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DOH Reaches Out to Residents Affected by Fireworks Explosion
Posted on Feb 2, 2025 in Main
Kathleen Merriam, Hawai‘i State Department of Health Mental Supervisor – Adult Mental Health Division. Photo courtesy: DOH.
Counselors from the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) reached out to residents affected by the tragic fireworks explosion on Keaka Drive in Āliamanu on Jan. 1.
Healthcare professionals and social workers from the DOH Behavioral Health Administration visited the neighborhood beginning on Jan. 2, providing counseling, post-trauma interventions and debriefing. They also brought water bottles and cards with information about Hawai‘i Cares 988.
“People were clearly traumatized and still in shock,” said Kathleen Merriam, a mental health supervisor with the DOH Adult Mental Health Division. “As the days go by, family members and neighbors are eager to share their stories.”
Residents shared with staff their personal experiences and showed them the damage to their homes, vehicles, as well as their personal injuries.
DOH staff visited the neighborhood again on Jan. 8, conducting eight post-crisis interventions/conversations.
“I found the community very responsive and grateful,” Merriam said. “Folks were very receptive to hearing about the 988 phone number as a resource.”
Learn more at Hawai‘i Cares 988 at https://hicares.hawaii.gov/. To reach a counselor, call 808-832-3100, 800-753-6879 or 988.
For information on coping with trauma, visit the DOH Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division website at https://health.hawaii.gov/camhd/brochures-factsheets/