A New Approach To Change

Pacific Quest is an outdoor therapeutic program that inspires and enables struggling adolescents and young adults to realize their full potential; a place that offers young people and their families

hope, unconditional support, and a chance for a new life.

Our students live on our organic farm and gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii. Immersed in a setting featuring some of the most ecologically diverse land the islands have to offer, they join a culture rich in tradition and a community of family support. Through experiential education

Pacific Quest provides a holistic, yet highly clinical approach to treatment that is individualized for each student, cultivating an experience of personal meaning and importance.

We have designed a truly unique program allowing students an opportunity to view the land and sustainable agriculture as a mirror for life’s challenges and rewards. Throughout this process of growth, students are empowered to make healthy choices for self, family and community within

our borders, which they will then carry through their lives.

Our MissionPacific Quest provides individualized, sustainable personal development within a safe, structured, experiential and natural environment, in a culture of unconditional support and personal responsibility.

Clinical ApproachThe Pacific Quest gardens offer a dynamic medium for therapeutic growth. Central to the therapeutic model is the experiential nature of the program and holistic approach to well-being. The program structure, intentional design of the phases, curriculum, daily activities, focus on health and wellness, and peer culture compliment the individual treatment plan to provide the foundation for developing personal awareness and cultivating tools for personal growth. Individualized treatment objectives and strategies are created by the clinicians and implemented by the entire treatment team. The gardens and camp life provide daily opportunities for students to put words and ideas into action. The blend of therapeutics and experiential education nurtures sustainable growth, allowing students the ability to apply healthy coping skills beyond the shores of the Hawaiian Islands.

Individual and group therapy at Pacific Quest varies in its form and approach. Depending on student needs, clinicians and students may sit together in a wooded area of camp or get their hands dirty in the soil. Clinicians find creative ways to connect with students, producing a nurturing relationship conducive to reflection, awareness, communication and change. Clinicians deepen the learning of day-to-day interactions by relating strengths and struggles to underlying issues occurring in environments outside of Pacific Quest. Clinicians also teach basic life skills such as communication, problem solving and expression skills.

Health & WellnessAt Pacific Quest, our first responsibility is for our students’ physical safety. Over the years, we have had an impeccable safety record and have proactively developed an incredible team of medical professionals including a Medical Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Nurse, and Psychiatrist to work with our small number of students.

Upon each student’s arrival, our professionals immediately assess any individual safety and/or hygiene needs, and healthy standards and expectations are set. Once they begin to consistently experience the effects of physical health, it paves the way for emotional health and growth.

An understanding and routine of basic physical wellness is the foundation of Pacific Quest. Proper nutrition and diet, plenty of exercise and sleep, and the understanding that your body is connected to your mind and emotions are parts of this foundation and emphasized daily. We believe that what we put in our bodies directly affects how we feel. Our diet has been developed to give the needed nutrition, take advantage of the local foods in Hawaii, and to allow for creativity and enjoyment for our students. We teach the basics of nutrition and how the body uses food as fuel. Students learn and experience food preparation, cooking skills and cleaning for themselves and others. All kitchen work is closely monitored by staff for safety and hygiene.

OUR CAMPS

Nalu (na-loo) reflectionThe focus of Nalu is on reflection and simply settling into the new environment. Students’ treatment focus includes managing issues related to their transition and learning healthy coping skills. This is where students can be less stable and so the expectations are fewer. In this camp, students first focus on self-care and learning the new physical aspects of the environment (cooking, hygiene, rules and regulations) prior to adding the dynamics of a peer community. This also allows for more reflection time with fewer distractions that can often occur with the increase in peer interactions. The students at this point tend to require more external rewards for motivation and so peer interaction is a carrot for demonstrating basic willingness in order to move into the next camp.

Kuleana (koo-lay-ana) personal responsibilityIn the Kuleana camp expectations include maintaining basic self-care and willingness gained from the Nalu focus and adding increased peer interactions. At this stage, a student will develop working knowledge of the different components that make up the Ohana (family) without the pressure of the interdependency that comes with the Ohana expectations. Students will begin to have some meals together, will work on land projects together and will have the opportunity to engage in a minimum of two therapist run group sessions per week. The field staff also facilitates group activities that include trust building exercises, teamwork and learning various concepts important to community, such as communication skills. Students begin to connect more with peers around challenging topics such as impact letters to deepen the meaning of their PQ experience. Students may return to the Kuleana camp to mentor, when struggling in other camps or to prepare for a solo experience with fewer distractions.

Ohana (o-ha-na) familyIn the Ohana camp, expectations and peer dynamics increase to add a tier of challenge and learning that test and enhance the work already begun. Students take on various roles (cook, nursery, compost manager, etc.) in order to help the community function as they learn about the effect of their participation on other students and other job areas, augmenting the understanding of concepts like interdependency and cause and effect. Students participate in a minimum of two therapist-run group sessions per week, daily sessions run by the field staff, and are empowered to “call group” for themselves in order to practice identifying and expressing thoughts and emotions while using peer group support.

The Ohana camp is where a student needs to be in order to join the weekly outings to beaches, national parks, etc. These students have gained a level of trust from the program to allow them to travel around the island without concern over their potential behaviors or reactions. In the Ohana, issues and patterns from the home relationships are often repeated and highlighted, as the family is mirrored and paralleled through the Ohana created by the students.

Malama (ma-llama) preservation and community serviceMalama is the term for our students who are farthest along in their personal growth work and who, ideally, need little redirection or staff oversight. These students tend to be at PQ for the longest amount of time, tend to volunteer to complete chores rather than wait to be told and who demonstrate increased self-motivation and increased integrity. These students become mentors in other camps and are working to balance focusing on the present with preparing for the future and their transition out of PQ into their next step. The structure of group therapy and peer interaction is the same as in the Ohana, however, the Malama members will be increasingly in charge of planning their days and weeks and will be asked about their needs, their priorities and their desire for group therapy in order to guide them with self-advocating and self-regulation.

Rites of PassageOur Rites of Passage model contains three phases: Severance from the past, the Threshold experience (personal solo), and the Incorporation of these experiences and perspectives into everyday life.

Severance begins as the students reflect on their past actions and beliefs and take responsibility for those choices. Participants write their life story and begin to live in the present by developing new perspectives and skills. Eventually, they form Intents, statements of who they are and who they would like to become as they prepare for solo.

The solo marks their Severance from the past and represents their Threshold experience. Many lessons are reinforced and new ones are learned during this intense and rewarding process. Upon completion, with their new Intent, they take on new (and old) responsibilities. The Solo experience truly becomes an important reference point for years to come.

While the solo experience itself is impactful, it is important to put it in context of a normal life filled with daily responsibilities. The Incorporation phase helps participants build resilience and generalize experiences while preparing them for the transitions ahead.

Family ProgramIt is important to understand that even though it is the student that is enrolled at Pacific Quest, the family as a whole must take part in the growth process in order for lasting change. Pacific Quests integrates family relationships and communication into the program in several ways.

Parent Manual: Once a student is admitted, parents will receive a Parent Manual, which serves as a guide for understanding the process of growth at Pacific Quest. The manual serves as a parallel curriculum, as parents are asked to complete assignments that are in direct line with the student’s process in the program. Assignments are tailored to each family’s needs.

Weekly Parent Phone Sessions: Each week, therapists will provide an update via phone to parents. These discussions will include a narrative account of weekly events, student’s challenges and growth in the program, and connections to home behaviors and family dynamics. Later, the discussions will include aftercare and transition plans.

Parent Workshop: Some time during the second half of a student’s stay, parents are invited to join the treatment team and the student for a two-day workshop in Hawaii. The workshop includes group therapy and support for parents, individual family therapy with the student and their parents, and experiential, therapeutic activities in the garden. The goal of these workshops is to provide support, collaboration, awareness and guidance for families as they face sustainable change.

Educational ConsultantsEducational Consultants are independent professionals who assist families in the placement of students into appropriate schools and programs. The consultants are hired by families to assess and manage the student’s needs. Educational Consultants provide an objective voice for the family and student, and a support system to help families effectively move forward in the student’s treatment. Educational Consultants travel extensively to schools and programs to discover and understand the intricacies and abilities of each one. In this way, they can match each individual student with the proper program.

Creating a powerful and rewarding experience is only effective if it is part of a long-term, progressive plan that includes structure and accountability. Preparing students for the next step, at home or at school, is critical to their long-term success. Educational consultants are recommended for their ability to advocate for the family, see the big picture and help facilitate appropriate future placements.

Pacific Quest has a very successful relationship with consultants. From the beginning of the admissions process, we work closely with them to determine the needs of the student and family. Throughout a student’s stay, our therapists are in regular communication with the consultant, who serves as a welcome advocate for the family’s needs. Together, they work to update and modify the goals and outcomes of the student’s plan. The marriage of the consultant’s program knowledge with the therapist’s proper recommendations for the student for their transition ensures the best plan for the future success of the student.

Student ProfileAdolescent Program: Co-ed / Ages 13-17 Young Adult Program: Co-ed / Ages 18-24

Academic Underachievement - ADD/ADHDAddiction, Adoption Issues - Anger/DefianceAnxiety - Computer/GamingDepression – Entitlement Family Conflict - Grief & LossExperimentation/Abuse with Drugs/AlcoholIsolation - Lack of Self/ Esteem/ConfidenceLearning Differences/Social DifferencesNegative Peer Groups - School Refusal

Students who are experiencing psychosis, are violent outside of their home, or refuse to engage in the medical recommendations of their treatment team are NOT appropriate for Pacific Quest. Students with Conduct Disorder or high levels of aggression, who are detoxing or have a major, unmedicated mental illness are also not appropriate candidates for admission.

AdmissionsPacific Quest is a co-ed program and operates year-round. Appropriate candidates are adolescents ages 13-17 and young adults ages 18-24. Acceptance is based on review of application, and psychoeducational testing when appropriate, consultation with parents and referring professionals (and student if 18 or over). Application may be accessed on-line at our website.

Length of Stay - Typical stay is 8 – 10 weeks

Tuition - Please call our admissions department for current tuition rates.

Transport - PQ accepts students arriving by transport. Students may also arrive with or without parent accompaniment.

Special Services - PQ will consider students with medical and other issues that prohibit them from attending a traditional wilderness trekking model (i.e. knee or back injury, overweight, other medical condition). Our Wellness Team will assess the needs and appropriateness of the student based on medical records and a complete application.

Contact Informationwww.PacificQuest.org admissions@pacificquest.org808.937.5806