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Panel endorses bill to expand homeless triage and treatment centers for behavioral health and stabilization
Summary
The committee passed HB943 to fund homeless triage and treatment centers that provide stabilization and wraparound care for people with substance use and severe mental illness; the Department of Health and providers supported adding a second location and asked the committee to include funding estimates in the committee report.
HB943, a bill to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to establish a homeless triage and treatment center program focused on individuals with substance use disorders or serious mental illness, was advanced by the committee on Feb. 6.
State and nonprofit witnesses — including Brandon Mitsuda with the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, representatives of the Institute for Human Services (IHS), the Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, and Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center — described the centers as medical-stabilization and triage sites that treat behavioral-health needs and help people transition into congregate or permanent housing when clinically appropriate.
Angie from the Institute for Human Services clarified the difference between these centers and behavioral-health crisis centers and said triage/treatment centers help people stabilize medically and behaviorally before entering congregate settings. John Valera of DOH said the department supports the proposal and would coordinate with hospitals, IHS, the state homeless office, law enforcement and other partners. IHS and other providers described existing pilots and said the model has shown success.
Committee discussion noted the bill included a blank appropriation; DOH agreed to provide a funding estimate for creating an additional second location. Chair Martin asked DOH to provide that figure quickly for the committee report; DOH said it would provide an estimate by the committee’s deadline.
Ending: HB943 advanced with amendments to defect the date and with a committee request that DOH provide funding figures for a second location to be included in the committee report so the legislature can consider appropriation options.
