Aloha,

As we enter the holiday season, we think about ‘ohana, and seeing the joy of the holidays through the eyes of our keiki. 

At Maui Youth and Family Services, we strive to ensure the health and well-being for youth who may be lacking this family support, as well as those feeling the stressors of school, social life, and family obligations. It’s a difficult time to be a young person. Recent research shows that 32 percent of adolescents have been diagnosed with anxiety at some point in their lives, and more than one in 10  have experienced a major depressive disorder.

We see it every day in our schools. Heather Long, our Program Director for Adolescent Treatment Services, has shared that “adolescents on Maui are not OK right now.”

Our school-based counseling program is designed to help. On campuses at middle and high schools across Maui, the program is effective because it reaches kids where they are, addressing serious problems like substance use and mental health challenges. The counselors on Heather’s team are available to provide immediate intervention and treatment.