The pandemic has caused a rise in mental health concerns for Hawaii’s homeless community.
“The pandemic has been a stressful time for most members of the community,” says Scott Morishige, the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness. “For the general community, the pandemic has impacted the ability of individuals to gather socially, caused financial stress due to loss of employment or work hours, and have prevented people from participating in activities they typically take part in for stress relief. Individuals in the homeless community experience all of these same impacts, as well as additional stress caused by the closure of public restrooms or other facilities, and the closure of places such as the public library or other public gathering spaces.”
In addition, the pandemic has been stressful for homeless service providers who serve on the front lines – working at emergency shelters, or going out in the street to continue to provide services even when the rest of the community was locked down.
According to Morishige, “At the beginning of the pandemic, the State worked to reopen public restroom facilities on State lands. For example, our Department of Land and Natural Resources opened up comfort stations at small boat harbors statewide and partnered with community groups to keep these bathrooms open. We also worked together with HIEMA, Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and others to get Personal Protective Equipment, including masks, out to the houseless community, as well as to providers so that providers could continue their essential services. “
The State also worked to increase the flow of information for homeless service and behavioral health providers statewide by partnering with the Department of Health to conduct weekly zoom webinars to provide updates on the pandemic response.
For those experiencing mental health challenges, there are a number of helpful resources available. One key resource is the Hawaii CARES line, which is a 24-hour hotline that provides assistance with behavioral health resources for those experiencing mental illness or substance use.
Read more at KHon.com.
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