Column: Novel approaches already at work in tackling mental illness

Hosting the recent “Hawaii Summit on Improving the Governmental Response to Community Mental Illness” is a reflection of our state’s commitment to addressing mental illness here. According to Mental Health America in Hawaii, 60% of our islands’ most vulnerable homeless individuals suffer from mental illness.

As reported, the message delivered to the 90 summit attendees was to “work collaboratively on new approaches that could save money, cut down on police involvement and get proper treatment for those who need it” (“Summit on mental illness points public officials to better methods,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 7).

“Mental illness is not a criminal justice issue,” keynote speaker Judge Steve Leifman of Miami-Dade County, was quoted as saying. We couldn’t agree more. It’s a community issue.

Since 2013, ‘Ohana Health Plan has served as the sole provider of the state’s Community Care Services (CCS) program, a highly specialized care model that helps Medicaid-eligible adults who have been diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). Many of our 5,000 CCS members are either homeless or one small setback away from living on the streets.

Creating an effective long-term treatment model for people with SMI requires innovation, collaboration, experience in interacting with this highly vulnerable and complex population, and the flexibility to adjust a treatment model if needed. This is a community issue, requiring health care re-imagined beyond traditional hospital care or incarceration.

The good news is Hawaii has already taken crucial steps toward developing a model that works. It’s a model that relies on collaborative efforts and partnerships among key organizations who have experience in treating this population, each specializing in a specific component such as housing, employment, social, legal assistance, and medical and behavioral health care.

Key organizations and state leaders have also played an important leadership role in making a difference, including the Institute for Human Services, Honolulu Police Department and Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who has made it his personal mission to address Hawaii’s homelessness crisis.

The Community Care Services program provides the highest Acuity Level 5 case management services through a vast network, combining our CCS providers who handle case management and inpatient/outpatient behavioral and physical health care, with community resources addressing social determinants of health.

Since September 2018, at least 111 CCS members have gone from homeless to housed, as a result of this specialized case management and intensive community collaboration. The program does not operate as a traditional Medicaid insurance health plan; instead we focus much of our CCS resources on tearing down the silos standing in the way of a truly collaborative network and ultimately, a healthier community.

A perfect example of how Hawaii has truly come together in partnership is the Joint Outreach Center (JOC) in Chinatown, a location where high rates of homelessness and mental illness go hand in hand with limited access to nearby services. It’s an effective treatment model that brings resources to those in need to the community in which they reside. JOC is a collaborative effort involving homeless outreach providers, health care professionals and law enforcement. Licensed clinicians participate in the JOC four days a week providing free services to not just our members, but those in Chinatown needing assistance. This is a strong example of a community-based system that’s innovative and working, and as a result, a second JOC recently opened in Kaneohe.

Instead of focusing on treating each person as an individual, we should utilize this JOC model of community-based care to strengthen our communities, bringing together various resources and leadership that will result in a healthier environment and ultimately healthier individuals.