Mālama Na Makua A Keiki Awarded OHA ‘Ohana and Community Program Grant

Mālama Na Makua A Keiki dba Mālama Family Recovery Center was awarded a $75,000 one-year grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to support its family-centered substance abuse treatment and support program.

The purpose of the program is to provide gender-specific substance use treatment to women who are pregnant or parenting. Women receive a variety of services to provide a holistic approach to recovery, including evidence-based drug treatment curriculum, individual and group therapy, psycho education, life skills classes and cultural education and activities reflective of the community and host culture. 

Mālama Family Recovery Center was established in 1999, originally as Mālama Na Makaua A Keiki, when local doctors and nurses saw a need to provide assistance for pregnant and parenting women suffering from drug and alcohol use, to prevent babies from being born affected by drugs and alcohol.

BabySAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) was the first program of the agency. Later, the organization added a residential substance use treatment facility, a sober living program and outpatient services. The organization serves approximately 160 women and children per year.

“We’re very pleased to be working with OHA in this capacity; these funds will help us provide treatment for substance use that effects women, and subsequently their children, so that we can work toward strengthening the ‘ohana. We are grateful to have the opportunity to use this funding to grow our ‘āina-based cultural programming, as well as expand our Early Learning Center for the keiki in our care,” said Dr. Lisa Ponichtera, Clinical Director for Mālama Na Makua A Keiki.

For more information about Mālama, call 808-877-7117 or email [email protected]