For someone struggling with addiction, mental illness or homelessness, finding help can feel impossible. At Hina Mauka, those facing the greatest challenges are met with compassion and a promise: You matter.
“These are the people that most people step over on the sidewalk when they're going down the streets of Chinatown or they're going down the streets of downtown,” said Brian Baker, president and CEO. “Here, we're not going to step over you. We're going to reach down and give you a hand up.”
A Calling Rooted in Compassion
Baker’s commitment began with an uncle, a clinical psychologist who brought stability to his childhood.
“He was always a calming factor in my life. He was always steady,” Baker recalled. “And I wanted to be able to be that steady force for somebody else.”
That inspiration led to 35 years in behavioral healthcare, with degrees in psychology, nursing and healthcare administration.
Baker joined Hina Mauka as chief operating officer under Alan Johnson, who devoted 30 years to the organization and helped it reach more than 70,000 people. Johnson recruited and mentored Baker, who became president and CEO on January 1, 2026.
“I started out in nonprofit work and I'm closing out my career, I hope, in nonprofit work,” Baker said. “This is just where my heart is.”
Hope Through Lived Experience
That same dedication shines through Bill Mousser, Hina Mauka’s director of adult services, who has worked there for nearly 30 years.
More than three decades ago, Mousser faced his own struggles with substance use. Treatment and community support helped him build a life in recovery. Today, he shares that experience with people beginning their own journeys.
“I get to see people come in the door, broken, and rebuild their lives, and live this journey of recovery, and just live a better life,” Mousser said.
“I'm here to tell you there's hope. I'm here to tell you if you're struggling out there, there's hope, and there's healing for those struggles.”
Sometimes the first step toward a better future begins with someone who sees beyond a person's struggles and recognizes their potential. Photo: Hina Mauka
Reaching People Across Hawaiʻi
Founded through volunteer efforts in the late 1960s and incorporated in 1976, Hina Mauka now employs more than 100 people and reaches approximately 5,600 individuals annually through treatment and prevention.
Its Kāneʻohe campus provides 64 residential treatment beds, outpatient care and continuing support. Its Waipahu branch offers adult outpatient treatment, counseling and Teen CARE services.
Teen CARE serves students in public middle and high schools across Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Prevention programs on 20 school campuses and at the Waipahu branch encourage healthy choices for teens, while services provided directly in homes offer mental health support for keiki and families.
Caring for Those With Complex Needs
Many clients face addiction alongside schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, diabetes or other serious conditions. Hina Mauka maintains medical and nursing support to serve people other facilities may be unable to accept.
“We believe that it's not right to turn somebody away just because they need sliding scale insulin to manage their diabetes,” Baker said.
Baker estimates 59,000 Hawaiʻi residents face these complex needs, while Hina Mauka can accommodate approximately 450 to 500 residential clients annually.
Approximately 54% of its clients identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 81% are houseless and 93% live at or below the federal poverty level.
“They don't have food security, they don't have housing security, they don't have healthcare security,” he said. “They're just literally trying to survive.”
Stable housing is essential to sustaining recovery, prompting Hina Mauka to pursue supportive housing and therapeutic living communities.
Yet funding remains a challenge. Baker said the organization has lost approximately $1.5 million annually in state funding over the past two to three years. Some reimbursement rates have remained unchanged since 2012.
For Brian Baker and Bill Mousser, helping others rebuild their lives is more than a profession. It's a commitment rooted in compassion, understanding and the belief that everyone deserves another chance. Photo: courtesy
Help Keep Treatment Close to Home
Hina Mauka also needs a new Waipahu location to continue outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling, aftercare and Teen CARE support.
The nonprofit seeks approximately 6,000 square feet, with a large group counseling area and smaller offices for private counseling, assessments and treatment.
If your church, organization or business has suitable space, your connection could help Leeward families find healing close to home.
For anyone hesitant to seek treatment, Baker offers reassurance.
“You are not going to be defined by your worst moment or for your most impulsive act. You are going to be defined by your potential and the person that you are today.”
His invitation is simple:
“You are valuable as a human being, and we want you to know that we value you. So please just call.”
For help or more information, call (808) 236-2600 or visit www.hinamauka.org.
Healing takes people like the Teen Care Team willing to listen, communities that offer support, and opportunities to move forward. Photo: Hina Mauka
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