Health equity and behavioral health are among the priorities for federal officials in this phase of Maui wildfire recovery. The Conversation talked to Jeffrey Reynoso, the Region 9 director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
He took part in the Hawaiʻi State of Reform Health Policy Conference on Thursday in Honolulu and spoke with HPR after visiting Maui earlier this week.
Reynoso said going to Maui added a lot of context for him, being there with the impacted communities on the ground. While the damaged physical infrastructure is tangible and visible, his job is to focus on human health.
He said there is an enormous need for behavioral health services.
"As the federal government, we want to be a partner in the work of expanding behavioral health services to the community so that we can rebuild more resiliently," Reynoso said.
Reynoso said the department is embedding behavioral health specialists into educational settings on Maui, and working with students as well as educators to provide training and technical assistance for mental health needs.
This story aired on The Conversation on Jan. 11, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
