Hawai‘i’s Caring Communities Initiative: Mobilizing Rural and Ethnic Minority Communities for Youth Suicide Prevention

Youth suicide is a serious, yet preventable, public health concern for ethnic minorities and rural communities. This paper describes the youth leadership model utilized by Hawai‘i’s Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) and provides reflections on the important factors for success in implementing a youth and community advocacy project for youth suicide prevention. HCCI partnered with six youth and community organizations who serve ethnic minority and rural communities across the State of Hawai‘i to train youth leaders and community members in suicide prevention, in order to develop community awareness activities that are grounded in each community’s strengths and needs. The work of a youth leadership group on the island of Kaua‘i is provided as an example to demonstrate the positive rippling effects that health promotion activities can have when they are youth-driven. Important factors to consider for similar interventions that aim to engage youth to address health disparities include prioritizing relationships among all partners, building the capacity of community partners, and providing meaningful leadership opportunities for youth to serve as role models in their communities

A review of male violence against women in Hawaii.

This review attempts to emphasize the urgency in addressing issues of violence against women in Hawaii. It demonstrates that violence against women is a significant, challenging, and often overwhelming and overlooked public health problem. While attention to this problem has dramatically increased, more needs to be done to end violence against women and improve the well-being of women and our society as a whole

Inspiring hope through sources of strength among predominantly Pacific Islander communities

in the world for youth, taking a tremendous toll on local communities (Else et al., 2007; Goebert, 2014). Comprehension of community perspectives of suicide and well-being can enhance suicide prevention interventions. This community-initiated project aimed to culturally adapt the components of an evidence-based youth suicide prevention intervention and refine the intervention methodology to align with these adaptations. Formative qualitative work was conducted with community members to obtain information on community strengths and program fit. Narrative analyses were emergent and emphasized components for suicide prevention, incorporating cultural auditing to ensure information reflected group views. Participants highlighted cultural aspects pertaining to the program philosophy, the importance of cultural protocol, local innovation in suicide prevention, and culturally grounded advancements that give back to their community. This insight was applied to two adjacent but distinct communities to integrate suicide prevention in a sustainable way by culturally adapting the program. Effective suicide prevention for rural and Indigenous youth requires a broad-based community commitment, connection, and network.  

Admissions, length of stay, and discharge barriers at the Hawaii State Hospital.

Based on data gathered from patients, psychiatrists, and social workers at the Hawaii State Hospital, it was determined that the majority of patients had been in the hospital for more than one year, were committed for forensic reasons, and did not need continued hospitalization. An inter-agency systems approach is needed to address the issue of length of patient stay

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Impacts of a Strength-based and Youth-driven Approach to Suicide Prevention in Rural and Minority Communities in Hawai‘i

Suicide is a serious public health issue, particularly for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islander youth living in rural communities in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i’s Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) for Youth Suicide Prevention was implemented to address these concerns and used a strength-based, youthleadership approach to suicide prevention. A qualitative study was completed with youth leaders and adult community coordinators to evaluate the impacts of participating in HCCI. Participants included 9 adult community coordinators and 17 youth leaders ages 13-18 years. Coordinator interviews took place at a location of the interviewee’s convenience, and youth leader focus groups were conducted at 1 of 6 rurally-based community organizations. A team of university staff members coded transcripts using a narrative approach and grouped codes into themes. Five themes emerged that fit with an adapted socio-ecological model framework, which included increased knowledge in suicide risk, pride in leadership identity, sense of positive relationships, positive affirmation from community members, and sustainability. Future efforts that focus on youth-related issues are encouraged to integrate a youth leadership model and preventive approach while considering implications such as long-term funding and capitalizing on community strengths and resources