Kona Community Hospital’s Behavioral Health division provides inpatient psychiatric and behavioral health services for adults experiencing acute mental health or substance use crises. They’re located on Haukapila in Kealakekua, Hawaii.
Additional services available to you include crisis stabilization, assessment, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management. Discharge planning and referrals relating to outpatient or community-based resources are also available to you, upon completion of your inpatient care.
Located in a secured and supportive hospital environment, services are offered to adults 18+ experiencing acute mental health and/or substance use issues, with an emphasis on serving residents of Kona and neighboring communities on the Big Island.
They have 11 single rooms so each resident has plenty of privacy. Grooming and hygiene for personal care are provided. You’ll also have three hot meals per day.
Kona uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment with services provided by psychiatrists, social workers, case managers, registered nurses and psychiatric aides. Ancillary symptom stabilization is also provided as needed. Since it’s located in a hospital setting, you and your family will also have access to general hospital resources and staff.
The goal of Kona is to offer self-enhancement, symptom stabilization and community reintegration to every client they receive. I appreciate that they work closely with mental health providers to ensure that clients make a smooth transition back into their communities.
Payments for your services include a variety of commercial insurance plans, Medicaid and Medicare, and financial counselors are available to assist patients and their families with questions regarding coverage and billing.
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Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. It uses products that supply low doses of nicotine to help people stop smoking. The goal of therapy is to cut down on cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
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Rehab.com regularly reviews this listing for accuracy but changes may occur between updates. For the most up-to-date information, please contact Kona Community Hospital – Behavioral Health.
79-1019 Haukapila street
Kealakekua, HI 96750
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I found that all the staff, from guard, administrative staff to professional medical staff, are extremely competent, encouraging and friendly. I have to say how impressed with the way they treated me. I had never felt so comfortable being a patient. I am very grateful to hav ...
This review is for the Maternity Ward/Birth Center of Kona Community Hospital! I had my Baby at Kona Community Hospital in the month of May, 2026 via scheduled c-section with my Doctor's from Alii Health Center. Every staff member I met through the entire C-section process was incredible. The anesthesiologist, nurses, lactation consultant - every, single, one. A week later I landed back in the Maternity Ward/Birthing Wing, but this time, by myself as I experienced Postpartum Preeclampsia. This experience felt devastating for me at the time but the Doctors and Nurses here were so good and sweet to me that they made my experience as positive as it could be. From deep talks, to joking, laughing and poking fun at the situation and even just letting me cry it all out - each person offered something unique. They brought me snacks at off hours, crafted "mocktails" with the beverages from the cafeteria and did their best to offer me as much medical freedom and personal freedoms as possible - let me shower! They truly did all they could do to life me up. I even want to add that the sweet woman down at the front desk/check in of the Hospital is incredibly compassionate and sweet. I feel like the entire staff here is rooting for you and I am thankful that they saved my life twice and my babies life by getting her earth side safely! 🤍🙏🤍
I was extremely disappointed and concerned by my recent experience at Kona Community Hospital’s emergency room. The facility itself was unclean—dingy, with visible dirt and flies—which made an already stressful situation much worse. I arrived by ambulance (the EMS crew was compassionate and professional) after a serious injury. Unfortunately, the hospital staff’s care fell far short of acceptable standards. The attending physician, Dr. Natalia Velez Isaza, showed little empathy or concern for my situation. Despite my wounds needing proper treatment and my inability to be transferred via life flight (I have five young children at home who depend on me), I was discharged without adequate care or support. The assigned nurse was equally unhelpful—rude, slow to respond, and required multiple reminders before administering pain medication. He also dressed my wounds improperly and, most alarmingly, dropped a syringe on the floor and then used it on me anyway. While I understand Kona Hospital is the only major facility available to many residents on the island, the community deserves much higher standards of cleanliness, professionalism, and compassionate care. This experience left me feeling unsafe and uncared for at a time when I was most vulnerable. I hope hospital leadership reviews these issues and makes meaningful improvements.
While the hospital itself is clean and it appears to be maintaining itself. There is a lot to say about staffing here, as it is obvious that they are more interested in hiring travel nurses than their own local people. The only reason I gave one star is because the person checking us in was great very polite and endearing even though it was late in the evening. The check-in and seeing a physician was within a normal time limit. But our nurses were terrible. It was like one couldn’t go anywhere without the other, and yet they provided less service. They didn’t check in on the patient I was with to offer anything, ask about her pain, nothing for over an hour and long enough for us to be the only ones on that wing. They didn’t know if they could use a power port for contrast and rather than following up sat at the nurses station chit chatting all about their travel plans. When they finally did get the okay from imaging our nurse, Sarah says she had to run over and get supplies like she didn’t have time but then loudly says, “Oh shoot what did he order? I didn’t see if he wanted blood work.” So you have nurses sitting at the nurses station unaware of even what the doctor’s orders, wasting time on the clock. But honestly, there was poor communication nothing said to us, I would have appreciated any type of check-in on the patient let her know they were waiting on an answer but no communication. I can understand that if it were busy but in a six bed wing were the only ones there. No offer of pain meds, or even to try a second IV they had one terrible attempt and even though it was obvious she couldn’t sleep they didn’t offer anything. Then the second nurse (Ryan) she came in when they were gonna access her port and just watched didn’t pick anything up off the floor, didn’t offer another blanket or even look at either of us. She was “moral support”. After the imaging was done we were there another hour. They weren’t even gonna offer a splint if I didn’t ask. But their lack of preparation and their lack of follow up turned what could have been a 2 hour visit into a 4 hour visit.
We are visiting from another state and went to beach and my wife got severe burns on her feet and she's diabetic with neuropathy so she didn't feel it but could get infected right away.first this is only hospital and then we had to wait 2hrs to be seen receptionist didn't even know were they took my wife when I asked as i went to go get her water.then when we were seen took another hour to even look at it to address steps.another hour to actually clean it .this by far was the worst hospital I've ever been in hopefully whoever is in charge makes a drastic change for the people's sake.
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