Pacific Quest

Incidents on record

1. 2019 Abuse

   A survivor who attended in 2019 alleges being thrown to the ground and hit almost daily, touched sexually by male staff, and held in a dark shed.source

2. 2019 Closure order

   OHCA found Pacific Quest operating two unlicensed special treatment facilities or therapeutic living programs and required all residents to be transferred or discharged within 7 days.source

3. 2019 License action

   In 2019 Pacific Quest was temporarily shut down after it was discovered it had no license to operate the program.source

4. August 2019 License action

   In August 2019 the Hawaii Department of Health Office of Health Care Assurance visited Pacific Quest unannounced and issued a notice of violation to its owners for two unlicensed Keaau care homes.source

5. January 17, 2020 License action

   Pacific Quest was fined $13,300 ($100 per day for 133 days, August 27, 2019 to January 17, 2020) for unlicensed operation.source

6. Abuse

   Survivors allege emotional, physical and sexual abuse, attack therapy, forced labor, isolation, food deprivation and overmedication at Pacific Quest; these are unverified allegations.source

7. Abuse

   Survivors report a 'Death to Self Ritual' in which teens write eulogies, make death masks and lie in a shallow grave while the eulogies are read.source

Staff

Notable staff

• Alicia Goldman

  Alumni and Family Services Director (2011)source

• Bridger Jensen

  Primary Clinician (2012)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Aspiro Group Inc. Field Director, 2007

• Haley Robinson

  Primary Clinician (2012)source

• Mark Agosto

  Business Director (2012)source

• Marney Sullivan

  Admissions Director, Admissions (2007-2009)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Monarch School Admissions Director, 2011

• Rene Fay

  HR Recruiter (2012)source

• Shelly Ham

  Psychiatrist (2012)source

• Travis Slagle

  Horticultural Therapy Director (2014)source

• Mike McKinney

  Co-Founder and Co-Executive Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • SUWS Idaho Lead Instructor, 1998
  • Coral Reef Academy Admissions Director, before 2004
  • Oakley School Trails Coordinator & Head Instructor, before 2025

• Suzanne McKinney

  Co-Founder and Outreach Directorsource

• Chris Kaiser

  Co-Founder and Co-Ownersource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • SUWS Idaho Field guide
  • a field guide for several unnamed programs in Idaho
  • Catherine Freer Wilderness Program Former Staff

• Lorraine Freedle

  Clinical Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • the Chief Clinical Officer of TeamBuilders Counseling Services from 1995 until 2013

• Kellyn Smythe

  Admissions Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • the Director of Admissions and Marketing at College Excel from 2006 until 2014

• Mike McGee

  Program Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • the Nature Director of The Main Idea
  • a Naturalist at Ferry Beach Ecology School
  • a Residential Therapeutic Counselor & Arts Teacher
  • the sole clinical therapist at an unnamed residential program in Puerto Rico
  • the Family Services Director at Pacific Quest
  • a Field Supervisor at Pacific Quest

• Anthony Mautz

  Counseling Director (2007)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Aspen Achievement Academy Clinical Director, 2003
  • Aspen Ranch Primary Therapist, before 2007

• Jen Murphy

  Parent Coaching Services provider (2012)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Second Nature Wilderness Program Co-leader of Second Nature 360, Counselor, 2009-2025
  • Aspen Achievement Academy Staff, 2000
  • Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy counselor

• Lori Armbruster

  Family Services Director (2012-2025)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Monarch School Admissions, Marketing Chair
  • Open Sky Wilderness Therapy Communications Director
  • Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness Family Services Director, 2021
  • Second Nature Wilderness Program Admissions Team, 2008

• Mary Beth Coffman

  Counselor (2008)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Second Nature Wilderness Program Primary Therapist, before 2008

• Oren Grimm

  Former Field Instructor and Field Supervisor (before 2012)source

• Alex Kiryakakis

  Therapist (2021, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Phoenix Outdoor & SUWS of the Carolinas Senior Field Instructor
  • SUWS of the Carolinas Field Instructor, 2022

• Ben Jones

  Lead Program Guide (2014, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Oliverian School Counselor, 2018
  • Second Nature Wilderness Program Mentor Field Instructor/Logistics Coordinator, 2007

• Benjamin Stivers

  Lead Guide (2017, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Equinox RTC Team Manager, 2019

• Christine Riley

  Former Therapistsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness Clinical Director
  • Adirondack Leadership Expeditions Field Supervisor, Therapist and Clinical Director, 2021

• Hannah Price

  Field Supervisorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Academy at Swift River Staff

• Jeremy Nunnelley

  Therapist (2015, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Cherokee Creek Boys School Primary Counselor, 2003
  • Whetstone Academy Clinical Director, Executive Director, 2012-2020
  • Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness Therapist, 2017
  • Trails Carolina Staff, before 2012

• Mark Storey

  Therapistsource

• Mike Sullivan

  Former Therapist and Alumni and Family Services Directorsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • The Second Mile Board Member, 2020
  • Deschutes Wilderness Program Alumni and Transition Director, 2020
  • True North Wilderness Programs Director of Business Development, 2021
  • SUWS Idaho Field Instructor

• Scott Boice

  Former Staffsource

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • numerous TTI programs
  • New Haven RTC Executive Clinical Director
  • Devereux Staff
  • Sequel TSI Paint Rock Valley Staff
  • Hidden Lake Academy Staff
  • Devereux Foundation Senior Clinical Therapist & Treatment Team Lead
  • Three Springs Inc. Clinical Director
  • InnerChange Director of Clinical Operations

• Steven Hosking

  Field Therapist (2021, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Residential Therapeutic Counselor & Arts Teacher
  • Grove School Expressive Arts Therapist & Educator, Residential Therapeutic Counselor & Arts Teacher, 2015

• Tim Mullins

  Therapist (2015, r/troubledteens wiki)source

  Elsewhere in the industry

  • Evoke Entrada Field Instructor, Addictions Therapist / Addictions and Recovery Specialist, Therapist, 2008-2015
  • Open Sky Wilderness Therapy Therapist, before 2015
  • San Cristobal Ranch Academy Therapist, before 2015
  • In Balance Ranch Academy Assistant Therapist
  • Red Mountain Sedona Clinical Director

Licensing and inspections

Licensed as

Pacific Quest - Awapuhi; Pacific Quest - Olena; Pacific Quest - Reed's Bay

Program

OHCA-row-7374

License category

Therapeutic living program

License expires

2026-08-31

Licensing action

Not on the state's current licence roster

Phone on file

(808) 937-5806

Licensed addresses

15-1973 4th Avenue, Keaau, Hawaii 96749; 15-1903 26th Avenue, Keaau, HI 96749; 301 Kalanianaole Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720

8 inspection reports on file. Search all Hawaii reports

Connections on the network map

The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.

Wiki entries

• Pacific Quest Hilo/Keaau, HI | 2004-present

Materials and links

External links

A program's own website is linked as an archived snapshot, so the page reads as it did when it was captured.

• heal-online.org (archived copy) live site

Government records

• Hawai'i Country Planning Commission Hearing
• notice of violation
• Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance cites Pacific Quest Corp. for illegally operating unlicensed special treatment facilities or therapeutic living programs

Survivor posts and discussion

• stated
• u/anonymous_survivor (Reddit)
• posted
• Search Results for "Pacific Quest" in r/troubledteens

Advertising and marketing listings

• reopened

Reference and research

• stated
• Sara (Yelp)

Other links

• Pacific Quest Website Homepage (archived copy) live site
• third (archived copy) live site