Statewide Resources

Hawaii Bridging Aging and Disability

The Hawai‘i Statewide Action Team (SAT) is a group of leaders from different organizations who work together to improve services for older adults and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Members include staff from aging agencies, disability programs, health services, schools, family advocacy groups, and community organizations. The team brings together many voices to help make services more inclusive, respectful, and responsive to local needs.

What Does the SAT Do?

Why it Matters

The Hawai‘i Statewide Action Team (SAT) helps aging and disability agencies work together to better support people as they grow older. Their work includes:

Sharing ideas and resources across agencies.
Identifying gaps in services and finding ways to fill them.
Supporting culturally responsive care, especially for Native Hawaiian and rural communities.
Encouraging family and self-advocate involvement in planning and decision-making.
Promoting person-centered approaches that honor each individual’s needs and strengths.

As more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) age, it’s important that aging and disability services are connected and coordinated. The SAT helps make sure:

Agencies don’t work in silos—they collaborate and learn from each other.
People with disabilities get the support they need as they age.
Families and communities are part of the conversation.
Hawai‘i builds a stronger, more inclusive system of care.

Our Goals

The Hawaii SAT (State Advisory Team) designed its goals to create lasting impact for both the aging population and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). One of our first priorities was developing a community-friendly resource—an informational fridge magnet featuring the Hawaii Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) as a key point of contact. This also prompted a collaboration to improve the accessibility and relevance of the ADRC website.

Recognizing the critical shortage of direct support professionals (DSP) following the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched a high school internship initiative aimed at building a future workforce by giving students hands-on experience in care settings.

Another major goal was to expand awareness and training on dementia and its intersection with IDD. We invited the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) to Hawaii for a comprehensive two-day training, with an optional third day for trainer experience. Based on strong community feedback, we then developed the Hawaii Guidebook on Dementia and IDD to continue sharing this important information.

Following the devastating Maui wildfires, we saw the need for emergency preparedness tailored to individuals with functional needs. This led to the creation of the All About Me personal information guide, which includes a checklist to help ensure proper support during evacuation or shelter stays.

Milestones and Highlights

Our team has made meaningful progress across multiple areas. We successfully hosted the NTG training event and created the Hawaii IDD and Dementia Care Guide, now also available in Ilocano to expand accessibility. Over 1,500 ADRC fridge magnets—featuring artwork by a local artist with IDD—have been printed and distributed statewide.

Our high school internship program launched with students completing a minimum of 60 hours of hands-on experience in adult day health programs. We are now working to sustain and expand the program by partnering with the Department of Education’s Career Pathways initiatives.

We also received an expansion grant that has enabled us to organize Kupuna and Disability Resource Fairs across the islands this year. These events offer mini-education sessions and bring together resources for both aging and disability communities. We’ve built a new collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, who is co-hosting the Kauai fair with us—strengthening our shared mission to build inclusive, supportive networks statewide.

Meet Our State Co-Leads

Daintry Bartoldus – Executive Director, Hawaiʻi State Council on Developmental Disabilities
Amelia Kyewich-Kaneholani – Program Specialist, Hawaiʻi State Council on Developmental Disabilities

Members of the State Alliance Team

Timothy Renken – Self-Advocate and Chair, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council
Mary Brogan – Administrator, Hawaiʻi Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Division
Tani Salazar – Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Services Coordinator, Executive Office on Aging
Cristina Valenzuela – Legal Services Developer, Executive Office on Aging
Melissa Gibo – Vice President of Programs, Lanakila Pacific
Jody Mishan – Program Coordinator, Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi
Diane Terada – Division Administrator, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi
Caroline Cadirao – Director, Executive Office on Aging
Kiriko Takahashi – Interim Director, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Louis Erteschik – Executive Director, Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center
Nicole Shlaack – Evaluation Manager, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Dr. Kealohakuʻualohakuʻupokiʻi (Poki’i) Balaz, DNP, EMBA, APRN – Health and Aging Policy Fellow, American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow