Safe communities begin with identifying troubled youth and providing them with the necessary counseling and social services. When concerns arise about homelessness and youth runaways, the solutions are vast and require a robust community of service providers working together to tackle these complex issues.

The Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center (KYFWC), formerly called the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility, is developing a master plan that will truly take a village of resources.

For almost a decade, the vision of transforming KYFWC into a place where troubled youth can actively pursue a better life is now coming into fruition. However, as we move forward, it is increasingly apparent that our state continues to overlook one of the greatest challenges facing our society today: mental health.

Hawaii has experienced an unprecedented rise in mental health challenges among our youth, a crisis that has been magnified by the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic fundamentally reshaped the lives of countless individuals in our island communities. It exacerbated existing mental health issues and laid bare the vulnerabilities within our support systems. School closures, extended periods of social isolation, widespread economic disruptions, and heightened family stress all resulted in significant mental health struggles for many young people. Even with a few years of the pandemic behind us, we continue to grapple with the long-term consequences, including higher rates of anxiety, depression and youth homelessness.

A comprehensive profile of the youth and young adults residing on our Kawailoa campus highlights these deeply troubling trends. In our efforts to fully understand this crisis, our team consistently examines the social determinants of health — societal, environmental, community, familial, and individual factors that collectively influence well-being.

All too often, policies and systems fail to address the inequities faced by certain demographics. These shortcomings leave vulnerable youth, particularly those subjected to harassment or systemic neglect, without the critical support they need to thrive.

During the pandemic, many low-income families endured housing insecurity, while youth in rural areas struggled with limited internet connectivity, making remote education and telehealth services practically unreachable. These disparities underscored the need for comprehensive and inclusive support systems.

Kawailoa’s response to this crisis is rooted in a holistic approach to healing. Recognizing that mental health is a key component of overall well-being has become a driving force behind the design of our future facilities. Our focus is to empower youth and their families, equipping them with the tools to understand, manage and grow from challenging emotions and experiences.

A critical element of Hawaii’s mental health crisis is the lack of specialized facilities staffed with professionals who possess the expertise to address complex mental health needs. For instance, the closure of our partner facility Kahi Mohala eliminated a vital resource for teens requiring additional services on the island, leaving a significant gap in the system.

When resources and support systems are reduced or removed, the consequences ripple through society — problems worsen, and the strain on facilities like ours increases. In this legislative session, we will be seeking adequate resources to ensure robust support systems.

Undoubtedly, partnerships are essential in our goal to provide a seamless continuum of therapeutic services, ensuring that every young person has access to the care they need. Supporting youth mental health requires a multifaceted effort across educational, community, and youth activity settings.

Kawailoa’s future therapeutic campus will embody a commitment to trauma-informed care that integrates Hawaiian values of aloha (love), malama (care), and kuleana (responsibility). Our goal is to create a rehabilitative environment that empowers youth to overcome adversity and foster stronger, healthier communities.

Mark Patterson is Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center administrator.