Hawaiʻi to expand mental health, substance use treatment services through Medicaid program

Hawaiʻi is one of 10 states selected to participate in a program that expands access to comprehensive mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and recovery services through sustainable Medicaid funding.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selected states to participate in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration Program.

The four-year program is administered through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“Our state has invested in innovative approaches to behavioral health, including kauhale communities, behavioral health crisis centers and stronger care coordination,” Hawaiʻi Gov. Green said in a news release. “This selection recognizes that work and provides a pathway to bring additional federal support to the people who need these services most.”

The initiative is being implemented through a partnership between the Hawaiʻi Department of Health and the Department of Human Services’ Med-QUEST Division, which administers the state’s Medicaid program.

Joseph Campos II, director of the Department of Human Services, said the federal program model will “help us strengthen care coordination, expand critical services and better support individuals and families across Hawaiʻi who are navigating mental health and substance use challenges.”

As part of the program, Hawaiʻi has been participating in the program’s planning grant since December 2024, which ends on June 30, 2026. This grant helped the state prepare to apply for participation in the demonstration program.

Currently, there are two Adult Mental Health Division-operated clinics on Maui, located in Kahului and Lahaina, that are anticipated to become fully certified by Jan. 1, 2027. Together, these clinics currently serve more than 1,700 Maui residents and will help expand access to coordinated behavioral health services under the model.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are required to meet federal standards for timely access and comprehensive behavioral health services. Clinics must provide or coordinate a full range of services, including 24/7 crisis response, outpatient mental health and substance use treatment, care coordination, and recovery supports. Clinics also must serve anyone seeking care regardless of ability to pay, age, or place of residence.

Since the launch of this clinic model in 2017, the program has expanded nationwide, with more than 500 clinics operating across 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.