Coordinated Access Resource Entry System (CARES).
Hawaiʻi CARES is a free, 24/7 coordination center for support with substance use, mental health and crisis intervention. Any resident may call Hawaiʻi CARES.
Call from any island: 808-832-3100 or toll-free 800-753-6879.
WHY WE EXIST
“Health, that optimal state of physical, mental, social and environmental well-being, is a right and responsibility of all of Hawaiʻi’s people.” This philosophy of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) inspires all of us in the healthcare industry to improve the quality of care we deliver to our residents and in our communities. We must work together to assure health care is affordable, appropriate, of assured quality, available and accessible.
Hawaiʻi CARES fulfills these goals in the areas of mental and behavioral health through its coordinated, responsive system that provides clinically-appropriate treatment and recovery services statewide.
Who We Are
Hawaiʻi CARES is a partnership between the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) and community-based mental health and substance abuse service providers statewide.
The DOH oversees Hawai’i CARES, whose day-to-day operations are managed by a contracted provider.
Hawai’i CARES hires locally based staff who specialize in providing supportive counseling, screening for urgent or emergent mental health or substance use needs, and recommendations for behavioral health assessments and services and crisis intervention.
As a team, we are committed to providing excellent service and compassion to every caller.
How We Help
Our CARES counselors get to know our callers and, based on conversations, recommend and connect callers with the right providers in our statewide network, ensuring access to all the services needed for personalized resolution or recovery. We stay in touch with our callers and providers throughout the duration of treatment, providing continual care. Read more about how we help.
By managing the relationships and electronic records for our callers, we operate as 1) the universal intake and screening entity; 2) the authorizing agent; 3) the system of quality assurance.
Furthermore, through the collection of real-time data and the review of service requests, CARES enhances the effectiveness of the screening, referral and treatment of mental and behavioral health, continuously improving the quality of care and services delivered by our network.
OUR HISTORY
Hawaiʻi CARES combines two former statewide services: the ACCESS Line and the Crisis Line of Hawaiʻi whose primary focus was mental health telephonic support and community mental health crisis response.
Launched 2002, the ACCESS Line provided phone counseling and support to residents in crisis as well information on mental and behavioral health services.
In 2015, the ACCESS Line was renamed as the Crisis Line of Hawaiʻi.
In 2019, Hawaiʻi CARES launched with a primary focus on substance use.
Today, all these services are offered through one convenient, coordinated service through Hawaiʻi CARES.