FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Leaders from the Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project joined Mayor Caldwell to announce a new program to provide support for the psychological well-being and mental health needs of individuals seeking help during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, conceptualized by Dr. Lawrie Ignacio and Dr. Graham Taylor and coordinated by the Hawai‘i Psychological Association, offers free mental health services provided by a Pro Bono Service Provider to uninsured residents on Oʻahu and throughout the state. The Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project is a multi-disciplinary initiative that unites several mental health care communities with the common goal of ensuring that more Hawai‘i residents have access to quality mental health care.
To ensure proper physical distancing during the Mayor’s “Ho’oulu i Honolulu” Order, all therapy and counseling services under the program will be provided exclusively via online telehealth platforms. People can access the service on a first-come, first-serve basis by logging on to https://www.hawaiipsychology.org/ and clicking on the “Please click HERE for more information” link under the heading: Hawai'i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project. The link will direct the individual seeking services to a description page outlining the terms of the Project, where he or she can then click on another link to submit a request for services. Once a request is submitted, the individual seeking services will be contacted by a Project coordinator who will assist in linking the individual to an available provider.
The Project coordinators are asking for patience up front from those seeking mental health services provided by the Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project, as mental health providers are in high demand and matching requests with available providers at any given time may require a waiting period. The program does not offer a triage service, so interested residents may need to contact other community mental health services in order to secure timely services. Additionally, services being provided through the Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project are not suitable for urgent and crisis situations as the Project will not be able to immediately connect individuals in severe distress with an available provider. Those experiencing severe distress, or an emergency, are asked to call emergency and crisis personnel who can provide an immediate response.
Along with the City’s 768-CITY information helpline, the City also created a website at www.oneoahu.org to provide information about Mayor Caldwell’s Emergency Order, provide updates on the availability of City services, and direct residents to quality, trusted COVID-19 healthcare information. For residents who do not find the information they are looking for on the website, residents can also email covidresponse@honolulu.gov to ask questions and get a response from City staff.
To learn more about the Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project visit https://www.hawaiipsychology.org/.