Through a pioneering apprenticeship program by the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, Department of Social Work and Leeward Community College, 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.’s arrest in 2018 marked a turning point in his addiction.
“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.”
He started his counseling career journey at Leeward CC in 2022, four years into his recovery. The University of Hawaiʻi’s Hawaiʻi Behavioral Health Training Institute (HBHTI) supports individuals pursuing careers as substance use disorder counselors across Hawaiʻi at Leeward CC, UH Maui College and Hawaiʻi CC. The principal investigator (PI) of the HBHTI is Seunghye Hong, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health associate professor, and the co-PI is Gwen Williams, who is the program coordinator for Leeward CC‘s Certificate of Competence in Substance Use Disorder Counseling (COSUDS) program which supports individuals from all the Hawaiian islands who wish to pursue careers as substance use disorder counselors.
The HBHTI program, funded by a four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, offers two award levels. Level 1 includes the certificate of competence, while Level 2 provides hands-on apprenticeship training for COSUDS 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 has already benefited 63 students, strengthening Hawaiʻi‘s behavioral health workforce.
Gaining confidence, furthering education
The apprenticeship program allowed Pulu Jr. to gain practical experience while continuing his education.
“I’m so glad the way the program is structured—part-time—because for somebody that’s 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’m already exposed to in treatment,” he said.
As a full-time apprentice, Pulu Jr.’s dedication and hard work led him to earn a bachelor’s of psychology from UH West Oʻahu in fall 2023. He is set to begin work on a master of social work degree at the UH Mānoa, 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.
To apply for an award at Leeward CC, candidates must enroll in the COSUDS Counseling program. More information can be found at Leeward CC‘s SUDS page or the HBHTI page. For entry into the spring semester cohort, contact Gwen Williams at gwenw@hawaii.edu or the HBHTI at hbhti@hawaii.edu.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under 1 M01HP42453‐01‐00, Hawaiʻi 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, HHS or the U.S. Government.
—By Tad Saiki
