HAWAII: Hawaii DOH launches hotlines for mental health, suicide crisis
July 24, 2015
A new crisis line focused on providing counseling to people who are potentially suicidal has been launched by the Hawaii Department of Health. Previously, the “ACCESS” line provided both immediate counseling and general referrals to government-sponsored mental health care. Now the renamed “Crisis Line of Hawaii” will focus only on callers in emotional crisis, while a separate line is available for helping people access a range of mental health services. The change was made based on data showing that approximately 80 percent of calls were for referrals. “This reflects our renewed focus on our program’s primary mission of providing crisis support to the community,” said Steven Balcom, the department’s crisis and residential treatment services coordinator.
Spark Extra! Watch a SPARK Talk with John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, on person-centered care in crisis line counseling.