HONOLULU (Island News) — The City and County of Honolulu announced the launch of Mental Health 3 (MH-3), a joint program to assess the response needs of the homeless regarding mental health crises and substance use.
MH-3 started as a pilot program and the city announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that the program is expanding across Oahu. The program includes efforts from Community Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) teams, the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), behavioral health professionals and homeless outreach providers to ensure people in crises receive the appropriate medical or mental health evaluation.
According to the city, the program has assisted 150 people since its launch. The initiative was strengthened when Governor Josh Green signed Act 219 into law last year, which allows qualified individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis to be transported for an emergency psychiatric evaluation when specific criteria are met. Situations that fall into this category include when someone may pose a danger to themselves or others and when voluntary treatment is not possible…