ABOUT BIG ISLAND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL IN KALILUA KONA, HI
Big Island Substance Abuse Council, also known as BISAC, is located in Kailua Kona, Hawaii and offers outpatient treatment to men and women struggling with substance abuse and mental health. The organization is headquartered in Kea‘au, Hawaii, and operates another outpatient treatment facility in Hilo. Residential Therapeutic Living Programs are offered at other locations.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
The facility’s treatment program emphasizes native Hawaiian culture by giving clients the opportunity to work the land and learn about Hawaiian values in a natural outdoor setting. To be admitted, clients must contact the facility directly by phone or email.
Two outpatient treatment programs are available at BISAC’s Kalilua location: Intensive Outpatient and Standard Outpatient. In the Intensive Outpatient program, clients receive treatment for nine to fifteen hours per week, which includes at least four hours of individual counseling per month. In the Standard Outpatient program, clients receive treatment for one to eight hours per week, which includes at least one hour of individual counseling per month. Throughout treatment, clients benefit from individual and group counseling, couples counseling, family counseling, relapse prevention and recovery skills training.
In addition to outpatient treatment, BISAC offers a vocational program, a culinary program for those interested in food services, an employee assistance program for local employers, a certification course for those would like to become Certified Substance Abuse Counselors (CSAC), and various educational classes. The organization also provides outpatient treatment to adolescents at 31 different high schools and middle schools on the island of Hawaii. BISAC offers mental health services under the name Hawaii Island Health & Wellness Center.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The treatment team at BISAC includes a medical doctor and psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, certified substance abuse counselors, and a licensed marriage and family therapist.
REVIEWS
At the time of this writing there has been one alum polled by Best-rehabs.com. The reviewer gave the facility good ratings in most categories and said they would recommend it to others. The reviewer agreed that the facility is adequately equipped and staffed to treat co-occurring mental health problems, and that facility staff are experienced and well-trained. He or she felt that a strength of the facility was the friendliness and “positive attitudes” encountered at BISAC. The alum felt that the facility could improve upon the location, and also added, “Very friendly staff. Great class sessions.”
On BISAC’s Facebook page, which it can manage, there is an overall rating of five out of five stars based on six total reviews. [1] Several alumni had positive things to say about the facility. Alum B.J., who gave five stars, wrote, “An Awesome Team to Help the Community. So many services are offered thru BISAC.” Another alum, R.Z., seemed to agree with that viewpoint. He gave five stars and wrote, “good job.”
FINANCING
There is currently no information provided by Big Island Substance Abuse Council regarding its costs. However, one alum surveyed by Best-rehabs.com gave the facility three out of five stars for affordability. Clients are encouraged to contact the facility directly for additional information regarding financing.
[1] – Source