A BRIEF HISTORY
We are a private non-profit corporation created by the people of the Wai`anae Coast to meet the needs of our community. Hale Na`au Pono was incorporated on August 29, 1986, providing culturally- and socially-sensitive, community-based, behavioral health services for children and adults. We cover a wide range of mental health needs including substance abuse.
Our history and the design of our programs are rooted in the activist nature of this community. In the mid-1970's the Wai`anae Community rallied together to take control of the State's Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Wai`anae. The Community felt that mental health services should be grounded in local values and provided by the people familiar with Wai`anae's culture. In 1978, the State heard the Community's pleas, and began to transition the CMHC to the Wai`anae Community.
We began a transition program with the State, first, by separating our community service from the Leeward District by designating Wai`anae as a separate "catchment" area. We were called a "demonstration model" and formed our own advisory board. This board set the path for spinning off completely from the State, forming a community owned and governed not-for-profit mental health center. We incorporated in the State of Hawai`i in 1987. By January 1995, we became the first mental health center in Hawai`i to receive national accreditation by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) for mental health case management and out patient therapy. We received the maximum three-year accreditation. We were re-accredited in 1998 again for the maximum - three years. We also became associated with the Hawai`i `Ohana Project - a Federal demonstration program to design a comprehensive system of care for families and youths with emphasis on a cultural basis for care.
In 1996, we moved out of very cramped quarters at the Satellite City Hall in Wai`anae into our current home - office. We began doing business as "Hale Na`au Pono," a Hawaiian name interpreted as "The Center for Inner Balance". From 1995 to 1998, we have more than doubled our staff and tripled our clients.
In 1999, Hale Na`au Pono was awarded the prestigious Managed Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Award at the 1999 National Managed Health Care Congress. The award recognizes not only the leadership and quality of service in the field, but also, the organization’s unique and outstanding programs. Eli Lilly & Co., is the corporate underwriter for these annual awards. The National Managed Health Care Congress is the nation’s largest, most diverse educational forum and exhibition for all constituents in the managed health industry.
2025
Significant changes have occurred to our Adult group home and Children's programs.
At the end of December 2024, we ended our decades old "therapeutic foster home" now known as "transitional family home" program with the State Department of Health's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD). Years of low referrals (both during and Post-COVID), difficulties recruiting and retaining foster parents, and difficulties finding insurance in a legal environment where victims of sexual abuse from decades ago are receiving huge settlements from schools, universities, churches, scouts and other organizations serving youth or vulnerable individuals have resulted in our decision to close the program. More and more departments across the nation have been transitioning away from out-of-home care (foster homes, residential programs, psychiatric hospitals) to community-based "In-Home" services, where we project our in-home therapy programs to flourish and help many more youth and families--meeting them "where they're at."
Our Adult Group Home program has also undergone significant changes in October 2024. Where we rapidly expanded from 4 group homes a decade ago to become the largest 24-Hour Group Home operator on O'ahu with 15 total locations, we have started to close our far-away locations and shrink to just 9 locations at the expiration of our contract with the State Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD). Inflation has significantly outpaced AMHD fee schedules and we are unable to continue operating such a large program to prevent our most vulnerable adults with mental illness from becoming homeless. Paying for rent, utilities, insurance, management and STAFF in 2025 and beyond based on rates established in 2014 is unsustainable.
MISSION
The mission of Hale Naʻau Pono is to support resilient communities by providing behavioral health, preventative and community-based services to children, adults, and families with integrity, aloha, and cultural awareness.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
The areas we serve include the Island of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi. We provide adult case management for Leeward Oʻahu, adult group home services on the island of Oʻahu, intensive in-home Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island, and family and community services of Leeward Oʻahu.
Of the estimated 50,000 people on the Coast, the majority are native Hawaiian. Other prominent ethnic groups include: Caucasian, Filipino, Samoan, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese and others. One-half of Wai`anae's population is under 20 years old.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
2023-2028 Strategic Plan
