shimabukuro is a clinical psychologist, board certified in family psychology and is the practice development officer for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division. His interest is in improving family functioning, training different role groups that come in contact with these families and helping to build a more responsive system of care.

KIMBERLIE TAMORI
Kim has worked with children and families for over 20 years. For the last eight years, she has been employed at EPIC `Ohana as an `Ohana Finding Specialist. Prior to her job at EPIC, she worked for Hawaii Child Welfare Services as a permanency social worker and unit supervisor, and at Kapiolani Child Protection Center as a Team Coordinator for two years. In her role as `Ohana Finding Specialist, she conducts research to identify and locate additional family members and kin for children in foster care, has direct phone contact with parents and their relatives, assists with reviewing cases for closure, and trains and mentors newly hired specialists. Kim has a Bachelor’s degree in social work from UH Manoa.

CURTIS TOMA
Curtis Toma is the Hawaii Medicaid (Med-Quest) Medical Director. Curtis is a graduate of the John A Burns School of Medicine and completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Queens Medical Center and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (KMCWC). Interest in the CWS population started during pediatric residency and continued on over the next 10 years as a provider and medical director at the community health centers in Hawaii. Current work as Med-Quest medical director has allowed me to participate in some healthy collaborations on some challenging cases with CWS, CAMHD, DDD, KMCWC, and the Quest plans. Other interest areas include transition to adulthood for complex cases, Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT), SMI/SA, and homeless populations.

MICHAEL TOVEY
Michael Tovey is currently a Staff Development Specialist for the State of Hawai’i Department of Human Services – Social Services Division. He has a M.S. in Psychology and B.A. in English Literature. He has been with the Department for over five years, spending four years as a case manager and now as Lead Systems Trainer. Prior to working for DHS, he worked in the DOE and in the private sector for clients with Autism.

 DELIA ULIMA
Delia Ulima is the HI H.O.P.E.S. Initiative Manager at EPIC ‘Ohana. HI H.O.P.E.S. brings together youth voice and community partners to improve policy, practice, relationships and outcomes for young people impacted by foster care in Hawai’i. Delia graduated from Kamehameha Schools, holds a BA in Political Science, a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution, an MA in Pacific Islands Studies and a Juris Doctorate. She is an adjunct faculty member with the Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace at UH-Mānoa, where she teaches a Children’s Rights and the Law course. Delia serves as the vice-chair of the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council, sits on the Kalihi-Pālama Neighborhood Board and serves on the Native Advisory Council (Hawaiʻi Region) to the Congressional Commission on Native Children. Delia was born and raised in Kaluaopalena, Kalihi and lives there with her ʻohana.

ERIKA WARNER
Erika Warner believes that Infant Mental health practice is social justice work and is deeply committed to all families having access to relationship based, trauma informed and culturally sensitive care and attention. She has worked with families with young children for more than 11 years, and now serves as the Clinical Specialist at the Association for Infant Mental health In Hawaiʻi (AIMH HI), and continues her direct practice work in her private practice REFLECT & CONNECT. 

CLIFFORD GREGORY WONG, Ph.D. D-ABFT-FT
dba Hawaii DUI Toxicology Consulting
Forensic Toxicology Consultant
47-286-D Hui Iwa Street,
Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744

Academic Training/Certifications:

American Board of Forensic Toxicology 2011- present
Board Certification-Forensic Toxicology Specialist

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PHILIPPE GUEDJ
Philippe Guedj, LCSW, is the Program Director II of the Counseling Center, Catholic Charities Hawaii.  Philippe graduated from the UH School of Social work in 1999. He has 15 years of experience working with severely mentally ill adults, 5 years of experience working in intrafamilial sex abuse and 18 years of managerial experience. He has been licensed since 2014.

ARLENE HARADA-BROWN
Arlene Harada-Brown is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and has been licensed to practice law in Hawaiʻi since 2000.  She clerked for then Judge Sabrina McKenna and Judge Virginia Crandall.  Arlene has served as Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division, a Deputy Disciplinary Counsel for the ODC, and represented parents in child welfare cases.   She has been a guardian ad litem in child welfare cases since December 2008.

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Law Update: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7Y9LCZN

GAL Convening: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGBNTRH