In 2021, as pandemic effects seeped into everyday life, not only were university students struggling academically, they also encountered challenges with mental health.

Through a combination of state and non-profit support, Julie Mowrer, director of the (CCE) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, responded quickly to students’ malaise and put together a needs-based support program. The ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Hilo connects students with community organizations to help them with network building and to stimulate self-esteem, academic and workforce skills and personal growth. It’s part of a dedicated to advancing higher education through universities engaging with their communities.

“The goal of the program is to provide students with a network of peers, mentors from the university, the community, and the wider Bonner network, offering connections and a web of support for students to lean on when challenges occur,” explained Mowrer.

Bonner students serve in the program for four years while being paid for more than 280 hours of work per year, which includes environmental work and service in the community. According to Mowrer, there’s a national focus on providing students with a more holistic educational experience, with more emphasis on ways to build students’ sense of belonging, connection with peers and developing a stronger sense of place.

Last April, students Devin Brown and Lavinia Manufekai collaborated with Hope Services Hawaiʻi to plan and cook a meal for 125 clients in shelters. They shared their Bonner program experiences at the on Oʻahu.

More funding needed

Funding for the program started from the aimed to support programs addressing the impact of the pandemic on students, families and educators across the state. ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ±á¾±±ô´Ç’s CCE was one of 31 recipients in the state to be awarded. The state funding concluded last October. Mowrer is now building philanthropic and ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ support to sustain the program.

Paving pathways

Bonner students complete capstone projects that incorporate community or environmental work. Amena Tep, who is earning degrees in and , is working with the Hawaiʻi Island mayor’s office and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to better integrate mental health resources and awareness into the Bonner Program itself.

“The goal of my capstone is for people to feel comfortable discussing mental health in the first place, which is something quite difficult to do,” explained Tep. “I want the Bonner Program to be a safe place for its students to talk as well as hopefully expanding this ideology campus-wide at some point.”

¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Hilo faculty mentor students for four years and serve as a support base as they consider different decisions and pathways through their academic journey.

—By Maisie Paulson, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Hilo student

Sen. Mazie Hirono met with members of the , a network of support organizations that focus on maximizing the health, independence and engagement of Hawaiʻi’s older adults, for a roundtable conversation in October. The joint initiative between the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Center on Aging and the was formed at the start of the pandemic and includes more than 150 partner organizations throughout the state.

Related: KÅ«puna Collective fosters collaboration, innovation for aging impact, April 2022

Hirono’s discussion focused on support issues for Hawaiʻi’s kÅ«puna, including food security, senior care workforce shortages, and the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower health care costs for the nearly 280,000 Hawaiʻi seniors who get their health care through Medicare. She also praised the KÅ«puna Collective on behalf of the community for their combined efforts.

“The KÅ«puna Collective came together at the start of the pandemic to meet the needs of kÅ«puna who weren’t able to take advantage of mass food distributions and vaccine initiatives,” she said. “The Collective was able to identify gaps in services and respond quickly by leveraging resources and justifying their needs to donors through careful data collection and analysis. When seniors across our state were struggling to afford food, this group came together to help make sure they had enough to eat, and it has continued working to support our seniors with access to vaccines, daily meals to meet their medical needs, digital resources and more.”

She added, “With the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act, we’re also meeting the needs of our seniors by lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, and making sure seniors on Medicare can get the vaccines they need free of cost, thanks to a provision I authored.”

¶«¾«Ó°Òµ participants share experiences

Christy Nishita, interim director of the Center on Aging in the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health and a co-convener of the KÅ«puna Collective, was motivated by the event.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to meet with the senator, to share how the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Center on Aging plays a key role in co-convening the Collective, providing critical data and evaluation to support planning, the targeting of resources and assessing collective impact,” Nishita said. “IÊ»m excited for the opportunity for us to grow our efforts to continue supporting our kÅ«puna.”

Jenny Lee, a recent graduate of the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, said “I was able to share how beneficial it was to get involved with the KÅ«puna Collective as a student, it opened my eyes to how our aging network works and how important it is to coordinate services around the needs of kÅ«puna.”

Other roundtable participants included Derrick Ariyoshi, county executive for the Elderly Affairs Division with the City and County of Honolulu; Lindsey Ilagan, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute Kupuna Program Manager and co-convener of the KÅ«puna Collective; Michelle Cordero-Lee, Lanakila Pacific Meals on Wheels Program CEO; Kathy Wyatt, Hale Hauoli Adult Day Care Owner and Director; and En Young, executive director of the Pacific Gateway Center.

A new telehealth toolkit is helping to train the future healthcare workforce across the state. A $130,000 innovation grant supported the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ (NAWSON)’s creation of a telehealth training toolkit that is culturally appropriate, immersive and experiential for healthcare providers and students, so they can provide high quality team-based healthcare.

In April 2020, NAWSON was awarded an innovation grant from the the State of Hawaiʻi , as part of the federal CARES Act. NAWSON received one of 31 innovation grant awards encompassing STEM education, project-based learning opportunities and leadership development programs. NAWSON’s Telehealth Training grant was one of 11 ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System GEER grants and was recently successfully completed.

Related: From aerospace to agriculture, grants to ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ programs for COVID responses

GEER aimed to fund innovative initiatives that address the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on students, families and educators across the state. Initiatives included creating digital equity, providing support for families and distance learning. The grants also supported continuing efforts to provide quality and impactful educational services and to support the ongoing function of schools and campuses.

NAWSON’s Deborah Mattheus and Lorrie Wong were co-principal investigators on the Telehealth Training GEER grant.

“Telehealth has emerged as an important tool for healthcare providers,” said Mattheus, Nancy Atmospera-Walch Professor in School Health and associate professor. “By educating nursing students, we can ensure that our graduates are prepared to function utilizing telehealth which can expand quality healthcare to the people of Hawaiʻi without expanding the cost.”

Mattheus and Wong accomplished four key deliverables:

• Developed a telehealth toolkit for five ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System nursing programs: , , , and ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹. The toolkit is available online and includes: the basics of the telehealth process; training on how to write, facilitate and debrief a telehealth simulation; and pre-recorded telehealth simulation scenarios and videos related to behavioral health, pediatric illness, acute and chronic disease management for elderly; and women’s health.
• Purchased telehealth equipment and software licenses for the five ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System nursing programs and provided training on use of the equipment.
• Trained nursing faculty at the five ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System nursing programs on the implementation of the telehealth toolkit to optimize student learning.
• Evaluated the five ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System nursing programs trainings.

“Our nursing program is always at the forefront of innovation and technology,” said Wong, interim associate dean for academic affairs, director of ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Translational Health Science Simulation Center and HMSA distinguished professor. “To ensure that our students are prepared for the ever-changing healthcare environment, we quickly integrated telehealth into our nursing curriculum. Telehealth aligns with the existing technology modalities already utilized in our program. We were quite fortunate to receive this grant and were pleased to purchase telehealth equipment and provide training to the other ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ nursing programs.”

Faculty at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System nursing programs are currently implementing the telehealth equipment and simulation trainings during the 2022–23 academic year. The dissemination of the telehealth equipment and the telehealth toolkit across the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System programs allows for statewide training of the future healthcare workforce.

A new economics pathway for minority students between and the is being created with a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ was one of only 10 universities nationwide to receive a five-year grant to support underrepresented groups at vulnerable career transition points who are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NSF held the competition for minority-serving institutions in jurisdictions.

The project, “RII-BEC: Transcending Barriers to Success in Economics (TBSE) for Underrepresented Students: From COVID-Affected to Climate-Resilient,” aims to transfer 100 participants from disproportionately affected groups, including Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos and women.

The Economics Bridge Program will encourage students to take enriched introductory courses at Kapiʻolani CC and qualify for tuition-free summer courses at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ campus. Student peer mentors and ambassadors will personalize the pathway from an associate’s degree to a baccalaureate and to expedited graduate studies.

“In Hawaiʻi, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Filipino communities, and on women,” said Bob Franco, co-principal investigator and director of Kapiʻolani CC‘s Office for Institutional Effectiveness. “These four groups are also seriously underrepresented in the field of economics at the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹. At the same time, environmental challenges that are further exacerbated by climate change threaten these islands, wider Oceania and coastal communities in Asia and the Americas.”

Indigenous economics

TBSE adopts the concept of “Indigenous economics” to contextualize economics coursework and provides student support services drawing on earlier NSF projects and previous federal investment in minority-serving programs. TBSE also leverages educational and research expertise at the two campuses.

“Economics has given me so many opportunities to make a difference in this world,” said Co-Principal Investigator Denise Eby Konan, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ dean of the and economics professor. “We need to expand our frameworks to include Indigenous and feminist knowledge and perspectives. This collaboration with Kapiʻolani Community College will provide a national model for economics education and draw in students who previously had not considered this major.”

Active learning, peer mentoring, engaged research and internship opportunities will enhance the urgency and relevance of economics coursework so that students can embrace and ameliorate the challenges of biocultural restoration (restoring relationships between Indigenous people and their places) and climate resilience in their neighborhoods, communities, regions and world. The project will promote the progress of science by connecting key concepts and practices from Indigenous science and gender inclusion with economics curricula, instruction and research.

The project will also serve the national interest by diversifying Hawaiʻi’s workforce, amplifying Indigenous voices and values, and promoting biodiversity conservation and mixed economy and community enterprise models that contribute to nutrition, health, well-being, climate resilience, income generation and prosperity for all American households.

Telehealth has emerged as a vital resource during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding and improving telehealth opportunities across the Pacific was one of the topics at a conference hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹.

The 2022 U.S. Affiliated Pacific Island Countries & Territories (USAPICT) Telehealth Workshop was presented by the (PBTRC) in the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ in August. The conference welcomed participants from American Samoa, Chuuk, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Palau.

“Telehealth is a new norm in health care; together we have to navigate these changes, opportunities, share lessons, resources and information, and focus on low hanging fruit and keep the momentum going,” said Christina Higa, co-director of PBTRC.

Representatives from public hospitals and health agencies in the USAPICT were joined by technical specialists and subject matter experts to engage in rooted discussions about the following topics:

• Successes, needs and opportunities in telehealth
• Develop goals and objectives for short-, medium- and long-term initiatives
• Receive hands-on training on technology
• Learn various models and modalities for service delivery
• Recap policy and legislation needs
• Hear examples of innovative telehealth programs during and post-pandemic

Various success stories were shared, including the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority tele-intensive care unit connecting off-island intensivists for around-the-clock care and provider-to-provider consultation through the Swinfen Telemedicine Network for the Kosrae Community Health Center. Participants also received brief hands-on training of various technologies available for telehealth at the at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ .

Like other sectors steering towards a post-pandemic norm, the three-day workshop focused on reconnecting, resetting, reengaging and rebuilding a way forward for accessing health care and services through telehealth in the Pacific.

The 2022 USAPICT Telehealth Workshop was a sequel to the 2016 USAPI Telehealth Champion Building and Planning Workshop, which focused on fostering a critical mass of stakeholders and telehealth champions in the USAPI.

For more, visit .

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Immunization Champion Award has been given to Lee Buenconsejo-Lum of the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s (JABSOM). She is among 28 immunization advocates across the country chosen for outstanding efforts to promote immunization.

The Association of Immunization Managers hosts the annual award, and selects one winner from participating states, territories and the District of Columbia.

Buenconsejo-Lum, who is the associate dean for academic affairs and director of graduate medical education at JABSOM, is recognized for her work to increase HPV vaccine uptake and promote the continuation of Hepatitis B birth dose vaccinations.

“Dr. Lee Buenconsejo-Lum and her other team members have worked hard in the establishment of island-specific Comprehensive Cancer Control plans for the U.S. Associated Pacific Islands. The work she has put forth to engage, provide guidance and serve as a mentor has been so important for the island’s hard work in this area,” stated officials from the Hawaiʻi Immunization Coalition.

Buenconsejo-Lum has also been heavily involved in the university and state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She served as a consultant to the Hawaiʻi Departments of Health and Education to provide information on COVID-19 vaccination, volunteered as co-chair for the COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Advisory group in Hawaiʻi, and co-led the establishment of a COVID-19 vaccination POD (point of dispensing) at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ campus to allow students working in healthcare facilities get vaccinated as part of their coursework, among other numerous efforts.

She was recently honored with the 2021 “Women Who Mean Business” Award from Pacific Business News and the 2022 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service from the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Board of Regents.

The (HiPAM) was recognized by the Kauaʻi County Council for their “outstanding contributions to Kauaʻi and to the State of Hawaiʻi in addressing the formidable challenges poised by the COVID-19 pandemic.” HiPAM members included University of Hawaiʻi researchers and community professionals in epidemiology, data science, healthcare and others who adapted tools that inform decision making and planning to help improve lives and public health in Hawaiʻi.

The certificate of honor stated, “The Kauaʻi County Council extends its sincere appreciation to HiPAM and its many volunteers who tirelessly work to provide much needed information specific to HawaiÊ»i for the health and safety of our community.”

• Read more ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ News stories on HiPAM.

HiPAM members worked in a voluntary capacity using professional expertise to best help to minimize the disruptions and maximize the health and economic benefits of pending policy decisions. They developed models that assisted decision makers in understanding how different variables and indicators could potentially impact the spread of COVID-19 in a specific region of the state. The purpose of a model was to see how the variables might result in various outcomes based on certain policy frameworks.

“HiPAM members are grateful and honored for the council’s recognition of the value and importance of HiPAM. Our goal has always been to provide the most accurate information to the public and policymakers to make the best possible decisions,” said Victoria Fan, founder and chair of HiPAM, who has served as an associate professor of health policy in the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ College of Social Sciences’ .

Monique Chyba, HiPAM mathematician and professor of in the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ College of Natural Sciences, added, “HiPAM demonstrated the best of how university partnerships can be relevant to the real world and innovative during a time of crisis.”

Although HIPAM’s models are meant to serve as one of many tools for decision makers, its models have been useful to Hawaiʻi because they captured local cluster data, risk of infection from incoming travelers, and demographic make-up, all of which are specific to the islands.

¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ College of Social Sciences’ Dean Denise Konan said, “The university is an amazing resource that, when harnessed skillfully, can provide and communicate valuable information in the service of the whole community.”

HiPAM closed in June 2022. HiPAM was supported by several sources including the Hawaiʻi Data Collaborative, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Provost’s Office, National Science Foundation, Hawaiʻi Department of Health and the Hawaiʻi Department of Defense.

About 50 keiki under the age of 5 received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Children’s Center (¶«¾«Ó°ÒµMCC) and on June 24. The event was held one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months through 5 years to receive the vaccine to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The clinic was held on the grounds of the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ College of Education’s Castle Memorial Hall and was open to anyone eligible to receive a shot between the ages of 6 months to 90 years of age. A total of 100 shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine were given during the clinic.

“Like all high-quality group child care facilities, ¶«¾«Ó°ÒµMCC has been partnering with enrolled families to control the spread of infectious diseases,” said Jeffrey Bock, ¶«¾«Ó°ÒµMCC education coordinator and acting director. “The COVID pandemic has continued to be a long and difficult battle, and the final emergency approval by the CDC for children 6 months to 5 years of age has been a long awaited blessing.”

¶«¾«Ó°ÒµMCC enrolls children ages 2 to 5 years, and has provided child care to parenting students of ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ and its faculty and staff since 1987. As more vaccines are administered to the 5 and under age group, the center plans to adjust their response to COVID-19 exposure.

“Now, instead of closing a classroom, which limits access to affordable child care, we are able to continue to offer child care to those unexposed and who have some level of immunity,” Bock added.

According to local child care experts with the Early Childhood Action Strategy, the pandemic has highlighted the important role child care plays in enabling parents to work and the instability of child care businesses. In 2019, an estimated 64,066 children ages 0-5 were in need of child care with only 20,157 spots available for children at licensed/registered child care providers in 2021. Additionally, more than 3,600 child care spaces have been lost due to pandemic-related challenges. Support to sustain the state’s child care sector to improve children and families’ access to high-quality services is essential.

Bock noted that the vaccines will help open child-care seats, but, “it will be a long struggle to get back to where we were, let alone where we should be.”

A second vaccination clinic is scheduled for July 22. For more information on how to pre-register, email uhmcc@hawaii.edu.

Wearing face masks in classrooms, shared laboratories, other instructional spaces and tightly confined educational spaces (such as advising offices), will continue to be required at all University of Hawaiʻi campuses for the 2022 summer sessions. Following the increase in COVID-19 cases across the state, the continuation of existing masking requirements was recommended by ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ medical and public health experts and the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health and affirmed by ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Officers and administration officials on all campuses. A decision on whether the requirement will remain in place for the fall 2022 semester is expected by mid-August.

Please continue to follow the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ COVID-19 Guidelines during the summer sessions. If you test positive for COVID-19 and have been on campus, immediately contact your campus COVID-19 Response Team (contact info for each ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ campus). Instructors can also inform the CRT with contact information of an individual. The ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System follows the (PDF).

Do not report to a ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ campus or facility if any of these apply:

• You tested positive for COVID-19 and are on home isolation.
• You have new or worsening symptoms that could be COVID-19 and not attributable to a pre-existing condition.
• You are immunocompromised and are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual.
• You are not “up to date” with your vaccines and are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual. “Up to date” means you have received all COVID-19 vaccine doses for which you are eligible, e.g., the initial two shots and a booster.
• You must isolate for 5 days after the date of last exposure and may return on day 6 if you have not had a fever within the past 24 hours and your symptoms are significantly improved. When you return to campus, you must wear a well-fitted mask at all times and not eat or drink around others until the full 10 days have passed.
• You are subject to government-issued or a healthcare provider’s orders to quarantine.

The University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Center on Aging in the played a significant role in supporting the tens of thousands of residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, (Coordinated Access Resource Entry System), a free 24/7 call center that connects individuals to mental health crisis resources and substance use disorder treatment and recovery services, enhanced its coordination efforts to respond to thousands of requests from residents, including aid with isolation and quarantine, testing, food assistance, social services and more.

Our staff have served as the comfort and safety net for our community to call during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic
—Leocadia Conlon

Through a partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Behavioral Health Administration that began in 2019, the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and the (RC¶«¾«Ó°Òµ) ramped up staffing to respond to the surge in call volume in August 2020. The increase in ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ staffing enabled the call center to respond to more than 130,000 calls in 2020, a 50% uptick in call volume since 2019, resulting from economic, social and psychological stressors of the pandemic. The call volume in 2020 was the highest the call center had received since 2015.

At its peak, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ provided a workforce of 50 staff, more than 15 student employees in health and social disciplines, and hired clinical director Leocadia Conlon to coordinate an integrated call center aligned with national guidelines and develop vital partnerships with community and healthcare organizations.

“Our staff have served as the comfort and safety net for our community to call during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic that magnified behavioral health concerns,” said Conlon. “The call volume demonstrates the need in our community, and our staff have been there to respond by taking on these additional duties.”

Achievements

• In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the launch of Hawaiʻi CARES was the state’s , which enabled timely and convenient access to treatment. Previously, limited availability for individuals needing treatment made it challenging for clients, case managers and justice system officers.
• In July 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Hawaiʻi CARES created a one-stop shop that placed callers for both mental health and substance use. It consolidated activities with the suicide crisis line, serving as the Hawaiʻi Chapter for the National Suicide Prevention Line. Clients presenting mental health and substance use disorder conditions were able to get access to all services, which were enhanced as a result of call operators being cross trained in both areas. Hawaiʻi became a in behavioral health by following best practices by the .
• From August 2020 to September 2021, at the request of DOH, Hawaiʻi CARES agreed to coordinate in Honolulu for those who could not safely isolate at home due to COVID-19. From August to December 2020, Hawaiʻi CARES processed:
  • 4,126 total requests for isolation and quarantine, testing, food assistance and/or other services, with 3,248 individuals receiving at least one of these services
  • 1,726 of the 2,224 individuals requesting external isolation or quarantine were placed by Hawaiʻi CARES into an isolation/quarantine facility

The ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ operations will cease at the end of March 2022. However, Hawaiʻi CARES will continue to provide support services for crisis and substance use disorder treatment access through DOH.

“It has been a great privilege to serve the state through an essential call center. I want to thank all of our partners and supporters including RCUH. We’re especially grateful for our care coordinators in Hawaiʻi CARES who went over and above the call of duty, serving in countless overtime shifts when calls kept flooding in,” said Victoria Fan, associate professor in the Center on Aging and principal investigator of Hawaiʻi CARES.

She added, “Aging and mental health are central to the COVID response; they are not separate. We’re proud of ¶«¾«Ó°Òµâ€™s role during the past three years. Whenever we were asked for help, we stepped up. We stepped up to meet the unprecedented volume of calls from Hawaiʻi residents during this time of crisis.”

Benefits of integrated call center

According to Fan, there were benefits of ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ running an integrated behavioral health call center providing managed care and care coordination. ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ workforce development is crucial for training the next generation of integrated teams in health and social services. ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ also provided expertise in several key areas, including clinical operations and training, IT, communications technology, data science and evaluation.

The need for integration of care for behavioral health is more important than ever due to the persisting psychological and economic impacts of the pandemic. “The University of Hawaiʻi provided the expertise and support needed for our staff to take on new responsibilities and to ensure continuous quality improvement to meet the needs of our community,” said Sasha Farmer, a Hawaiʻi CARES Continuum of Care Manager with more than 20 years of behavioral health expertise.

“Our team worked hard to improve and ensure services align with the changing needs of the community and national guidelines for best practice in behavioral health crisis care,” Conlon added. “I cannot say enough about the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ call center team staff who served tirelessly on the front lines of Hawaiʻi CARES, and their dedication to our community.”

Related ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ News stories:

• Hawaiʻi first to integrate behavioral health, homelessness, April 23, 2020
• DOH, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ release infographic report, data dashboard on COVID-19 support services, January 19, 2021
• New behavioral health dashboard to help improve care, services, May 10, 2021