#mental health

Staff from Maui Behavioral Health Resources participated in a Summer ʻOhana Fun event on Friday, June 13 to bring fun, healing and mental health awareness to the communities of Ka Laʻi Ola and Kilohana in Lahaina.

The County of Maui Department of Human Concerns is soliciting grant proposals for mental health programs to support community-based initiatives in areas impacted by the August 2023 Maui wildfires in Lahaina and Kula.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi has awarded grants totaling $60,000 to two local nonprofits dedicated to supporting the emotional, mental, and social well-being of vulnerable youth and their families in Hawaiʻi. The YMCA of Honolulu received $30,000, and Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi received $30,000. 

Hawaiʻi residents are reporting a decline in their own health outlook and face escalating barriers to care, according to a new statewide survey released today. The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s Rapid Health Survey reveals widening healthcare disparities are disproportionately affecting Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and low-income communities across the islands.

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and US Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) reintroduced a package of bills focused on mental health awareness for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in observance of May as National Mental Health Awareness Month and AANHPI Heritage Month.

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa will be transformed into a powerful hub of healing, celebration, and connection for over 1,000 teens from across Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i this Saturday, May 10, 2025.

“These bills address urgent health needs in our community — from mental health to medical cannabis access, and care for those with disabilities,” said House Committee on Health Chair Gregg Takayama.

The Reimagining Public Safety in Hawai‘i Coalition is calling on state legislators to shift funding toward community-based solutions rather than incarceration.

Home ownership feels out of reach for 72% of renters who would like to purchase a home in the future, but high costs and limited availability continue to pose barriers.

Maui United Way announced the release of a Request for Proposals for the second year of its Sentry Mālama Nā Keiki Initiative. This program focuses on providing critical mental health support for children and adolescents affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

US Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting children from the harmful effects of social media.

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation is awarding over $2 million dollars in Maui Strong Fund grants to 24 nonprofit partners providing culturally relevant and holistic mental health resources to families, individuals, and youth affected by the Maui wildfires. The nonprofit partners will use the funds to provide a broad range of services including art therapies, trauma-informed workshops, Hawaiian language and cultural immersion education, and peer-to-peer mental health support for youth.

A surge of calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline one year after the Lahaina wildfires underscores urgent need for expanded Hawaiʻi-based mental health support services. However, limited local resources have caused many calls to be rerouted to out-of-state services, exposing critical gaps in local mental health infrastructure, according to the University of Hawaiʻi. These findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Nov. 20.

Pacific Permanente Group psychiatrist Fatima Imara, MD was recently named the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi’s Physician of the Year for 2024. This peer award recognizes Imara’s contributions to behavioral health care and her compassionate service to the Maui community, particularly during the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, according to an announcement.

The Rotary Satellite Club of Kīhei-Wailea will hear from Dr. Justin Feinstein with the Maui Calm Project on Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. He will be discussing Maui’s mental health crisis and an innovative emergency response that his nonprofit has been working on bringing to the island.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez and 41 other attorneys general today jointly called on congressional lawmakers to pass legislation requiring a US Surgeon General warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. The letter comes amid growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, in partnership with the Cook Center for Human Connection, a national non-profit family foundation, announced Friday that it will be providing families and staff statewide with access to ParentGuidance.org, a 24/7 online platform that offers parents and staff with resources and support for student mental health.

“It’s going to be a long process,” said Kā‘eo Blas, reflecting on one year since a fire burned down his home and much of Lahaina town. “Sometimes you think it gets better but it’s always there. It’s like losing somebody you love. You still get the memories, they’re still in your heart, but they’re not there. It’s not the same.”

The primary objective of ArtCentered is to offer consistent and compassionate art therapy services to fire survivors and the community at large. The positive impact of art on mental health has been evident at their locations, including Honokōwai Beach Park and Royal Lahaina Resort, according to organizers.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., on Thursday signed 22 pieces of legislation into law related to Hawaiʻi’s health care industry, community support systems, and health care workforce development.