Mental health hero to be honored

Randy Hack has walked in the shoes of people seeking help for problems stemming from mental illness, as he has stumbled through the same kind of darkness since adolescence.

“I had to find my own way in my recovery. It took a very fine psychiatrist, and I had to find my way out of the ‘dark days,’ as I call them,” said Hack, who still takes medication and follows a counselor’s advice. His mood and thought disorder made him unable to hold a paying job for 20 years, during which he required hospitalization at times.

Now 70, the consumer advocate for the state Department of Health’s adult mental health division is retiring in July and will be recognized for more than 25 years of service in addition to volunteer work.

Hack will be one of several individuals and organizations honored at Mental Health America of Hawai‘i’s annual Mahalo Awards luncheon May 16 at the Ala Moana Hotel. MHAH is also celebrating its 75th anniversary as the state’s oldest mental health organization, working to increase access to care and reduce discrimination against people suffering from mental illness.

Trisha Kajimura, MHAH executive director, said the nonprofit mainly advocates through the Legislature and the health department and focuses on the prevention of mental illness. Much of its programming concentrates on youth suicide and bullying prevention. Particularly vulnerable are those who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning), who experience “high levels of stress because of bullying and possible family rejection,” she said.

But adults struggle even more against stigma. College students, ages 18 to 22, are at an especially critical juncture in their lives, “but don’t seek help because they don’t want to be labeled as fragile and (or) be seen going into the counseling office.” MHAH has started mental health programs at three community colleges.

Kajimura said MHAH is developing a smartphone app called Kokua Life, which will be ready mid-year and provide suicide prevention information.

Several colleagues who nominated Hack as the Outstanding Adult Mental Health Consumer Advocate raved about his tireless dedication and genuine caring nature. At Kinau Hale, the DOH downtown branch, “he is relied on by many individuals in the office for his expertise at resolving situations,” one recommendation said.

Another said: “He seeks to understand those that have been misunderstood. He has patience for those that have often been turned away by so many others. Randy is a role model for government workers as well as mental health professionals. He does not switch off work just because it is 4:30 in the afternoon. He can be found at programs on the weekends and holidays.”

Hack was one of the original members of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Hawaii, formerly called “Hawaii Families and Friends of Schizophrenics,” and served several terms on its board. He spent 16 years on the State Council on Mental Health. He first volunteered for a crisis hotline decades ago when his condition stabilized, “as I immediately wanted to help others; I felt that was a way to recover.”

He was 15 or 16 when he said he realized something was wrong.

“I was aware that I wasn’t feeling well and it just went down from there,” Hack said. He dropped out of college and fought suicidal impulses. His parents did what they could to help him, but there weren’t many services available. “I felt lost and felt I needed help, but couldn’t verbalize what was needed.”

His own travail has made him more effective on the job. “I’ve been in very dire straits and I can relate very well to the people with mental illness.”

Other award winners include: Outstanding Business Leader — Hawaii News Now; Community Mental Health Leaders — Jeanelle Sugimoto-Matsuda and Loraine Fleming; Family Advocate — M. Pualani Kamaunu Basbas; and Youth Advocate — Waipahu Youth For Safety Club. Tickets to the luncheon are available at 808ne.ws/mhahawards or 521-1846.