Born and raised in Kohala on Hawai’i Island’s northern point, Noelani Sagapolutele has worked for more than 20 years as licensed clinical social worker on the west side of Oʻahu. She said growing up with teenage parents spurred her onto her career at an early age.
“That’s what started my journey, and it turned out to be the most beautiful, unconventional happening ever,” Sagapolutele told Aloha State Daily. “There, I learned that having a village, family and faith are key.”
Today, her nine-to-five job is as a social worker for the state Department of Education, but she also serves at Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and at her own practice, Onward and Upward Mental Health Studio, in Kapolei.
As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Sagapolutele just launched a business called Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Mental Health Collective, or Waʻa Collective, which over several months, has grown from a directory of four to 20 Native Hawaiian mental health professionals across six states, including Hawaiʻi. It serves roughly 200 clients per month.
Her kuleana? To address mental health disparities facing Indigenous communities, not just in the state, but for families who have been “priced out of paradise,” she told ASD.
She added, “If Hawaiʻi is your home, we are here for you. … I created Waʻa Collective to solve this problem in Hawaiʻi by gathering my provider friends, who share a deep aloha for the communities they serve.”
“I was reminded that there are more Native Hawaiians living on the Continent now and their needs are just as significant,” Sagapolutele said, adding that the collective has licensed therapists across the Islands, and in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and New York. Her next goal is to build the network of therapists up to 100, while attracting like-minded community partners.
“We are a lifeline. The more therapists we have – that look like you, talk like you, live like you – the more the community can get the help they need right where they are,” she said.
Waʻa Collective does not currently employ anyone, she said, you can think of it more as “a hui” of independent providers. “If the need is there, these therapists are going to do something about it, so it’s social impact.”
For example, amidst reports of violence in Wai’anae last fall, the collective offered pro-bono services for those, either indirectly or directly involved. “Because most of us live and work in the area, we did it out of the love our hearts,” Sagapolutele said.
Initial goals for the startup included showing up for community, raising up the next generation of clinicians and helping to malama the clinicians we already have, she added. “What’s been rewarding is how far we’ve gotten. Our organic growth feels real and authentic.”
Business incubator Purple Maiʻa’s FoundHer program awarded a grant to Waʻa Collective, allowing Sagapolutele to secure a co-working space in Kapolei for therapists to see patients in-person, with additional support in website development and public relations.
She said this has allowed her to focus on the overall mission “to uplift mental health within Hawai‘i and Pasefika communities — through clinically-based and culturally-conscious care.”
“For me, I take western models of doing therapy and I look at it through a cultural lens,” Sagapolutele said. “Being in Hawai’i, we’re relational people. I know, before we start talking treatment/diagnosis, we need to hear your story. That’s what matters. Every person comes with ‘ohana and they come with lineage.
“Especially being Native Hawaiian, I like to say, we come from lineage of greatness. Culturally, that’s what people need to hear. … There’s hope on the other side. Simply, it’s about hearing their story, identifying with them, validating them and moving forward together.”
Upcoming event for local mental health professionals
Fifty percent of therapists experience burnout and 84% say they need more time for rest and recovery, according to Sagapolutele.
In partnership with Waiākea Water and Ala Oli Swimwear, Mauliola Wellness Workshops, will kick-off this Sunday, May 18 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Royal Kunia Community Park. The monthly workshops aim to build pilina ‘āina (relationship outside), pilina kanaka (relationship with people) and pilina ‘uhane (connecting spiritually, back to ourselves).
Register via Instagram.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
