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State mental‑health officials and community groups push to reopen Kona clubhouse amid staffing and facility issues
Summary
State mental‑health staff and local partners described staffing shortages and recurring plumbing problems that have kept the Kona Clubhouse closed; officials have identified a more central lease site in Kailua‑Kona and asked for DAGS assistance, while Oahu clubhouses report stronger staffing and accreditation activity.
The State Council on Mental Health heard detailed updates on July 9 about efforts to reopen the Kona Clubhouse, where staffing cuts and repeated plumbing problems have kept the site largely closed.
Steve Pava, branch chief for the developmental health division’s community mental health center branch, said the Kona Clubhouse once had five staff but now has only three state positions after the legislature abolished two vacancies. "It's virtually impossible for us to operate a clubhouse with just 1 staff member," he said, describing a recent stretch when one employee was on extended leave and the remaining staff had been reassigned to clinic duties. Pava said he has requested a list of eligibles from the…
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