FROM JUDITH'S DESK
Runaway and homeless youth are the most vulnerable segment of Hawaii's homeless population. They are disconnected from their families without support and guidance from caring adults. They leave home due to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect or because they have unmet mental health and substance abuse needs.While on the streets, they are hungry, frightened, and lonely - at high risk for pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, assault, and rape.
And, despite all the attention paid to homelessness by our public officials and media, runaway and homeless youth are the most invisible, with the fewest resources available to them. People assume that all homeless children and adolescents are homeless with their families.
Yet, for more than 15 years, youth service providers have encountered more than 700 of these unaccompanied minors on the streets every year. Thirty percent of juvenile arrests in Hawaii over a 10-year period have been for running away from home.
Outreach strategies that are effective with adult homeless are less effective in reaching youth because their needs and issues are different.
This year, the Hawaii Legislature is considering funding for outreach specifically targeting unaccompanied homeless youth. Outreach is the first step in helping runaway and homeless youth to leave the streets for safe and appropriate housing. Since 1981, Hawaii Youth Services Network has coordinated a statewide runaway and homeless youth partnership. This funding can make a critical difference in improving the well-being and safety of Hawaii's most at risk youth. We applaud this effort by our public officials to address youth homelessness.
RESOURCES
HPV SHARPLY REDUCED IN TEENAGE GIRLS FOLLOWING VACCINE, STUDY SAYS
A vaccine introduced a decade ago to combat the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer has already reduced the virus's prevalence in teenage girls by almost two-thirds, federal researchers have said. Even for women in their early 20s, a group with lower vaccination rates, the most dangerous strains of HPV have still been reduced by more than a third. The news is likely to serve as a welcome energizer in the tumultuous struggle to encourage HPV vaccination in the United States. Despite the vaccine's proven effectiveness, immunization rates remain low--about 40 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys between the ages of 13 and 17. (New York Times, 2/22/16)
MEN, SPORTS CULTURE & GENDER VIOLENCE
Explore the role of men and sports culture in ending domestic violence against women and children.
Talk story time featuring Mark Herzlich, NY Giants Linebacker and Joyful Heart Board member and Danielle Herzlich, First Lieutenant promotable with the New Jersey Army National Guard and Joyful Heart Board Member.
Tuesday, March 8 --- 2:00 p.m.
Manoa Grand Ballroom at the Japanese Cultural Center
2454 South Beretania Street
Pupus provided
This event is free and open to the public ($5 parking w/validation)
BE KIND TO ANIMALS RALLY CHALLENGE
Promote kindness and compassion. Join Oahu's schools as students wave signs supporting the human-animal bond and the humane treatment of animals.
May 1 -7
For further information, go to: Hawaiian Humane Society
BRAIN HEALTH FOR ALL AGES
March 7 at 7:00 p.m.
McKinley High School Auditorium
Free to the public
Cutting edge science, nutrition, and hope for brain health Help for D's: ADD/ADHD, Autism, PTSD, Depression/Anxiety PreventingAlzheimer's and Degenerative Brain Disease Presented by Dr. Bill Sears.
[respect] 2.0
The Sex Abuse Treatment Center and Honolulu Theater for Youth are proud to offer an exciting, limited-time program for high school students called [respect] 2.0.
[respect] 2.0 combines live theater with technology to create a platform to discuss sexual violence prevention in an age of social media. The goal is to challenge young people to explore the serious repercussions of sexually abusive behavior, to empower them to establish safe, respectful relationships, and become active participants in prevention.
Please note that [respect] 2.0 will only be touring February through March. We still have some performance slots available, including possible neighbor island performances.
For more information about[respect] 2.0, please see attachments for a full program description and FAQs.
If you are interested, please contact: EMAIL ASAP and say that you are interested in booking the Respect 2.0 program and include your name, school, island and phone number.GENERATE A HEALTHY FUTURE WITH VOLT
Healthy Teen Network is pleased to release a comprehensive set of adolescent and young men's health materials through VOLT, our project to generate energy around adolescent and youngadult men's (AYAM) health and well-being. Volt seeks to increase AYAM knowledge on, access to and utilization of primary care, sexual and reproductive, and other health services.
Healthy Teen Network developed the materials for adolescent and young men, parents and caring adults (such as coaches, mentors, pastors, and youth workers), and health education professionals audiences. The materials will position AYAM themselves and the adults who support them to improve young people's knowledge in 20 health subjects and increase their access to and utilization of health care services.
The Volt resource suite includes:Generate My Healthy Future Plan, a health assessment and planning tool for AYAM
Facilitator Guide, a companion guide for parents and caring adults
Health Educator Resource and Opportunity (HERO) Guide and additional educational and training materials for health professionals
AYAM Focus Group Facilitator Guide to support organizations that wish to learn more about the health and wellness concerns of the AYAM
Webinar recording and slides on available resources, for health professionals
Promotional poster encouraging AYAM, to take charge of their health and pointing them to Volt's products for youth
Promotional postcard for parents and caring adults to direct them to Volt resource Webpages
Youth-supporting professionals
Volt resources are available--for widespread use and without charge--at www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org/Volt
TRAINING
EMBODIED LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE
Trauma and oppression shape us and our work; we can heal and transform in the face of them. Learning with our whole selves offers us more choice, sparks new actions, affirms our inherent dignity, and increases connection to each other and what we care about.
April 29, 30 & May 1
8:30 a.m - 5:00 p.m. - Windward Oahu
Cost: $150 PER PERSON
Lunch is provided each day. Some travel support is available for neighbor island partivcipants.
Contact Hawaii People's Fund with questions: EMAIL or 593-9969.
Learn more and Apply here: APPLY
Application due by March 21
ASIST TRAINING
This TWO-DAY workshop will equip participants to respond knowledgeably and competently to persons at risk of suicide. Participants learn and practice skills in identifying and responding to people at immediate risk of suicide. Just as "CPR" skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills used in suicide first aid. This is a highly interactive workshop that will give you the training that you need in order to be a careâ€giving resource within your community.
Thursday, March 3rd AND Friday, March 4th, 2016 7:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
on BOTH DAYS
at Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center's Honolulu Unit (1300 A Halona Street, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96817)
Online registration at: REGISTER
FUNDAMENTALS OF THE NATIONAL CLAS STANDARDS
Culturally and linguistically appropriate services means that services are respectful of and responsive to individual cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy levels and communication needs. Implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate services helps individuals and organizations respond to the demographic changes in the U.S.; reduce health disparities; improve the quality of services; meet legislative, regulatory and accreditation mandates; gain a competitive edge in the market place; and decrease the likelihood of liability. The National CLAS Standards provide a blueprint for individuals and health and health care organizations to best serve our nation's increasingly diverse communities through culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Attendees will learn about culturally and linguistically appropriate services and the National CLAS Standards.
Webinar: Fundamentals of the National CLAS Standards
March 17, 2016 at 3 pm ET
J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health
Director, Office of Minority Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
PREVENTING, ASSESSING & TREATING TRAUMA ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
13th Hawaii International Summit
March 29-31, 2016
Hawai'I Convention Center
Online registration and information: www.IVATCenters.org - INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION!
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING REGISTRATION!
Registration is now open for the Oahu 25 Hour Domestic Violence training to all member agencies and the general public. We wouldlove to have as many people as possible attend so please distribute widely! Feel free to contact me directly should you have any questions or concerns.
**Please note that should the maximum number of training participants is reached; Coalition members will have first priority to attend.
The logistical information for this training is as follows:
Dates: April 7, 8, 14, and 15
Time: 8:30am-4:30pm
Location: PACT Family Peace Center
1505 Dillingham Blvd # 208
The Training Topics are as follows:
- April 7th: Dynamics of domestic violence, privilege and oppression, feminism as a response to social justice, history of the women’s movement
- April 8th: Abuser dynamics and characteristics, interventions for domestic abusers
- April 14th: Survivors, domestic violence and the law
- April 15th: Systems response to survivors, advocacy and intervention, safety planning and lethality assessment