State receives $12M to improve youth mental health

The Hawaii Department of Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division was awarded nearly $12 million by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration to enhance existing initiatives and introduce new strategies to improve mental health services for Hawaii youth.

“This grant represents a crucial opportunity to strengthen mental health services for children and adolescents across the state,” said CAMHD administrator T. Keli Acquaro. “By focusing on workforce development, evidence-based practices and increased collaboration, we aim to create a more resilient and equitable system of care for our youth and their families.”

The funding comes via a four-year, system-of-care grant called Workforce Activities in Action: Building Capacity for CAMHD’s Youth Through Equity.

As CAMHD noted, the United States is currently experiencing a youth mental health crisis that disproportionately affects minority and disadvantaged populations. The situation in Hawaii is exacerbated by fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Maui wildfires coupled with a significant shortage of behavioral health workers.

The WAA initiative aims to:

• Enhance workforce capacity through professional development, innovative reimbursement strategies and sustainable recruitment infrastructure

• Increase training in evidence-based practices and processes

• Strengthen care coordination to improve family and youth engagement and interagency coordination

• Elevate the voice of youth and caregiver peers with lived expertise

• Increase access to evidence-informed and culturally appropriate supports that promote social, cultural and environmental connectedness

• Strengthen system-level interagency collaboration to support implementation and sustainability of the system of care approach

CAMHD provides free mental health care to eligible youth with severe emotional and/or behavioral challenges. Its services include assessment, case management and a range of therapeutic supports provided in the home and community, as well as temporary out-of-home treatment as appropriate.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at [email protected].