To help fill the urgent demand for more mental health services, Chaminade University of Honolulu has been awarded a $2.34 million federal grant over four years to expand and strengthen the state’s behavioral health workforce.
The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) award provided by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) supports Chaminade’s initiative to develop a health care workforce in a comprehensive effort to address the acute shortage of mental health professionals across the islands.
Hawai‘i is facing a critical shortage of mental health services, especially for children, adolescents and homeless members of the community. The lingering effects of the pandemic, recent natural disasters such as the Maui wildfires, compounded by economic uncertainty and systemic healthcare gaps, have driven an unprecedented demand for behavioral health support.
The BHWET initiative will primarily serve young adults and marginalized populations throughout Hawai‘i, ensuring that care reaches those who need it most.
By equipping nurse practitioners with advanced behavioral health training and embedding them in community health settings, Chaminade University aims to transform access to care across the state.
The grant, awarded to Chaminade’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program will provide support to students, faculty, clinical preceptors, and community organizations in order to educate future PMHNPs in an interprofessional setting while concurrently strengthening the interdisciplinary team approach to delivering care.
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“Our mission is rooted in developing a workforce capable of serving the community,” said Dr. Pamela Smith, vice dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions and DNP director. “With this support, we’re not only expanding educational access for future PMHNPs, we’re directly addressing the workforce gaps that are preventing families and children from getting the care they need.”
This latest grant strengthens Chaminade University’s mission to serve Hawai‘i by investing in the next generation of mental health providers and expanding access to care where it’s needed most.
Dr. Lorin Ramocki, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, added that by advancing workforce training and community-based partnerships, “Chaminade is taking meaningful steps to close the mental health care gap and uplift underserved populations across the state.”
As Chaminade’s PMHNP track coordinator and grant program lead, Dr. Dana Monday will work with key community collaborators in this initiative, including the Institute of Human Services (IHS) and Child and Family Services (CFS). Both agencies offer deeply rooted, community-based services to vulnerable populations.
Chaminade’s BHWET initiative directly addresses this crisis through a multi-faceted approach:
• Recruitment and Training: The program will support and train a new generation of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) by providing targeted financial support to students in Chaminade’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, lowering economic barriers to entry into this vital field.
• Field Placement and Experiential Learning: New and expanded partnerships with community organizations will provide students with hands-on experience in integrated care settings across high-need areas, particularly in underserved communities.
• Interprofessional and Team-Based Training: Students will train alongside professionals from various health disciplines, learning to deliver collaborative, holistic care that integrates behavioral health into primary care environments.
• Preceptor Development: The program will also focus on increasing the capacity of experienced behavioral health professionals to serve as clinical preceptors and mentors for the next generation of practitioners.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chaminade has graduated more than 650 students in behavioral health majors, including Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Bachelor’s in Psychology, Masters in Counseling Psychology (MSCP), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and started Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT) and Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy (MSMFT) programs.
The DNP program, launched in 2021, has four specialty tracks, including Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Executive Leader, and the only Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program in the state.
(HRSA Award Grant No. M01HP54853-01-00)