Services

With a mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues, Kaua`i Mental Health Advocates (KMHA) has prioritized offering accessible and affordable mental health services to the community.

KMHA is purposefully growing in how we are able to offer and connect mental health services to Kaua`i’s communities and we now offer mental health counseling, training workshops, and advocacy efforts.

Educational Services

After a spike of suicides on our island, KMHA came together with community members to educate ourselves more on the triggers and warning signs of a person in mental distress. As a result, the professionals at KMHA now have a background in facilitating a variety of training workshops that support those seeking mental health assistance. Trainings can be customized for any professional, community, or personal development with a focus on mental health and wellness, mental health crisis, and suicide prevention. We are always looking for individuals to help coordinate, so if there is ever a desire to support, there are multiple opportunities to do so at KMHA:

  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

    This is a 16-hour/2-day professional development course provided by Living Works, the world's leading suicide intervention training company. ASIST provides participants with a greater awareness and critical skill set to assist someone in a crisis by providing them in-the-moment support while connecting them to the appropriate mental/health care professionals. *This course is open to any member of the community, and is not limited to mental health professionals.

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

    This is a 8 hour/1- day professional development course provided by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing. It educates participants on general signs and indicators of mental illness exhibited by youth compared to the difference of typical adolescent developmental and transitional behaviors. It also provides participants with tangible steps in supporting youth that need or are seeking more appropriate mental health services. *This course is open to any member of the community, and is not limited to mental health professionals.

  • Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention

    This is a 2-4 hour personal/professional development course offered to youth provided by Mental Health America. This workshop supports young people in their ability to understand external factors that can influence thoughts and feelings within themselves and their peers. With this, participants can help identify what bullying or suicidal thoughts and behaviors look like, and are equipped with supportive methods in those situations.

*While these courses are able to be taught, collaboration in funding is critical to make these courses more accessible to the community. Please let us know if you'd like to support this cause through a fiscal donation or volunteering!


Counseling Services

People go to counseling for many different reasons. There are so many life experiences where we need someone that can hold a healthy and safe space for us. Whether it's someone needing extra support through challenging life transitions; grieving the loss of a loved one; or working on life skill sets with an awareness that offers true self-growth, counseling can cover a wide range of issues. It's important to feel safe and comfortable enough to look at life through a lens that makes it more manageable, comfortable, and even enjoyable when facing personal and communal issues. Sometimes maintaining mental health can be challenging on our own, and KMHA aims to change that; regardless of circumstance, gender, or any other factors.

KMHA offers direct interventive mental health counseling services including individualized and family therapy, and when having capacity, group therapy.

Pathways for Mental Health Professionals | PMHP

There is a scarcity in mental health professionals within the field which specifically impacts the residents of our county. With a lack of mental health professionals, it makes finding services for folks in need more challenging and puts a greater demand on all mental health professionals and their caseload. As a result, KMHA has developed a program called Pathway for Mental Health Professionals in order to support up-and-coming mental health professionals who are working on their master’s degree and/or post-graduate licensing. PMHP assists with connecting professionals with qualified supervisors to meet the demand of those seeking mental health services and further elevating the skills of these professionals. If you are a mental health professional who is looking for a clinical supervisor in the field, please reach out to KMHA for further information.

DISCLAIMER:

If we are ever unable to provide counseling services due to lack of capacity, it is our mission to support anyone seeking mental health services by finding a clinician that will take their insurance and is available to meet.

*If you are looking for immediate support and, in an emergency, call 988 now. A local mental health professional will assist in finding you crisis support in real time.

Advocacy Efforts

Kaua`i Mental Health Advocates wants to hear people's stories, connect them to appropriate community resources, and work with other community-based agencies for social change on the local, county, and state levels.

We are seeking to connect with those who have a desire to work with aligned individuals and agencies on advocating for more resources and accessible provisions in the mental health field for providers, consumers, and everyone in between. We'll have a representative reach out to you so we can continue putting the pieces of our community's mental health puzzle together!

Mahalo nui loa.