Pathways: KKV’s Take on Orientation

When you join the KKV ‘ohana as a staff member, you’re not just joining one department, but a whole system of different teams with the same goal: to keep our community healthy. One of the ways we maintain the connection between KKV’s many departments is through our unique onboarding program called Pathways. It’s so much more than just a one-time tour of our facilities. New staff are able to immerse themselves in other programs and create connections beyond their respective departments.  

In 2018, KKV received a grant to create a training program aimed at Trauma and Resiliency Informed Care (TRIC). Since treating and responding to trauma is such a prevalent topic amongst our community, KKV decided to build an entire curriculum around it, birthing the Pathways program. The pilot cohort was comprised of veteran staff, like super aunties and uncles. “At first, it was really extensive,” explained Joel. Over the course of two to three months, each cohort dedicated more than 30 hours to group sessions and training, which included program speed dating, Pilinahā and TRIC training, waiwai immersions, and reflections.  

At the beginning of 2020, the group leading Pathways realized the curriculum needed some altering. “It was becoming harder for staff to leave their everyday tasks to participate in the program,” said Joel. “We had to figure out a way to make it more accessible, and the pandemic gave us time to step back and rethink it.” The dream was to always have Pathways be KKV’s form of orientation, so that new staff could see and learn about all of KKV, not just their own departments.  

After several trial runs, a new Pathways structure was implemented this past April. Every four months, a new cohort of staff joins the program. The first week, known as the “kick-off”, is used for introductions, program speed dating, facility tours, and waiwai immersions. The following month, staff attend a Pilinahā training session, and a TRIC training the month after. “We really tried to frontload things this time around,” said Joel. “We know it's hard for staff to block off big chunks of time in their work.” The cohort concludes with a reflection session and graduation. 

Cohort participant Amber Burgos shares her experience in the program:

“Pathways has deepened my understanding of our programs beyond surface-level descriptions. I no longer just know what a day at HA looks like on paper— I now understand what it feels like to laugh with a coworker, hands sunk in mud, as the songs of birds carry through the breeze. As a grant writer, being immersed in a program helps me capture the program's nuances more authentically.” 

Cohort participant Dr. Kapono Chang adds: 

“Something I now use when I have new patients are the two questions Joel asked: What does healthy mean to you? Do you feel healthy? These two simple questions have allowed me to get to know my new patients a lot more and how they view their own health. This is an opportunity for me to understand how to best support them.” 

The goal of Pathways is to ultimately help KKV staff understand the extent of our health center and continue to want to help our community. “If you’re here to just do one job, it’s easy to move on,” said Joel. “But by going through Pathways, staff can better understand what KKV stands for, not just what they see on the surface. They can truly be a part of our mission and feel more connected to their work.”