January 2020, the COVID 19 pandemic has presented us with challenges on multiple fronts. throughout the COVID crisis, Hawaii witnessed the Aloha spirit at its very best. However, while the economic and medical needs were being responded to and addressed, we as a Hawaiian mental health community knew the impact of the pandemic would not just have economic and medical ramifications, but mental health repercussions as well. A particular concern to us here in Hawaii, where those experiencing mental health challenges who were uninsured either due to job loss or other life circumstances. So, we decided to get creative and designed a program that successfully addressed the mental health needs of our uninsured family. This program is known as the Hawaii Pro Bono COVID-19 Project. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Lawrie Ignacio and Jodie Gerson. Lawrie is a clinical psychologist and consultant to the program. Jodie Gerson is the director of the Hawaii Pro Bono COVID-19 Project and has experience working with adults, adolescents, and children with interventions and mental health assistance. We envision this being something that could be a way to bring all of Hawaii's mental health practitioners together in a way that could be collaborative and ideally the best of Hawaiian mental health. We hope that by sharing this story, our listeners can implement this program in your community or state.

Resources

If you have questions or are looking for more information about Hawaii Pro Bono Mental Health Center, please email:

For more information about the Pro Bono Project to Hawaii and the details to implementing this program in your community, download the slideshow presentation here: