Big Island Substance Abuse Council School Based Prog/Honokaa Middle

The BISAC Honokaa Middle School program represents an innovative approach to adolescent addiction treatment, embedding outpatient recovery services directly within the school environment. This recovery center operates Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, providing substance abuse counseling and recovery support without disrupting students' educational schedules. The school-based model eliminates common barriers to treatment access, particularly transportation challenges that often prevent rural Hawaii Island families from accessing consistent recovery services.

Students receive specialized substance abuse counseling tailored specifically for adolescent populations, with treatment methods designed around the developmental needs of middle school-aged youth. The program maintains a capacity of one, ensuring intensive, focused attention for students requiring this specialized level of outpatient care. This embedded approach allows for real-time support during the school day while maintaining students' connection to their educational community and peer networks.

The recovery program operates under the clinical leadership of Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita, who brings dual credentials as both a psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor to her role as CEO. Medical Director Leilani Kerr provides advanced practice nursing oversight, while Tracy Tampos directs substance abuse services as a certified addiction counselor. This multidisciplinary team ensures that adolescent clients receive both educational support and specialized addiction treatment within the same facility.

The program connects to broader BISAC network resources, including withdrawal management services available through the parent organization. Suisami Taylor supervises detox services within the larger BISAC system, providing continuity of care options for students who may require different levels of treatment intensity. This network approach ensures that adolescents can access appropriate care levels while maintaining their connection to the school-based recovery community.

Located at 16-179 Melekahiwa Street in Honokaa, the program serves adolescents throughout North Hawaii Island and the Hamakua Coast region. The facility's integration with Hawaii Island Health & Wellness Center expands recovery community connections beyond the school setting. Families from rural Hawaii Island communities particularly benefit from the school-based model, which provides consistent access to addiction treatment without requiring extensive travel to urban treatment centers.

The program accepts referrals and operates on self-pay arrangements, with Office of Hawaiian Affairs grants supporting BISAC's mission to provide accessible recovery services to Hawaii Island youth. Community engagement programs extend the recovery support beyond school hours, helping students build lasting connections to sober living principles and ongoing recovery community participation. This comprehensive approach addresses both immediate substance abuse treatment needs and longer-term recovery community integration for adolescent clients.