Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
The purpose of the Hawaii's Caring Systems Initiative for Youth Suicide Prevention is to strengthen the capacity of key youth-serving systems in the areas of suicide prevention (hope), early intervention (help), and postvention (healing), as well as strengthen the communication and collaboration among these systems to improve overall continuity of care. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHOPI) adolescents exhibit the highest risk for suicide-related behaviors, especially those who reside in rural areas. Thus, our systems approach to youth suicide prevention will emphasize high-need, low-resourced areas that are primarily rural, NHOPI communities. Their needs cut across three major service systems which will be our foci - healthcare, education, and community (including both formal social service and informal systems). Despite exposure to multiple risks and adversities, however, most youth do not develop suicidality or other behavioral problems. From a local perspective, strengths-based approaches enhance existing assets, resiliency factors, and relationships in families and communities. Our Initiative's five goals align with our overall purpose, and were developed in response to the needs and opportunities of our community of focus: Goal 1) Increase capacity of youth-serving systems in primary prevention (hope); Goal 2) Increase capacity of youth-serving systems in early intervention (help); Goal 3) Increase capacity of youth-serving systems in postvention (heal); Goal 4) Identify and address specific areas for structural improvements within each of the three systems of focus; and Goal 5) Facilitate continuity of care among youth-serving systems to improve prevention of youth suicide deaths and attempts. We selected four evidence-based programs for implementation which, when integrated, will strengthen the State's ability to reduce suicide deaths and attempts: the Connect Suicide Prevention and Postvention Curriculum; Sources of Strength; the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator Training; and Continuity of Care. Modifications to these programs stemmed from our work as a previous SAMHSA GLS grantee, and are rooted in the long-term community partnerships our Team has established. Our primary beneficiaries are youth ages 10 to 24, though we will also serve parents and families, healthcare and education providers, and community members and professionals who work with youth. Our programming will reach at least 60,000 (unduplicated) people per year from our communities of focus. Ultimately, this Initiative's innovative approaches will enhance capacity among youth-serving systems, and in parallel, coalesce these domains into a collaborative system of care that reconnects youth through a strengths-based approach and bolsters Hawaii's promotion of Hope, Help, and Healing for our communities.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).