Kāko‘o Hawai‘i
Mental Health Collective.
Cultural. Connected. Clinical. Mental Health Support.
“Pupukahi I Holomua”
Unite to Move Foward.
About Us.
In the Hawaiian Language, “kāko‘o” means to “support”. Kāko‘o Hawai‘i Mental Health Collective (KHMHC) is a hui of Native Hawaiian, Polynesian Pacific Islander, and kamaʻāina (born and raised in Hawai'i) mental health professionals dedicated to promoting and improving the mental well-being of our communities and our people -- inclusive of individuals, children, teens, LGBTQIA+, couples, families, and kūpuna. Each provider is licensed or working towards licensure and operates independently and autonomously in communities across our pae ‘āina and/or the continental U.S.
Our Mission.
Our mission is to reduce stigma and elevate the importance of mental health within Native Hawaiian, Polynesian and Pacific Islander communities through clinically-based and culturally-connected mental health services.
Our Vision.
Our vision is to create a nationwide network comprised entirely of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander mental health providers.
Our Purpose.
Our purpose is to ease and enhance the availability, accessibility, and cultural relevance of mental health services, ensuring that individuals from Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities receive equitable and effective support for their mental well-being.
Our Mo‘olelo.
People nationwide seek therapy for a variety of reasons. For many Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, seeking therapy can be especially difficult. Whether living in Hawai‘i or on the continental U.S, the stigma surrounding mental health remains problematic, perpetuating a culture of suffering in silence and in silos. Moreover, a high prevalence of therapists who are not from Hawai‘i or the Pacific, who lack understanding of the diverse cultural and ethnic composition of our people, can make building and sustaining a therapeutic connection especially challenging.
Throughout my 20+ years of working as a clinical social worker in Hawai‘i, mostly on the westside of O‘ahu in the Wai‘anae and Kapolei areas, it is my firm belief that {often times} when we engage in therapy with someone who is similar to us — someone who looks like us, talks like us, and has the capacity to understand and identify with us — it often makes therapy that much more relatable and meaningful; two components of therapy that are 100% essential.
At the heart of Kāko‘o Hawai‘i Mental Health Collective are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander mental health professionals. They each come with their own areas of expertise, therapy style and vibe that they infuse into their practice, as well as a level of relatability and connection that is homegrown. With each session and each story shared, the stigma surrounding mental health begins to dissipate. Through the power of clinically-based intervention delivered through a culturally-aligned lens, our people can forge a new path -- one that honors the past, embraces the present and paves the way for a brighter and more resilient future.
Me ke aloha pau ‘ole.
-Noelani Sagapolutele, LCSW
Our Guiding Values.
PILINA - association, connection
As a community of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander mental health providers, we can accomplish more collectively and connectedly, than we can individually.
HO‘OMAU - to persevere
We believe that each person is able to ho’omau, even through the toughest of times.
KULEANA - responsibility
It is our kuleana to make meaningful connections and to enhance the mental wellness of our people.