Blog

Pacific Quest is busy preparing for our annual Thanksgiving celebration!  Students and staff work together to prepare a variety of dishes and invite the families of staff members to join in the feast.  A highlight of our Thanksgiving celebration is the imu, a traditional Hawaiian underground oven. To make an imu, a hole is dug …

This letter is to thank Pacific Quest for their care of my daughter and to single out three of your staff members for their skill and professionalism. Please feel free to share it with other parents who are deciding whether or not to entrust their child to Pacific Quest.   My 19 year old daughter …

By Lauren Meyer – Assistant Program Supervisor This past Friday, a few of our Malama students took a break from camp to set out into the community of Na’alehu with a purpose. With a trunk full of tools, and smiles on our faces, we took off down the road to a neighbor’s house. In this house lives …

As our son struggled last year and began to lose hope. I struggled with the fact that I could not help him.  His downward spiral started with stomach aches, then he couldn’t attend school, then he couldn’t leave the house and lastly he stopped eating.  His only friends existed “virtually” online. His sister listened to …

Deborah Givens, BA YA Program Supervisor Deborah is a Program Supervisor at our Young Adult program.  Her primary responsibilities are risk management for the program and providing field support for the students and guides during daily field operations.  Program Supervisors are the first line of support for the Program Guides. The position is a residential …

On Saturday, September 19th, approximately 18 Pacific Quest employees participated in the 2nd Annual Ka’u Coffee Trail Run–The Southernmost Coffee Trail Run in the USA!  The goal of this event was to help raise money for the economically depressed community, via the non-profit organization O Ka’u Kakou.  All funds raised went to O Ka’u Kakou …

By Genell Howell, MA, CSAC Primary Therapist When we hear the word trauma we often associate it with endangering events. According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a detrimental event such as an accident, rape or natural disaster. While trauma is commonly associated with major life events, it may also include …

By Tom Jameson, MS, NCC Primary Therapist The Father of Attachment Theory, John Bowlby, described attachment as the “lasting psychological connections between human beings.” The way in which humans attach to others has been proven influential in terms of how individuals relate to others, themselves, and the world. Research has found that a person’s attachment …

Janna earned her Master of Science in Special Education through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program at Pace University, as well as her MA in English from Texas Christian University. Before coming to Pacific Quest, Janna taught English at a high school for students with severe emotional issues in the Bronx. She also taught …

Did you know that Pacific Quest has a fully-accredited Academic curriculum? During a typical eight-week stay, Pacific Quest students have the opportunity to take six academic courses for a total of 3.5 academic credits in the following subject areas: Career and Technical Education – Horticulture Pathway (0.5 credits) Health Education – Health Education (0.5 credits) …