Honolulu psychiatrist Dr. Chad Koyanagi, known for taking his practice straight to the streets and pushing Hawaii to rethink crisis care, has been named one of this year’s winners of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. The honor recognizes his years of work with people experiencing homelessness, psychosis and other barriers to traditional care, and spotlights his role in building Hawaii’s first Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Iwilei. Advocates say his show-up-in-person approach has helped reshape the local crisis system and expand options beyond hospital emergency rooms and jail cells.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness included Koyanagi among 13 recipients of its 2026 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award, according to NAMI. The winners were featured during NAMICon, the group’s national convention held in late May.
State officials say Koyanagi, who serves as the Hawaii Department of Health’s Crisis Continuum and Medicaid Services medical director, played a key role in shaping the Iwilei center’s trauma-informed approach and operational policies, according to a Hawaii Department of Health news release. The department describes the site as a short-term, sub-acute facility that stabilizes people in crisis and quickly connects them with housing, treatment and community services…