The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System Project Healthy, Affirming Locally-Inclusive Grant Initiative for Advancing Awareness and Resilience in Education (HALIGI AWARE) aims to increase mental health awareness and access to care through establishing the foundational and preventative layers of a multi-tiered system. Haligi is the foundation pillar of the indigenous Latte Stone homes and similarly, this project will connect home and community to schools and create a positive culture for universal student accessibility. The goals of Project HALIGI AWARE are to 1) develop a sustainable infrastructure through improved collaborative partnerships utilizing a multitiered approach to awareness, education, intervention, & prevention 2) adopt evidenced-based behavioral health strategies to improve access to sustainable services, adopt early identification & warning system measures, & coordinated referral processes 3) equip education professionals with the tools necessary to increase awareness, recognize, & respond to behavioral & mental health issues among students 4) expand home & community awareness through outreach & engagement to promote enhanced cultural & linguistic responsive public awareness on positive mental health, protective factors, resilience, prevention, advocacy, & access to resources & 5) equip school-aged youth to develop sustainable skills & enhance peer support opportunities that promote resilient prosocial behaviors & prevention engagement. To achieve this, Project HALIGI AWARE will establish a School Community Council; develop a sustainable Workforce Development Training Plan, building local workforce capacity, Comprehensive Plan, providing early identification, coordinated referral, interventions, & follow-up services; train education staff on Crisis Prevention & Response Interventions to increase the ability to identify & respond immediately; increase engagement of families & communities; & establish a Peer Support Mentorship Program to promote prosocial skills. The CNMI PSS is a State and Local Education Agency comprising 20 schools on three islands, Saipan, Tinian, & Rota. Project HALIGI AWARE will support 10,003, K-12 students: 35.3% of students identify as Filipino, 23.9% as Chamorro, 6.8% Chinese, & 38.7% account for other ethnic backgrounds, 33% with limited English proficiency. An estimated 52% of the CNMI population fall below the federal poverty line. The CNMI YRBS indicated 13.2% students identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, 7.4% rated as not sure, & an estimated 2% identify as transgender. According to internal PSS data an estimated 20% (2,006) students accessed clinical or disciplinary actions in need of intervention. The 2013-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated a rise in behavioral risks with an estimated gap of 11% of students needed support but were not identified. The program goals and objectives will guide a data-driven process that will inform decision-making at all levels for PSS. Project HALIGI AWARE supports the CNMI PSS goal of providing a safe & caring learning environment that supports behavioral health and academic achievement of all students.
