HONOLULU — A new crisis center opened Thursday at the Iwilei Resource Center. The facility is the first of its kind in the state and will allow the Department of Health to provide crisis care in a safe, nurturing space, according to a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • The Behavioral Health Crisis Center will provide short-term crisis services that can lead to longer treatment

  • The Department of Health and governor plan to expand the concept across the state

  • The new facility aims to help reduce the time law enforcement spends assisting and transporting those in crisis, and minimize the use of hospital rooms

  • BHCC will accept involuntary patients brought by law enforcement

The Behavioral Health Crisis Center will provide people, including homeless individuals or those at risk of homelessness, with short-term crisis services that can lead to opportunities for longer treatment, while linking them to other community services. The new facility can accommodate 16 people in initial crisis with an additional nine stabilization beds.  

The DOH and governor plan to expand the model across the state.

BHCC will cost about $6.7 million per year to operate.  

Gov. Josh Green said as an emergency room doctor he had treated people in a mental health crisis. He said some of these individuals were homeless, but not all of them.  

“The BHCC offers people crisis care tailored to their individual needs,” said Green. “The center fills a critical gap in the crisis care continuum, provides an opportunity to deflect individuals from arrest into care, decreases the burden on community emergency departments, and promises to save taxpayer money.”

The new facility aims to help reduce the time law enforcement spends assisting and transporting those in crisis, and minimize the use of hospital rooms. BHCC will accept involuntary patients brought by law enforcement. 

DOH Director Dr. Kenneth Fink said the crisis center is an entry point for further stabilization and treatment. He hopes with ongoing services, BHCC can reduce the need for crisis services and keep people stable. 

“This is just a very important piece that was missing, but it is part of a larger system of care that we’re actively working to continue to develop,” said Fink. 

Dr. Chad Koyanagi, the DOH crisis continuum and Medicaid services medical director, said the facility will be “like a living room” and people will feel comfortable. 

“A lot of the folks who benefit from coming to this facility have had more than their share of life adversities. Sometimes traditional arenas for people to get care are not the best for these people. A place like this is intentional and offers trauma-informed care,” said Koyanagi. 

CARE Hawaii was contracted to operate the facility and will work under the guidance of the DOH Adult Mental Health Division. The contractor will staff the observation unit with a licensed psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, qualified mental health professional, case manager, behavioral health technician, certified peer specialist, housekeeping staff and security. The stabilization section will be staffed with a case manager, registered nurse, behavioral health technician, program coordinator and peer specialist.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.