Executive director The executive director of the beleaguered Arc in Hawaii, which operates care homes and programs for people with mental retardation, resigned yesterday.
of the Arc quits
The Arc has been having problems
meeting state rules for its care facilitiesBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comGarrett Toguchi, also a member of the state Board of Education, told the Arc's board of directors he wanted to pursue other endeavors.
"We didn't ask him to leave," said Lambert Wai, board president and interim executive director.
Wai would not say whether Toguchi's departure had to do with the pending decertification of two homes run by the Arc on Oahu and the shutdown of two other facilities in Makiki and on Kauai, which lost their licenses for similar problems last year.
"You'd have to get that from Garrett," Wai said.
The organization runs 23 facilities statewide.
Toguchi did not return telephone calls, but in a written statement he said: "I hope to form a new advocacy organization that will provide support to the efforts of the Arc in Hawaii and other providers in their continued service to the community. We will focus on state and federal legislation, policies and programs that support individuals and families in all aspects of life."
The Arc's board will first seek an interim director, then go on a local and nationwide search for an executive director.
On Feb. 6, federal and state agencies notified the Arc that two homes in Ewa and Halawa had failed to meet federal standards for their active treatment programs and that the Halawa facility did not meet standards for client protection. The agency has until Monday to submit to state health officials a correction plan for the homes.
Wai said the nonprofit agency submitted a plan of action yesterday to correct the deficiencies.
"We were going to appeal," he said. "We had decided that that would take too much time and effort and that we had better expend our efforts to make sure we are meeting the standards."
Wai acknowledged a "whole slew of discrepancies" but said no pressure was put on Toguchi to account for them.
The Arc began implementing the correction plan Thursday, he said.
Wai said the board also voted to find other operators for its five homes on Kauai, citing the high cost of providing supervisory help.
"We're not going to shut them down," he assured. "Our concern is that these clients are not disrupted. Even in the homes that were decertified, we're trying to find ways and means to keep them going."
The Arc in Hawaii