SR 51: requesting the Department of Human Resources Development and the state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to cooperate more closely to determine the necessary actions to expedite THE hiring AND FILLING OF CRITICAL VACANCIES, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce.

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of Human Resources Development and the state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to cooperate more closely to determine the necessary actions to expedite THE hiring AND FILLING OF CRITICAL VACANCIES, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce.

     WHEREAS, the workforce shortage affecting the State and its agencies is the product of numerous identifiable problems and challenges, including obsolete and unproductive recruiting and hiring policies and practices; and

     WHEREAS, the quality of the State's public mental health care system has diminished, in part due to hiring practices and policies that make it challenging for state agencies to hire and retain the skilled professionals essential to providing effective mental health care services, affecting a range of critical roles, ultimately undermining the system's ability to meet the needs of the community; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Judiciary, and other agencies that constitute the Continuum of Care in the State are in desperate need of support as high vacancy rates prevent these agencies from meeting the increasing demand for mental health care services; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to the challenges posed by the current workforce shortage, persisting stigmas surrounding mental illnesses and mental health care discourage potential applicants and limit the ability of these agencies to attract applicants; and

     WHEREAS, providing care to individuals with serious mental illnesses, emotional disorders, and potentially co-occurring chronic conditions, is a challenging and exhausting occupation that often causes workers to experience burnout, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress, and the development or exacerbation of other mental health conditions, which high vacancy rates can accelerate or further exacerbate; and

     WHEREAS, it is critical that the State effectively recruit and retain additional public mental health care system employees to relieve current employees and deliver more effective mental health care services in the State; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Human Resources Development and the state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system are requested to cooperate more closely to determine the necessary actions to expedite the hiring and filling of critical vacancies, including solutions to address the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Resources Development, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Superintendent of Education, Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Chief Justice.

Report Title: 

DHRD; Mental Health Care Workforce

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of Human Resources Development to more closely cooperate with the Human Resources Development Units assigned to state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to determine the necessary actions to expedite hiring AND FILLING CRITICAL VACANCIES, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce.

     WHEREAS, the workforce shortage affecting the State and its agencies is the product of numerous identifiable problems and challenges, including obsolete and unproductive recruiting and hiring policies and practices; and

     WHEREAS, the quality of the State's public mental health care system has diminished, in part due to hiring practices and policies that make it challenging for state agencies to hire and retain the skilled professionals essential to providing effective mental health care services, which affects a range of critical roles, ultimately undermining the system's ability to meet the needs of the community; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Judiciary, and other agencies that constitute the Continuum of Care in the State are in desperate need of support as high vacancy rates prevent these agencies from meeting the increasing demand for mental health care services; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to the challenges posed by the current workforce shortage, the persisting stigmas surrounding mental illnesses and mental health care discourage potential applicants and limit the ability of these agencies to attract applicants; and

     WHEREAS, providing care to individuals with serious mental illnesses, emotional disorders, and potentially co-occurring chronic conditions, is a challenging an exhausting occupation that often causes workers to experience burnout, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress, and the development or exacerbation of other mental health conditions, which high vacancy rates can accelerate or further exacerbate; and

     WHEREAS, it is critical that the State effectively recruit and retain additional public mental health care system employees to relieve current employees and deliver more effective mental health care services in the State; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to more closely cooperate with the human resources development units assigned to state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to determine the necessary actions to expedite hiring and filling critical vacancies, including solutions to address the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Resources Development.

Report Title: 

DHRD; Mental Health Care Workforce

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1435

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 51

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.R. No. 51 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TO MORE CLOSELY COOPERATE WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT UNITS ASSIGNED TO STATE AGENCIES COMPRISING THE STATE'S PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO DETERMINE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO EXPEDITE HIRING AND FILLING CRITICAL VACANCIES, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES UNIQUE TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Resources Development to more closely cooperate with the human resources development units assigned to state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to determine the necessary actions to expedite hiring and filling critical vacancies, including solutions to address the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development, State Council on Mental Health, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that mental health professionals in the State's public mental health system are experiencing high levels of burnout due to excessive caseloads, administrative burdens, and exposure to trauma, resulting in high turnover rates.  Your Committee further finds that difficulty in maintaining a stable workforce threatens the quality, sustainability, and stability of the State's provision of mental health care to people in need.   Negative impacts on the availability and quality of care are most harmful to the State's vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly.  This measure urges closer cooperation between the Department of Human Resources Development and human resources units assigned to state agencies within the public mental health care system to expedite and modernize recruitment and retention practices to improve access to mental health services in the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to cooperate with the state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system, rather than the Department's human resources development units assigned to those agencies;

     (2)  Adding the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Superintendent of Education, Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Chief Justice of the Judiciary as recipients of certified copies of this measure;

     (3)  Amending its title accordingly; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 51, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 51, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,