Honolulu Expands CORE and MH-3 Crisis Response; Police Crisis Intervention Team Doubles
Honolulu is a city in Honolulu County, Hawaii (a consolidated city-county). The City and County of Honolulu is expanding its crisis response system, the mayor's office announced in its October 2026 newsletter: the Community Outreach Response & Engagement (CORE) program and the Mental Health 3 (MH-3) initiative are expanding their efforts to connect people in crisis with care. MH-3, originally launched as a pilot program, is now permanent and expanding across Oʻahu.
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. CORE's multidisciplinary teams include paramedics, EMTs, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and community health workers working alongside physician leadership.
The Honolulu Police Department 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.
"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," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "This strengthens the mission of CORE and gives our people greater ability to make a real and lasting difference." The effort is part of the city's broader strategy to reduce unsheltered homelessness while improving public safety.
Source: Office of the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu, October 2026 newsletter (honolulu.gov).
Related: Honolulu Makes MH-3 Mental-Health Crisis Response Permanent Across Oʻahu
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Honolulu 市政厅 Honolulu Hale。Joel Bradshaw 作，Public domain，经维基共享资源。Image: Honolulu Hale, the city hall of Honolulu. Photo by Joel Bradshaw, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-10Honolulu Makes MH-3 Mental-Health Crisis Response Permanent Across Oʻahu
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