Pic of the Week - Improving Mental Health Care

The program offers a supportive environment and services to promote self-growth, enhance self-esteem, increase self-confidence, foster socialization and improve the quality of life.

Governor Lingle has made the improvement of mental health care a priority of her Administration since taking office in 2002. Through partnerships with community organizations, including Mental Health Kokua and Mental Health America of Hawai`i, the State of Hawai`i is working every day to decrease the stigma of mental illness, increase public awareness and enhance service.

Also this week, Governor Lingle signed into law three bills to improve the treatment and increase recovery of people with mental illness in Hawai`i.

• SB1802 HD1 CD1 (Act 98) allows a patient's health care provider to share mental health records with another health care provider to ensure the patient's continued care or treatment, while preserving the individual's privacy.  The measure, which takes effect immediately, allows for the disclosure of a patient's treatment summary over the previous five-year period. 
• SB3069 SD2 HD1 CD1 (Act 99) requires county police departments to provide the Department of Health with copies of pertinent police records on adults and juveniles who are ordered by the courts into the Hawai`i State Hospital so that proper assessments and treatment can be given to the individual. In 2007, the courts committed 217 individuals to the State Hospital.
• SB2396 SD1 HD3 CD1 (Act 100) makes procedural, statutory and policy changes to minimize the number of patients at the Hawai`i State Hospital.  Recently, the hospital census has averaged 200 patients, while the optimum level is 168.  A majority of the patients are sent to the hospital by the courts, and their discharge is handled by the courts.

In 2007, the Governor formed the Mental Health Transformation Working Group to implement a five-year, $10.95 million Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant that was awarded to Hawai`i by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The working group completed the first statewide mental health care plan and needs assessment and is working to implement the plan through a $10.95 million grant awarded to Hawai`i by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

These and other efforts have yielded positive results, with Hawai`i improving to 11th in the nation in the latest rankings, up from 51st in 1990.

To encourage Hawai`i residents to participate in statewide efforts to increase access to much-needed services for members of Hawai`i's `ohana who suffer from mental illness, Governor Lingle and Lt. Governor Aiona have proclaimed May as "Mental Health Awareness Month" in the State of Hawai`i.

• Read the proclamation from Governor Lingle and Lt. Governor Aiona proclaiming May as "Mental Health Awareness Month" in the State of Hawai`i and learn more about this proclamation ceremony.