Grounded in Hawaiian values. Built on experiential healing.
Answers to common questions from referral agencies, placing caseworkers, and families about Pearl Haven's clinical programs, admissions process, and approach to care.
Effective healing from sexual exploitation and trafficking depends on getting the right clinical care from the start. Pearl Haven's licensed specialists treat the full complexity of trauma with precision, purpose, and unwavering belief in every youth's worth.
About Pearl Haven
Understanding Pearl Haven's licensure, accreditation, and program model helps agencies and caseworkers determine fit and communicate expectations to placing courts and families.
No. Hawaii does not have a separate state license for Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs). Instead, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA), licenses residential behavioral health programs as Specialized Treatment Facilities (STFs) under Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 11-98. Pearl Haven is licensed by the Hawaii Department of Health as a Specialized Treatment Facility (STF). While PRTF is a federal Medicaid designation used in some states, Hawaii's equivalent state licensure for this level of residential behavioral health treatment is the Specialized Treatment Facility license.
Yes. Pearl Haven is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and was awarded a Three-Year Accreditation, the highest level of accreditation CARF grants. This designation reflects CARF's determination that Pearl Haven demonstrates substantial conformance to internationally recognized standards for quality, safety, and continuous improvement, and is committed to providing the highest quality of trauma-informed residential treatment and services to the youth and families it serves.
Pearl Haven is operated by Rite of Passage in partnership with Ho‘ōla Nā Pua. Ho‘ōla Nā Pua established Pearl Haven to provide specialized residential treatment for young women who have experienced complex trauma and exploitation, while Rite of Passage manages the day-to-day operations and delivery of residential treatment services. Together, the organizations are committed to providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and evidence-based care that promotes healing, safety, and long-term success for every youth served.
Admissions
Pearl Haven serves a broader population than trafficking survivors alone. If you are uncertain about eligibility, we welcome a confidential conversation before a formal referral is submitted.
No. Pearl Haven provides specialized residential treatment services to youth who have experienced severe trauma. While some of the youth served have experienced sexual exploitation or trafficking, Pearl Haven also serves youth who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, complex trauma, and other severe emotional disturbances. Admission is based on a youth's clinical treatment needs and the program's ability to provide the specialized, trauma-informed care necessary to support their healing and recovery.
Pearl Haven provides residential treatment services to youth ages 11–19.
Pearl Haven serves adolescent girls who have experienced severe trauma and require intensive residential behavioral health treatment. The program provides specialized, trauma-informed care for youth whose experiences have significantly impacted their emotional, behavioral, and social well-being. Each youth receives an individualized treatment plan designed to address their unique strengths, needs, and goals while supporting healing, resilience, and long-term success.
Yes. Pearl Haven accepts youth from Hawaiʻi as well as from the continental United States. For out-of-state admissions, services are typically authorized through Single Case Agreements (SCAs). Pearl Haven works collaboratively with referring agencies, state Medicaid programs, and insurance providers to obtain the necessary authorizations and approvals based on each state's requirements.
No. Submitting a referral does not guarantee admission. The referral, along with any additional clinical, educational, medical, and behavioral health information provided, is reviewed by the Pearl Haven Clinical Team to determine whether the program can safely and appropriately meet the individual needs of the youth. This review process helps ensure that each youth admitted is placed in an environment that is best suited to support their treatment, safety, and long-term success.
Treatment
Pearl Haven's clinical model is built on evidence-based modalities, experiential healing, and deep cultural grounding. Every element of programming is intentional and therapeutically directed.
Experiential programming at Pearl Haven incorporates evidence-based and evidence-informed, somatic, and culturally responsive approaches to treatment that complement traditional clinical services. These hands-on therapeutic experiences help youth build emotional regulation, resilience, self-confidence, healthy relationships, and coping skills through meaningful activities. Examples of experiential programming include Surf Therapy, Cultural Arts, Therapeutic Horseback Riding, and other activities designed to support healing, growth, and overall well-being.
Pearl Haven utilizes a trauma-informed treatment model that incorporates evidence-based practices, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and family therapy. These services are complemented by evidence-informed approaches, including neurofeedback, somatic interventions, culturally responsive practices, and experiential therapies, to support healing of the mind, body, and spirit.
Hawaiian culture is woven throughout Pearl Haven's treatment model as an essential component of healing and wellness. The program recognizes the importance of connection—to self, others, culture, the land (ʻāina), and community—in supporting recovery from trauma. Youth participate in culturally responsive experiences that may include Hawaiian values and practices, cultural arts, ʻike kupuna (traditional knowledge), mālama ʻāina (caring for the land), and other place-based activities that foster identity, belonging, resilience, and overall well-being. These experiences complement clinical treatment and help youth build meaningful connections that support long-term healing and personal growth.
Each day at Pearl Haven is intentionally structured to provide consistency, stability, and opportunities for healing. Youth participate in a balanced schedule that includes school, individual and group therapy, psychiatric and medical services as needed, experiential programming, recreation, life skills development, family engagement, and personal time. Daily routines are designed to create a safe, predictable environment while helping youth develop healthy coping skills, build relationships, practice independence, and work toward their individualized treatment goals.
Families & Caregivers
Sustainable healing depends on the communities and relationships youth return to. Pearl Haven works to strengthen those connections throughout treatment.
Yes. Family involvement is an important part of the healing process whenever it is clinically appropriate and in the best interest of the youth. Pearl Haven encourages family participation through family therapy, treatment planning, regular communication, and opportunities to strengthen healthy relationships. The treatment team works collaboratively with families, caregivers, and referring agencies to support each youth's progress and prepare for a successful transition home or to their next level of care.
Each youth's treatment journey is individualized, and the length of stay is based on their unique clinical needs, treatment goals, and progress rather than a predetermined timeline. While every youth's experience is different, the average length of stay at Pearl Haven is approximately 9 to 12 months. Throughout treatment, the clinical team regularly reviews each youth's progress and collaborates with families, caregivers, and referring agencies to determine when they are ready to transition to the next appropriate level of care.
Yes. Pearl Haven partners with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) to ensure youth continue making academic progress while in treatment. The program also collaborates with each youth's home school, when appropriate, to support educational continuity, coordinate records and credits, and facilitate a smooth transition back to their school or next educational setting. Educational services are integrated into each youth's daily schedule to help them remain engaged in their learning while receiving treatment.
Referrals
Our admissions team is available to walk you through the process before you submit any paperwork. Referral documentation requirements are straightforward and our team is happy to clarify.
To make a referral to Pearl Haven, please complete a referral packet and email it to admissions@pearlhavenhawaii.org. If you do not have a referral packet, you may request one by emailing admissions@pearlhavenhawaii.org or by calling (808) 900-8740. Once the completed referral packet and all supporting documentation are received, the Pearl Haven Clinical Team will conduct a comprehensive review to determine whether the program can safely and appropriately meet the youth's individual treatment needs.
A completed Pearl Haven referral packet is required for all referrals. To ensure a comprehensive clinical review, referrals should also include any available collateral documentation, such as psychological evaluations, medical records, psychiatric records, behavioral health records, educational records, and other relevant information that helps the Clinical Team understand the youth's treatment history and current needs.
After a referral is submitted, a member of the Pearl Haven team will contact you to confirm receipt of the referral packet and any supporting documentation. They will discuss the next steps in the review process, identify if any additional information is needed, and answer any questions you may have. Throughout the process, Pearl Haven strives to maintain clear communication with the referring party regarding the status of the referral.
Ready to start
The first call is always free of paperwork, just a conversation with someone who understands the complexity of what these youth have been through.