{"id":201702,"date":"2024-08-12T15:27:59","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T01:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=201702"},"modified":"2024-08-21T08:45:51","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T18:45:51","slug":"from-meth-addict-to-substance-abuse-counselor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/12\/from-meth-addict-to-substance-abuse-counselor\/","title":{"rendered":"From meth addict to substance abuse counselor: UH<\/abbr> provides a pathway, support"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"man
Edmond Pulu Jr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through a pioneering apprenticeship program by the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health<\/a>, Department of Social Work<\/a> and Leeward Community College<\/a>, Edmond Pulu Jr., a former alcoholic who was also addicted to meth for 26 years, is on track to become a certified substance abuse counselor. Pulu Jr.\u2019s arrest in 2018 marked a turning point in his addiction.<\/p>\n

“Initially, recovery was never part of the plan when I opted to go to Sand Island Treatment Center, a long-term residential treatment facility,” Pulu Jr. said. “My primary motivation was to use it as a get-out-of-jail card. However, once I started the program, something shifted. Over time, I began to see the value in recovery and genuinely committed to the process.”<\/p>\n

He started his counseling career journey at Leeward CC<\/abbr> in 2022, four years into his recovery. The University of Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Behavioral Health Training Institute<\/a> (HBHTI<\/abbr>) supports individuals pursuing careers as substance use disorder counselors across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Leeward CC<\/abbr>, UH<\/abbr> Maui College and Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr>. The principal investigator (PI<\/abbr>) of the HBHTI<\/abbr> is Seunghye Hong, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health associate professor, and the co-PI<\/abbr> is Gwen Williams, who is the program coordinator for Leeward CC<\/abbr>‘s Certificate of Competence in Substance Use Disorder Counseling (COSUDS<\/abbr>) program which supports individuals from all the Hawaiian islands who wish to pursue careers as substance use disorder counselors.<\/p>\n

The HBHTI<\/abbr> program, funded by a four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration<\/a>, offers two award levels. Level 1 includes the certificate of competence, while Level 2 provides hands-on apprenticeship training for COSUDS<\/abbr> graduates employed at participating agencies. Recipients receive up to $3,000 for tuition and books and a $5,000 stipend during Level 1, and a $7,500 stipend during Level 2. HBHTI<\/abbr> has already benefited 63 students, strengthening Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>‘s behavioral health workforce.<\/p>\n

Gaining confidence, furthering education<\/h2>\n

\"man<\/p>\n

The apprenticeship program allowed Pulu Jr. to gain practical experience while continuing his education.
\n“I\u2019m so glad the way the program is structured\u2014part-time\u2014because for somebody that\u2019s been out of the classroom for so long, it really helped to slowly build the confidence that I can actually do school on top of something that I\u2019m already exposed to in treatment,” he said.<\/p>\n

As a full-time apprentice, Pulu Jr.\u2019s dedication and hard work led him to earn a bachelor\u2019s of psychology from UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> in fall 2023. He is set to begin work on a master of social work degree at the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health Department of Social Work, all while continuing his on-the-job training at Kokua Support Services and completing hours toward becoming a certified substance abuse counselor. His long-term goal is to assist those struggling with substance use disorder in American Samoa.<\/p>\n

To apply for an award at Leeward CC<\/abbr>, candidates must enroll in the COSUDS<\/abbr> Counseling program. More information can be found at Leeward CC<\/abbr>‘s SUDS<\/abbr> page<\/a> or the HBHTI<\/abbr> page<\/a>. For entry into the spring semester cohort, contact Gwen Williams at gwenw@hawaii.edu<\/a> or the HBHTI<\/abbr> at hbhti@hawaii.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA<\/abbr>) of the U.S.<\/abbr> Department of Health and Human Services (HHS<\/abbr>) under 1 M01HP42453\u201001\u201000, Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Behavioral Health Training Institute, totaling $2,216,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA<\/abbr>, HHS<\/abbr> or the U.S<\/abbr>. Government.<\/p>\n

—By Tad Saiki<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Edmond Pulu Jr. is getting hands-on experience in substance disorder counseling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[1146,65,71],"class_list":["post-201702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-counseling","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t