Facts
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Find answers to some common question people have about Hale Kipa.

What is Hale Kipa?

Hale Kipa is a private, non-profit organization created in 1970 to better the lives of at-risk youth throughout the state of Hawaii.

How many youth has Hale Kipa served?

Hale Kipa has served more than 40,000 youths in its 40 years of existence, and continues to serve more than 3,000 youth and families each year through its 19 locations on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

What are the different types of services offered by Hale Kipa?

  • Prevention and intervention: Prevention and Intervention programs work with youth in both home and school settings in an effort to help prevent runaways and truancy, to improve school performance, and to strengthen family relationships.
    Shelter: Shelter Services provide temporary physical shelter and emotional support for youth, many of whom are awaiting placement in a more permanent setting.
  • Foster care: Foster care programs place youth in a traditional home setting for period of up to 1 year, matching the youth with the family that will best meet the youth’s needs.
  • Residential: Hale Kipa maintains a network of group homes for transitional youth that provide independent living situations for youth.
  • Outreach: Outreach programs provide services to homeless and street-identified young adults in order to promote these clients’ successful transition to self-sufficiency.

How does a shelter differ from a group home?

Group home: Group homes have a relatively stable population, with participants staying anywhere from six months to two years. Using the example above, in a given month at an eight-bed program there may be five or six youth staying for an extended period of time.
Shelter: These programs are designed for short term stays, with youth staying for a month or less. For example, in a full eight-bed program, there could be up to 14 different youth every month.

Why are these types of programs located in neighborhoods?

Youth placed in these programs do not need to be locked away from the community. Instead, they need a safe place to live and learn the skills necessary to return to their families or to live independently. The best environment in which to succeed is a natural setting in a normal community. Communities play a critical role in creating the best environment for success.

Are these programs licensed?

All residential programs for minors and/or providing Child/Adolescent Mental Health services are required to obtain a license through the State Department of Human Services or State Department of Health, depending on the type of program. In addition, programs operate with a contract which sets standards for operation. The state assures that licensing and contractual standards are met through regular monitoring.
The Council on Accreditation, a national accrediting body, also sends out a peer-review team to review client records and files, as well as interview staff and youth to assure that an organization is complying with the commonly understood standards for the provision of that service.

Are there rules for residents? How are they supervised?

Yes. Supervision and structure are key elements that help at-risk youth identify and understand a responsible set of behaviors. Youth have 24-hour supervision as well as a curfew. These measures are not intended to confine an individual because of any perceived threat, as providers are not legally permitted to physically constrain someone who chooses to leave. Youth are also expected to attend school, work, or be otherwise engaged in community activities. According to individual treatment goals, these are usually done without staff accompaniment.

Are the residents evaluated for risk and who refers them to these programs?

Referral agencies must conduct risk assessments before contacting a provider to place a youth in any program or service. Placement is selected based on an approved level of care and structure appropriate for the needs of the individual.
Youths are referred for a variety of reasons from agencies including the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the State of Hawaii, Child Protective Services, and Family Court. There is no single category of youth in any one of the Hale Kipa facilities; typically there is a cross-section at all times.

What are the backgrounds of the youth and their ages?

The majority of individuals that Hale Kipa helps are between 12-17 years old. Their backgrounds are varied, and their families come from all walks of life.

What qualifications does the staff have?

There are approximately 230 full-time and part-time employees at Hale Kipa. Each Hale Kipa program has licensing, contractual and accreditation standards that must be met. Employees go through an initial orientation, and some have been through much more extensive training. All receive regular and routine supervision.
To work in a Hale Kipa program that accepts placements from the State’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, all individuals must go through an extensive credentialing process that includes a review of their educational background, verification of employment, a review of reference letters, criminal backgrounds and the child abuse and neglect screenings to assure that the staff working in our programs are not a risk to the youth and/or young adults that they supervise.

For more information, contact Hale Kipa at (808) 589-1829.