Once settled in, our students go on group outings to explore the Big Island's cultural, historic, and scenic areas.
These outings serve as a chance to practice newly learned skills off-campus and interact with the community. Day outings include visits to:
• White, black, and green sand beaches
• Volcanoes National Park
• Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens
• Mauna Kea Summit Observatory
• State parks and local museums
During the program’s later stages, young adults participate in community service projects to foster a sense of community stewardship. Pacific Quest has partnered with several local groups to provide rich opportunities for young adults to serve others.
YOUNG ADULTS
Pacific Quest: Cultivating Change
Today, young adults face a unique set of social challenges.. At Pacific Quest, we take a strengths-based approach to help participants ages 18-24 boost their self-esteem, heal traumas, and break cycles of harmful and self-destructive behaviors.
The Pacific Quest Experience
Pacific Quest’s young adult program operates out of our well-appointed homes on the east side of Hawaii’s Big Island. Each day, students participate in outdoor programming. Every evening they sleep in a secure dormitory monitored by awake staff.
Cultivating New Beginnings
From the moment they arrive, each young adult is supported by an experienced team of wellness professionals. Routines vary according to individual needs, but our program focuses on crucial life and mental health skills. These include self-care and hygiene, meal preparation and planning, horticultural therapy, personal reflection, individual and group therapy, group initiatives, communication, journaling, goal development and evaluation, wellness education, physical activity, and community service.
Once settled in, our students go on group outings to explore the Big Island's cultural, historic, and scenic areas.
These outings serve as a chance to practice newly learned skills off-campus and interact with the community. Day outings include visits to:
• White, black, and green sand beaches
• Volcanoes National Park
• Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens
• Mauna Kea Summit Observatory
• State parks and local museums
During the program’s later stages, young adults participate in community service projects to foster a sense of community stewardship. Pacific Quest has partnered with several local groups to provide rich opportunities for young adults to serve others.
Is Pacific Quest the Right Choice for Me?
Pacific Quest provides the tools and interpersonal skills to make positive life choices and break cycles of distress. Our program is ideal for those that could benefit from communal living, connection to nature, and developing a sense of personal responsibility and community stewardship. Our clients need a break from the stress and overstimulation of daily life but require a residential treatment program’s structure and resources.
We are not the right choice for clients experiencing an acute mental health crisis or refusing to engage in the medical recommendations of treatment. We are also not an appropriate resource for students with court-mandated treatment, conduct disorder, or out of home aggression. PQ is also not suitable for some medical conditions or those who may require a medical detox. Visit our resource library for a more comprehensive list of issues and diagnoses we specialize in.
Therapy Evolved
Today’s youth are living in an always-on, plugged-in world. Research has shown that this constant stimulation overload contributes to heightened anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. Built on the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, Pacific Quest’s outdoor behavioral health programs create space for healing, self-reflection, and growth.
Caring for our land
Caring for our land is all about supporting growth—both in the garden and in your personal life. At Pacific Quest, horticultural therapy isn’t just an intervention. It’s also an overarching philosophy. It addresses hyperarousal and dysregulation in the nervous system while nurturing a reciprocal relationship with the natural world. The gardens are a living example of what growth and adaptation look like, providing our participants with empowering life skills that they can carry into life after the program.
Wellness Programs
Pacific Quest’s focus on whole-person wellness addresses the clinical and medical complexity of each of our participants. Because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for physical and mental health. Specifically, our fully integrated clinical and medical team teaches students to focus on the five pillars of health.
Clinical Programs
If you’re considering Pacific Quest, it’s likely that traditional therapy methods have not been helpful. Pacific Quest offers you the benefits of traditional outdoor behavioral health programs with the resources of a more residential treatment experience. Our neurosequential approach to treatment meets participants where they are at with individualized treatment plans.
Experiential Learning
Our clinical model allows you to learn through personal and group experiences. Not only do these structured experiences provide valuable life skills in a controlled environment, they’re also designed to teach you the depth of your strengths and capabilities. Experiential learning includes our accredited academics course, outdoor behavioral health programs, Rites of Passage, and community outings in beautiful Hawaii.
Rise and shine!
7AM to 8:30AM
Wake up and make your bed
Circle up with group to check in and plan the day
Morning meditation, yoga, or sensory activity
Breakfast with the group and post-meal clean up
Morning medication distribution and self care routine
Get ready for the day ahead!
10:15AM Snack Time
10:30AM to 1:30PM
Land project activities and preparations
Experiential learning activities
Student or guide led groups
Team-building activities and initiatives
Lunch and meal clean-up
One hour of exercise: circuits, yoga, or games
1:45PM Snack Time
At the House
4PM to 6:30PM
Time for chores, showers, study hall, and student or guide-led group activities
Staff check-ins and goal check-in
Group dinner and community meeting time
Evening medication distribution, meal clean up
Time for performances, games, stories, music, and theme-based discussions
Transition ceremonies, welcoming ceremonies, and appreciation ceremonies
9AM to 10:15AM
Garden activities like planting, weeding, and harvesting
Individual and group therapy sessions
Academic lessons and study hall
Psychiatric appointments and wellness checks
Lunch prep or outing prep
An outing—volcano, forest trails, or ocean adventure
2PM to 4PM
Gardening and farm chores
Working on individual projects
Letter writing time
Ceremonies, lessons, or group activities
Farm clean-up, head back to the house
Winding Down
6:30PM to 8PM
Circle down. Evening meditation and stretching, music, sensory activity, emotional check-in
Nightly self care routine
Bunk time: Reading, journaling, regulating activities
Lights out
Rise and shine!
7AM to 8:30AM
Wake up and make your bed
Circle up with group to check in and plan the day
Morning meditation, yoga, or sensory activity
Breakfast with the group and post-meal clean up
Morning medication distribution and self care routine
Get ready for the day ahead!
9AM to 10:15AM
Garden activities like planting, weeding, and harvesting
Individual and group therapy sessions
Academic lessons and study hall
Psychiatric appointments and wellness checks
Lunch prep or outing prep
An outing—volcano, forest trails, or ocean adventure
10:30AM to 1:30PM
Land project activities and preparations
Experiential learning activities
Student or guide led groups
Team-building activities and initiatives
Lunch and meal clean-up
One hour of exercise: circuits, yoga, or games
2PM to 4PM
Gardening and farm chores
Working on individual projects
Letter writing time
Ceremonies, lessons, or group activities
Farm clean-up, head back to the house
At the House
4PM to 6:30PM
Time for chores, showers, study hall, and student or guide-led group activities
Staff check-ins and goal check-in
Group dinner and community meeting time
Evening medication distribution, meal clean up
Time for performances, games, stories, music, and theme-based discussions
Transition ceremonies, welcoming ceremonies, and appreciation ceremonies
Winding Down
6:30PM to 8PM
Circle down. Evening meditation and stretching, music, sensory activity, emotional check-in
Nightly self care routine
Bunk time: Reading, journaling, regulating activities
Lights out
Our daughter went to Pacific Quest (PQ) in the spring of 2018. She suffered from depression and anxiety. Regular therapy at home was not enough and we heard about PQ. We were very reluctant to send her away from home. However, the staff made us feel better about the decision. Now, we know it was the best decision we could have made. It changed her life! The healthy living made a huge difference. The on-going therapy with Andrew Vispo (who was absolutely fantastic) helped her immensely and helped us. We will be forever grateful to PQ, Andrew and the rest of the staff.
-Kerrie H