Hawaii’s Office of Wellness and Resilience details role in Maui recovery, data and staffing plans

Tia Hartsock, director of Hawaii’s Office of Wellness and Resilience, told a Resilient Tennessee Collaborative webinar that the office was “established in statute last year” and staffed with six positions to lead statewide work on trauma-informed care and resilience.

Hartsock said the office was appointed after an administration change and “we got fully staffed with 6 staff in June” before the August wildfires. She described an intense, ongoing role in Maui’s response: “we had about 10,000 people plus that were severely traumatized. We have about 100 deaths that have been officially, accounted for in the last, on on August 8th,” and said staff coordinated mental-health response and logistical support on the ground.

Why it matters: Hartsock framed the office as a statewide coordinator that combines a policy, data and training agenda with community-driven recovery. She outlined three work streams—data collection and a statewide dashboard to identify needs, legislative and program policy development, and train‑the‑trainer/technical assistance for state departments and community providers.

Hartsock described the office’s early response as constant “listening sessions”: the team convened daily noon calls for the first five weeks after the fires to gather on-the-ground needs from survivors, therapists, state departments and nonprofits and later reduced the calls to weekly coordination as conditions stabilized.

On services and culturally informed practice, Hartsock said the office partnered cultural practitioners and clinical psychologists to pilot Hawaii‑informed best practices in noncongregate hotel shelters, including body‑work such as Lomi Lomi combined with facilitated therapeutic engagements. She said the strategy intentionally centers community leadership in recovery rather than imposing outside solutions.

Hartsock also described workforce supports, including a pilot of a wellness app called Sigbee to measure daily staff wellness with a three‑minute check-in so supervisors can spot yellow or red flags; participation is opt‑in. She said the office aims to identify and draw down federal and philanthropic dollars to support programs and contracts already operating in the state.

On durability, Hartsock said the office was created in statute, and while it began in the governor’s office it will be administratively transferred to the Department of Human Services in 2025; she cautioned that legislative base funding determines long‑term staffing levels.

Closing: Hartsock urged visitors to be “mindful travelers,” warned against photographing damaged areas in Lahaina and asked travelers to consider the resource strain on West Maui. The webinar concluded with thanks to presenters and a note that organizers will circulate next year’s schedule.