More than 100 people participated in the Big Island Substance Abuse Council’s three-day Essential Tools for Responders Training event.
More than 100 people participated in the Big Island Substance Abuse Council’s three-day Essential Tools for Responders Training event.
The program was designed to provide a spectrum of prevention, education and intervention tools to assist volunteers in their relief work.
“Hawaii Island has definitely faced tremendous challenges in recent times with bringing recovery and relief to those in need in our community,” said Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita, BISAC CEO. “We’re really grateful that we got to work with so many committed individuals and offer up tools that will help in the work they do.”
Topics for the training sessions included effective communication skills, basic counseling skills, de-escalation training, cultural competence training, understanding stress, comprehensive assessment and compassion fatigue.
“The training was not only about teaching participants about how to work with others, but it provided them an opportunity to understand their own needs and well-being as people willing to do the very stressful work of providing relief,” Preston-Pita said.
For more than 50 years, BISAC has worked to inspire individuals and families to reclaim and enrich their lives in the wake of the ravages of substance abuse.
BISAC offers a continuum of services that are culturally appropriate and aligned with the ever-changing behavioral health field.
The organization recently began work on a therapeutic garden to serve the community and hosts a popular summer festival, the Summer Jam, which is scheduled for July 25 at Waiakea High School.
For more information about BISAC or to support its work in the community, call 969-9994.