The Kulia Program: psychiatric rehabilitation in Hawaii

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services
• Rehabilitation Psychology

Background:

• The Kulia Program was a culturally-oriented psychiatric rehabilitation initiative.
• It operated from 1992-1999 at the Hawaii State Hospital, serving a diverse population.
• The program aimed to reintegrate chronically mentally ill individuals into the community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Kulia Program in facilitating community reintegration.
• To assess the re-hospitalization rates of patients treated within the Kulia Program.
• To highlight a successful model for psychiatric rehabilitation in a unique island setting.

Main Methods:

• The study focused on 238 patients discharged from the Kulia Program between 1992 and 1999.
• Data collected included re-hospitalization rates post-discharge.
• Comparisons with other hospital units were deemed inappropriate due to significant differences in patient populations and treatment goals.

Main Results:

• Only 7% of the 238 patients discharged from the Kulia Program were re-hospitalized.
• The program's mission was to encourage patients to 'strive for the highest' for community reintegration.
• Other hospital units housed different patient populations with much longer lengths of stay.

Conclusions:

• The Kulia Program demonstrated a high success rate in community reintegration for the chronically mentally ill.
• Culturally-oriented psychiatric rehabilitation can be an effective approach.
• The program's low re-hospitalization rate suggests a positive impact on patient outcomes.