Hilo Benioff Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit

What to expect

Hilo Medical Center (HMC) provides acute psychiatric emergency services for children, adolescent, and adult patients. The Emergency Department offers a behavioral health assessment and referral process for child, adolescent, and adult patients. The assessment begins at the point of entry to the ED. The ED physician determines medical stability and initiates a tele-psych consult. Patients who do not meet criteria for psychiatric hospitalization will be released to the custody of legal guardian (if applicable), and/or referred to appropriate community mental health services for any further psychiatric evaluation and care.

Patients admitted to Hale Ho’ola are referred primarily through the Emergency Department (ED), but may be directly referred for admission from other acute care units within the facility. Patients are admitted and discharged per Hawaii Revised Statue (HRS) CHAPTER 334 on a voluntary or involuntary status. We treat a broad range of behavioral health diagnoses that include Major Depressive Disorder, Acute Psychosis, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia.

The following are a list of typical services, treatments, procedures and activities performed:

• In person or Tele-Psychiatry psychosocial evaluation daily.
• Initial Nursing assessment and planning within 24hrs
• Interdisciplinary treatment planning meeting within 48-72hrs
• Therapeutic Milieu and diversional activities
• Therapeutic interactions and plans of care based on assessed needs
• Occupational Therapy evaluation by referral
• Activity services (Community Meeting, Life Skills Group, etc.)
• Behavioral Health Assessments and referrals to appropriate level of care
• Referrals can be placed for substance abuse treatment, crisis stabilization bed, short-term shelter services, and short-term housing services (Medical Respite Program).