HONOLULU – Mayor Blangiardi was joined by City leaders and experts specializing in homelessness and healthcare services on Wednesday, June 12, to unveil the City’s new Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite facility, which represents a holistic approach to addressing immediate healthcare needs for individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
“Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite is a critical piece of our comprehensive and innovative initiatives to confronting homelessness on Oʻahu,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “This facility will help to save vulnerable people, who have been living a dangerous life on the streets, begin the transition from having nothing to finding a home of their own, by providing practical and vital help with everything from healthcare to paperwork. This effort is at the leading edge of the City’s absolute commitment to meet the daunting challenge of homelessness with a sense of urgency and compassion.”
Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite provides service to houseless individuals, regardless of whether they have health insurance, by treating wounds or illnesses that are difficult to treat without expert medical care. In some cases, homeless individuals suffer injuries, like cuts or gashes, or have been diagnosed with diabetes or other chronic illnesses, and Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite provides treatment for those ailments.
The facility can also help treat substance abuse disorders, and North Shore Mental Health provides certified substance abuse counselors at the facility.
Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite is also uniquely positioned to help treat patients who are in need of emergency housing services after having received treatment and being discharged from hospitals across Oʻahu. The City and County of Honolulu is working with hospitals around the island to coordinate patient transport to Lēʻahi Behavioral and Medical Respite.
The City will cover the costs of care, medication, and doctor’s visits until the individuals can be set up with their own health insurance. Individuals will also be given assistance acquiring birth certificates, identification cards and other documents, which will in turn facilitate their entry into transitional housing.
This facility also represents intensive collaboration between multiple partner agencies. Lēʻahi Hospital is providing the building, while North Shore Mental Health provides care and services to patients. Honolulu Emergency Services Department is administering the funding, which came from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Human Services, while the City’s Crisis and Outreach Response Team (CORE) works with North Shore Mental Health to coordinate picking up and dropping off patients at the facility for doctor’s appointments, housing assistance, and more.
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