State officials affirmed their commitment yesterday to implement a community mental-health plan as they began reviewing a scathing report released Wednesday. The report, by U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang, doubted the state can meet the June 30 deadline for the plan and also cited concerns over the recent deaths of mentally ill residents.

"It is clear that much work remains to be done," officials at the State Department of Health said in a prepared statement. "The Department of Health is committed to using our maximum possible efforts toward successful and timely completion of the community plan."

The department and its adult mental-health division will work with staff members, mental-health service providers, hospitals and the mentally ill to make the plan a "reality" for each Hawai'i resident who needs mental-health services, the department said.

The state's formal response will be prepared by Attorney General Mark Bennett, the department said.

Bennett could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The state is trying to comply with a federal mandate to provide Hawai'i's estimated 9,000 seriously mentally ill residents with services, treatment and care.

In his latest report, Chang said the state is far behind schedule. He said the lack of progress by the leadership of the adult mental-health division is frustrating and undermines the good work done by committed individuals trying to achieve the goals of implementing the plan.

He cited the six suicides and the deaths of 10 other mentally ill residents during a two-month span this year to underscore his concerns.

Under the plan, the state will devise a system to provide the mentally ill with individualized treatment, care and, depending on the needs, housing and services such as vocational training.

Although the state made reasonable progress in some areas, a court-appointed evaluation team found weaknesses in "critical areas," Chang said.

Among the weaknesses cited are developing an internal organizational decision-making structure for the community mental-health system; implementing a consistent standard of treatment planning; and developing a system assessing the needs of Hawai'i State Hospital patients and providing services to meet the patience once they're released, he said.