I Ola Lāhui (IOL) was developed over a decade ago in response to the urgent needs of Native Hawaiian and rural, underserved communities for behavioral health services. I ola lāhui means “So that the people will live and thrive.” The IOL mission is to provide culturally-minded,  evidence-based behavioral healthcare.

The nonprofit provides effective psychology services for chronic diseases, such as diabetes, and more traditional mental health needs such as anxiety, depression and trauma.

IOL has four branches of service

1. Training: IOL prepares pre- and post-doctoral psychologists for future service in communities.
2. Health Services: IOL offers behavioral health, chronic disease management, nutrition and weight management services.
3. Research and Evaluation focuses on needs assessment, treatment effectiveness and outcome evaluation with our communities.
4. Consulting and Advocacy: IOL seeks opportunities for partnership and collaboration that lead to policy and social change.

IOL has built and maintained a training pipeline for psychologists to address the behavioral health shortage in rural and underserved communities in Hawai‘i. The effort has increased the number of trained psychologists working in areas such as Molokai, Hilo, Waimānalo, Leeward and North Shore districts on O‘ahu. Graduates currently serve on six islands, many in places that lacked stable behavioral health services before their arrival.

IOL has partnered with organizations across the islands, closing the gap between the needs of communities and access to mental health services. Since IOL was founded in 2007, it has  demonstrated consistent success and growth by partnering with over 20 different community health clinics and eldercare service facilities, and by providing patient education, staff training, consultation and public outreach.

IOL’s psychology trainees have served thousands of patients, meeting both the immediate need for services as well as the long-term need for more psychologists trained to work in rural and underserved areas.


I OLA LĀHUI (501(c) 3 nonprofit)
1441 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 1802, Honolulu, HI 96814
Hrs: Monday to Friday, 7:30am–6pm
808-525-6255 | info@iolalahui.org
www.iolalahui.org