Aloha House increases program capacity with dormitory groundbreaking

Aloha House staff, board members and supporters conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, May 6 to celebrate the start of construction for a new Residential Substance Use Treatment Program dormitory.

The dormitory will add an additional 12 beds to the current 48 beds on campus, increasing program capacity by 25%.

“When we began planning in 2021 we knew increasing our program space would be important for the future, but we didn’t anticipate the wildfire disasters and resulting needs from the community,” said Nicole Hokoana, CEO.

Funded by the County of Maui, State of Hawaiʻi Grant in Aid, private foundations including Addicted Nation Solutions, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, The Clarence TC Ching Foundation, the Atherton Family Foundation, and private donors Mason and Trudy Williams, the dormitory was designed by MC3 Architects of Oʻahu and will be built by Maui contractor Cajudoy Construction.

The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted by Kahu Wayne Higa of Kaʻahumanu Church. In attendance were Maui County Council Members Gabe Johnson, Nohe Uʻu Hodgins, and Tom Cook; Maui County Mayor’s Office representative Jolie Jenkins; State Rep. Elle Cochran; Foundation representatives Carole Newell from Addicted Nation Solutions, Keanu Lau Hee from Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, and Tertia Freas from The Clarence TC Ching Foundation; and donors Mason and Trudy Williams, in addition to members of the Aloha House board of directors, staff, and interested community members.

The new dormitory will provide housing for clients of the Residential Substance Use Treatment Program, which provides a comprehensive range of services to address substance use issues for adult men and women. Starting with an initial detox program for those who need it, to intensive substance abuse treatment, including group programs, individual counseling, and therapy. When clients graduate for the program, they are eligible for continuing care through outpatient programs and sober living housing.

Founded in 1977, Aloha House is part of Maui Behavioral Health Resources, an umbrella organization for three nonprofit agencies: Aloha House, Mālama Family Recovery Center, and Maui Youth & Family Services. All three agencies provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment to Maui residents. Together, the agencies serve almost 8,000 individuals in the Maui community each year.