Addressing Hawai‘i’s Mental Health Crisis

CHAMINADE EXPANDS PROGRAMS AND OFFERS GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN A BID TO ADDRESS AN ACUTE SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS

When Misty Tashina Bradley decided to go back to school to become a licensed therapist, she was sure about one thing: She wanted to remain on Hawai‘i Island. Her family is there, her business is there, her support network is there. And ultimately, she says, her heart is there—it’s the community she wants to serve as a clinician.

Bradley says she opted for a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology at Chaminade because the program not only offered a fully online option that would allow her to remain home but applauded her commitment to serving Hawai‘i. That service piece, so central to Chaminade’s mission, was what resonated most with her.

“That’s what I loved about being with Chaminade. I was proud to be able to stay in state,” said Bradley, who graduated with her master’s degree earlier this year. “We need to encourage our people to learn here and remain here.”

The importance of fostering that homegrown workforce is especially acute in Hawai‘i’s mental health sector, where a shortage of providers—especially in rural communities—is leading to delayed care and poorer outcomes.

Dr. Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Chaminade, said the University’s behavioral health programs have sought to meet the challenges in Hawai‘i head on, including by offering more fully online options geared to neighbor island students and expanding programs to meet workforce needs.

This summer, the school launched a standalone Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, giving students the option of fully in-person or 100 percent online coursework and stressing a pathway to Hawai‘i licensure along with 12 months of clinical training.

The school also offers four doctoral programs for advanced practice, including Hawai‘i’s only American Psychological Association-accredited Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology and a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy for clinician-leaders. Additional offerings for educational environments have also been added. Chaminade's Education Specialist in School Psychology degree is an innovative partnership with the state Department of Education, and delivered fully online. Meanwhile, the Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology, unique in the state, includes instruction on psychological test administration and a pathway to mental health counseling licensure.

Creating Homegrown Programs

Perhaps most importantly, Fryxell said, the school’s faculty members are seeking to reach students early in their academic careers to underscore the need for mental health professionals serving Hawai‘i—and how Chaminade can help them achieve that goal.

“It’s really about creating homegrown programs where people stay here and help their local communities,” Fryxell said, adding that the school also “makes every effort” to hire professors who are from or working in Hawai‘i so they understand the unique culture.

Chaminade also offers the only school counseling master’s program in the state— meeting another area of high need. “We are always looking for partnerships,” Fryxell said, noting the school works closely with the state Education Department.

The focus on mental health programming at Chaminade has already paid dividends, perhaps most fundamentally with an increase in alumni prepared to serve as clinicians and advanced providers in communities statewide. The PsyD program alone has grown by about 40 percent since launching at Chaminade and welcomed 30 students this year.

A Long Way To Go

Dr. Sean Scanlan, director of the Clinical Psychology program at Chaminade, said students fan out across more than 30 training sites statewide to earn their clinical hours—and make key connections as they build their careers.

“We have assumed the responsibility of being the primary source of clinical psychologists in the state, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Scanlan said, adding that the program’s graduates are working in private practice, clinics and hospitals, correctional facilities and a host of other settings.

While the program and others at Chaminade are making inroads, he added, Hawai‘i continues to rank poorly when it comes to unmet mental health care needs. In addition to rural communities, specific populations are also underserved, including youth.

“It’s safe to say that we have a long way to go,” Scanlan said.

But there is reason for hope, professors say. Not only is Chaminade focused on the problem, the state is directing more attention—and funding—to mental health programming. Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green has identified it as a priority.

Looking For Ways To Expand

“We’re passionate about growing the mental health field in Hawai‘i, ultimately increasing access to mental health care for the people of Hawai‘i,” said Dr. Blendine Hawkins, director of the Marriage and Family Therapy master’s and doctoral programs.

“Altogether, our program faculty’s efforts in clinical, professional, academic, and research spheres truly benefit our students as they develop as clinicians and leaders within the mental health field. And we are always looking for ways to expand.”

The new Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy is in line with that goal. Hawkins called the need for marriage and family therapists in Hawai‘i “significant,”

Misty Tashina Bradley MSCP '24 pointing to evidence that Hawai‘i has the highest percentage of adults in the country with undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. And getting to a provider for that key diagnosis can prove difficult: on O‘ahu, there are 370 clients to every MFT.

“MFTs are specially trained to work with families, and this is relevant in our state and communities where the concept of ‘ohana is highly valued,” Hawkins said, adding what sets Chaminade’s MFT program apart is its direct pathway to state licensure.

“The program will meet the demand for qualified MFTs who can work with individuals, couples, families, and groups,” Hawkins said. “Our curriculum, course assignments, student networking opportunities, and clinical experiences are tailored to address cultural diversity and build students’ cultural competence” for work in Hawai‘i.

We Don't Want You To Leave

Crystal Taylor MSCP ‘19 opted for the marriage and family track in Chaminade’s Counseling Psychology program before the standalone master’s degree was launched this year. She then jumped at the chance to seek a doctoral degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chaminade and is graduating next year in the inaugural cohort.

Taylor’s ultimate goal is to teach at the college level.

She believes strongly in training the next generation of clinicians—and said she was inspired to walk in the footsteps of her Chaminade professors. “I love the smaller classes and the connections I’ve made with professors,” Taylor said.

Bradley, the Hawai‘i Island graduate, is eyeing a career in direct service.

As she works to accrue clinical hours with a Hawai‘i Island nonprofit in order to apply for licensure, she is also considering a doctoral degree. Her goal is to open a private practice in Kailua-Kona, where she lives and works—and hopes to serve.

Bradley already owns her own massage and acupuncture clinic.

“I want to be at the forefront of professionals offering the culturally sensitive care communities need,” she said, adding that she’s also taken up a new goal: convincing young people to stay in Hawai‘i, learn in Hawai‘i and then serve Hawai‘i—like she did.

“I’m trying to mentor young people and tell them: we don’t want you to leave.”

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY MASTER’S DEGREE LAUNCHED

The new degree program is unique in the state

OVER THE NEXT DECADE, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment opportunities for marriage and family therapists will grow by 15 percent—much faster than the average for all occupations. And in Hawai‘i, Chaminade is helping to meet that need.

This past summer, the University launched its Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy—the only standalone program of its kind in the state. The degree is designed to give candidates a strong foundation in clinical practice and a pathway to licensure in Hawai‘i.

Dr. Blendine Hawkins, program director for the master’s and doctoral marriage and family therapy programs at Chaminade, says the MSMFT was designed with working professionals in mind. Students can opt to learn fully in person or fully online with synchronous classes. And progressing as cohorts, students get a full 12 months of clinical training—with placement.

Hawkins said licensed marriage and family therapists work on the front lines of psychotherapeutic clinical practice, delivering direct service to individuals, couples, families and groups at hospitals, social service agencies, public and private practice, and other settings.

“This program was developed to address a growing need for specialized training in family systems therapy in Hawai‘i,” she said. “What sets this program apart is its unique status as the only on-ground, Hawai‘i-based MFT program that provides a direct pathway to licensure in the state. The program will meet the demand for qualified MFTs who can work with individuals, couples, families, and groups on various mental health, and relational concerns.”

She noted that the program also puts special emphasis on working with culturally diverse communities. “Applicants may come from many backgrounds, having completed their bachelor’s in any discipline,” she said. “The program welcomes students who are passionate about helping people and serving their community. The target student is someone who wants to make a difference … and is interested in pursuing a career in family therapy.”