Kû Aloha Ola Mau
- formerly Drug Addiction Services of Hawai`i
A place of healing and recovery
"To stand and give from the deepest part of ourselves, love and compassion for health and life today and forever for our haumana.
Ku means to stand.
Aloha is love and compassion.
Ola is life/health and Mau is forever.
We work on recovery for health in this lifetime and focus on spirituality for a lifetime and beyond of total healing."
Kû Aloha has served over 8,000 persons who have had problems with alcohol and substance abuse and addiction since 1976. Through the organization's growth, a new philosophy and approach has emerged which is compassionate, holistic and centered around each participant or haumana(student). In July 2006, the Board of Directors voted to change the organization's name to be in line with its new philosophy and services:
Kû Aloha Ola Mau continues to transform and grow true to its name which means, stand lovingly and compassionately in everlasting life and health. We stand for those who are struggling to attain recovery and our services are given with the utmost Aloha.
Since 1976, the organization developed prevention education services related to the transmission of communicable diseases, offered intensive outpatient services, culturally and spiritually based services, medical and psychiatric services, pharmacotherapy and has integrated services such as lomilomi, acupuncture by licensed specialists and ho`oponopono by renown kupuna (elders). The program has become a comprehensive program offering psychiatric, social work, primary care, pharmacotherapy to include methadone, buprenorphine and other medications for the addiction of opiates, medication management and case management, outreach and counseling services.
In 1995 the program director received a national award for excellence in the field of opioid treatment. In 2003 this program of Kû Aloha also achieved national accreditation by CARF with the highest recommendation possible.
Kû Alohas cultural program in Puna has been recognized by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment as one of six model rural remote and culturally distinct projects in the nation. In 2003, the organization began working with the transgender population through a planning grant award from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Kû Aloha now participates in clinical trials for pegalyated interferon in the treatment of Hepatitis C and provides numerous community workshops.
Kû Alohas history is to incorporate interventions that are innovative and creative. In the past 17 years, Kû Aloha moved towards incorporation of evidenced based practices and research into its creative and loving process. In 1994, the organization began moving toward recognition of the importance of culture and spirituality. Today, the organization has begun serious incorporation of spirituality in all of Kû Alohas programs, sites and services.
Kû Alohas staff include certified substance abuse counselors, social workers, accounting staff, staff assistants, physicians, a psychiatrist, medical assistants, RNs and LPNs, marriage and family therapists and health educator/outreach worker. Volunteers include people from various walks of life including homemaking, graduates of the program, active haumana (student-client), psychology, personally experienced, social work and counseling psychology interns and psychiatric residents.
The organization is located in Honolulu, Hilo and Puna. It serves approximately 350 persons across all of its sites on a daily basis. More than half of these are on the Big Island.
