By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)— The City and County of Honolulu continues to strengthen its response to homelessness and behavioral health crises through its Community Outreach Response & Engagement (CORE) program and the expansion of the Mental Health 3 (MH-3) initiative.
Originally launched as a pilot program, MH-3 is now permanent and expanding across Oʻahu. The initiative brings together CORE, the Honolulu Police Department, behavioral health professionals and homeless outreach providers to connect people experiencing serious mental health crises with appropriate care and services. Since its launch, the program has assisted 150 individuals.
The effort was strengthened by Act 219, signed into law in 2025, which allows individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis to be transported
for an emergency psychiatric evaluation when specific criteria are met, including when someone may pose a danger to themselves or others and voluntary treatment is not possible.
“When we created CORE, this is exactly what I envisioned: meeting people where they are and having the ability to connect those most in need with the care and support that can change their lives,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “Now, with the law behind us, we have another important tool to help our teams reach chronically homeless individuals struggling with severe mental illness or substance abuse and get them off the streets and into appropriate care. This strengthens the mission of CORE and gives our people greater ability to make a real and lasting difference.”
CORE’s multidisciplinary teams include paramedics, EMTs, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and community health workers working alongside physician leadership. For MH-3 responses, a physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse is on every call to assess medical needs and work with a designated mental health emergency worker to determine the appropriate care for the patient.
HPD has also doubled the size of its Crisis Intervention Team, whose officers receive specialized training in behavioral health, crisis intervention and de-escalation. The expansion will allow HPD and CORE to provide coordinated MH-3 responses across more of Oʻahu.
The effort is part of the City’s broader strategy to reduce unsheltered homelessness while improving public safety and connecting some of Oʻahu’s most vulnerable residents with compassionate, appropriate care.