Kaiser Permanente expands access to health services for Hawaiʻi’s youth

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi has awarded grants totaling $60,000 to two local nonprofits dedicated to supporting the emotional, mental, and social well-being of vulnerable youth and their families in Hawaiʻi. The YMCA of Honolulu received $30,000, and Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi received $30,000. 

The YMCA of Honolulu is a nonprofit that promotes youth development through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body. The organization’s Mental Health Wellness Program supports youth ages 9 to 24 on Oʻahu and Maui. This grant will expand the capabilities and outreach to help youth with physical disabilities as a specifically underserved population. The resources will support the employment of trained counselors and funding program materials. These counselors guide youth in applying coping strategies to manage anxiety, stress, anger, and other negative emotions, and in forming support networks.

“This support is critical to allow us to adapt our program and make sure that children with disabilities are included and supported in unique and helpful ways,” said Kyle Ishizaka, executive director of YMCA’s Mental Health Wellness Program.”

Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi provides grief, trauma, and workforce development support services for children, teens and their parents. The organization will use the funding to expand its mobile-based mental health and community services to schools on the Waiʻanae Coast. These services will include peer support groups, community-building activities, and mentoring programs for students and families in the Waiʻanae-Nānākuli Complex Area who have been impacted by traumatic events. The goal is to serve more than 1,000 individuals annually. 

“With Kaiser Permanente’s support and in collaboration with our amazing community partners, we’ve been able to launch some truly revolutionary programming on the Waiʻanae coast,” said Walker Rowsey, executive director of Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi. “Through our whole-household, wraparound services, families will have support from the moment their child enters Kids Hurt Too all the way through their high school graduation. These are full systems of support including workforce readiness, primary healthcare, and vital mental health supports.” 

“At Kaiser Permanente, our commitment to total health means supporting every part of a person’s well-being,” said Ed Chan, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plans and Hospitals in Hawaiʻi. “By partnering with these organizations that meet youth and families where they are, we can build stronger, healthier communities across Hawaiʻi.”

Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing high-quality, affordable health care services and improving the health of the communities it serves. These grants are the latest in a series of contributions from Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi to help residents throughout the state receive vital support services that impact their overall well-being. In 2024, Kaiser Permanente invested more than $38 million to expand access to care, increase affordable housing, support health care workforce development, and provide nutritious food to vulnerable people in Hawaiʻi—including $6.1 million in community grants and scholarships.