FROM JUDITH'S DESK
It’s a new year – with lots of news and changes at Hawaii Youth Services Network (HYSN).
The federal Administration for Children and Families awarded us a Competitive Abstinence Education Program grant. We are focusing on the risk and protective factors, cultural values and norms that influence the risk of teen pregnancy and STIs among Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino youth. We’ve just awarded subgrants to two partners that will implement the Making a Difference curriculum with this population and we’re convening a multi-sector work group.
In December, HMSA Foundation gave us funding to work with the Honolulu County Department of Parks and Recreation on a bullying prevention initiative. We’ll be conducting training of trainers so Parks staff will be able to provide bullying prevention training to all of those new Summer Fun hires each year.
As a result, we’re adding new staff and moving some to new positions. Darlene Du Brall has been promoted to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Director and Regina Torres is our Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coordinator. Jennifer Fonseca joins the HYSN staff on January 5 as Administrative Assistant (You may remember her as our student intern last summer). We’ve decided to move our accountant from a contractual to a part-time staff position. And we are in the process of hiring a part-time Bullying Prevention Coordinator.
If we are to address the range of youth issues and non-profit management needs that our members and colleagues want and expect of us, we need more unrestricted funding. HYSN does not compete with local non-profits for individual and corporate donors. We don’t do donor solicitations or put on fund raising special events.
This fall we raised our membership dues for the first time in 15 years. And, starting in January, HYSN will charge small fees to non-members for all training and networking workshops and conferences. These fees will not cover the full cost of the training we provide, but they will help defray expenses.
In a few days, we will be sending you an e-mail with information about our membership benefits. If your agency is not an HYSN member agency, please consider joining. And if you are a member, please share the information with a colleague. Questions about membership? Contact Maricel Lumagui, Membership Specialist at 808-531-2198 ext. 6 or e-mail to maricel@hysn.org
POLICE RESPONSE ON SIDEWALK LAWS ENFORCEMENT
In the December issue of this newsletter, I shared information from street outreach workers indicating that homeless youth were losing identification and medications when the laws that forbid sitting, lying, or storing your possessions on public sidewalks were enforced.
Office Yamada from the Honolulu Police Department called me a few days later. In the interest of fairness, I am sharing his response with you.
Officer Yamada said that the first step when confiscating belongings stored on the sidewalk is to inventory them and take photographs. Identification cards/papers and medications are then given to the owner before the belongings are removed. We understand how essential ID and medications are, he stated.
RESOURCES
A PATH APPEARS SCREENING
FREE
Screening and Discussion
A Path Appears
Tuesday, January 20, 6 pm
The ARTS at Marks Garage
1159 Nuuanu Ave.
This program deals with sex trafficking and its impact on children and adults, a sensitive yet important topic that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Innovative programs are addressing these oppressive and desperate conditions.
Respondent:
Kalei Grant
Crisis Responder, Comprehensive Services for Human Trafficking Victims Program
Locally sponsored by:
Hawaii Women in Filmmaking
206-0848
vera@hawaiiwomeninfilmmaking.org
and
Hawaii People's Fund
593-9969
peoples@lava.net
Kupu is a non-profit that provides environmental and sustainability-related internships to young adults across Hawaii. We are now accepting applications for our 2015 summer Gateway Program, which will run in the months of June and July.
ABOUT THE GATEWAY PROGRAM:
The Gateway Program is a part of Kupu’s Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC), and involves 7 weeks of intense hands-on conservation work in some of Hawaii’s most beautiful natural areas. Program participants work together in teams across the state (there will be teams on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Molokai).
POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
- Gateway Team Member – for youth ages 17-20 (must turn 17 by June 8th 2015)
- Gateway Team Leader – for young adults ages 21 and older (must turn 21 by June 8th 2015)
BENEFITS:
In addition to receiving valuable experience in the environmental field, technical and cultural training, free program-related travel, and possible college credits, participants receive the following:
- Gateway Team Member: $1,195 Educational Award (scholarship) and a $500 stipend
- Gateway Team Leader: $1,195 Educational Award (scholarship) and a $4,000 living allowance
MORE INFORMATION/TO APPLY: Visit our website at www.kupuhawaii.org/hycc and look for “Gateway Team Member” and/or “Gateway Team Leader”
DEADLINE TO APPLY: February 28th 2015
QUESTIONS: Call our office at 808-735-1221 or email us at: acprograms@kupuhawaii.org
ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR DATA AVAILABLEOAH has combed through adolescent health information and recently updated our state and national summaries of adolescent health and behavior. Here are some highlights of what you can find on these data sheets:
Healthy Relationships. Positive relationships with adults are important to healthy adolescent social development. In 2011-2012, 89 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 had at least one adult mentor-like relationship in their school, neighborhood, or community (according to their parents). Get more information on healthy relationship indicators among adolescents in the United States and in your state. Mental Health. In 2013, three in 10 high school students felt so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing some of their usual activities, and this behavior continued almost every day for two or more weeks in a row. Learn more about adolescents’ mental health in the United States and in your state. Physical Health. While 83 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 were in excellent or very good health in 2011-2012 (according to their parents), more can still be done to promote healthy eating and active living habits. For example, in 2013, less than half (47 percent) of high school students reported getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity on five or more days in a week. Check out additional information on adolescents' physical health in the United States and in your state. Reproductive Health. The last two years have seen record lows in teen pregnancy rates. However, much work remains: In 2013, 14 percent of currently sexually active high school students reported not using any method to prevent pregnancy during their last sexual intercourse. Learn more about adolescents' reproductive health behavior in the United States and in your state. Substance Abuse. Nearly six in 10 high school students (59 percent) reported never trying cigarettes (even one or two puffs) in 2013. Additionally, 35 percent of high school students drank alcohol at least once in the past month in 2013. Find out more about substance use among adolescents in the United States and in your state.
OAH has also expanded to include adolescent health summaries for Puerto Rico and Guam. For more on federal datasets containing information on adolescent health, see Locating Adolescent Health Data on the OAH website.
SAVE THE DATE AND NOMINATE!
MAY 12, 2015
Ala Moana Hotel
the 10th Annual Mental Health MAHALO AWARDS
Mental Health America of Hawai'i is holding its 10th Annual Mental Health Mahalo Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. SAVE THE DATE!
PLEASE SUBMIT A NOMINATION FOR AN AWARD!
The event will celebrate our community leaders, agencies, and companies that have dedicated themselves to promoting mental wellness and improving the care of people with mental health problems through positive and innovative programs and leadership.
It is important to recognize the long years of commitment so many have given to the mental health of our community.
Awards will be given in the following categories:
Outstanding Community Mental Health Leader: An individual OR community organization that has enhanced services to the mental health community through initiating groundbreaking programs and being an effective advocate.
Outstanding Government Leader: A government employee OR governmental agency that has developed groundbreaking programs and/or spearheaded public policies that address mental illness.
Outstanding Adult Mental Health Consumer Advocate: A person who has experienced mental illness and is a strong representative and advocate for improving mental health treatment and services and reducing stigma.
Outstanding Youth Mental Health Consumer Advocate: A young person (24 years and under) who has experienced mental illness and is a strong advocate for improving mental health treatment and services and reducing stigma.
Outstanding Business: A company that provides innovative workplace programs to support employees' mental wellness and/or that hires people who have serious mental illness.
Outstanding Family Advocate: A person who has a family member with severe mental illness and who acts as a strong advocate for family members and people with mental illness.
Nominations for these awards are being accepted via email only. Please hit "reply" which will enable you to fill out the nomination form below, or send to Marya Grambs: marya@mentalhealth-hi.org. For more information contact the MHA HI office at (808) 521-1846. The deadline for nominations is January 23, 2015.
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT TOOLKIT AVAILABLEDeveloped by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Children, Youth, and Families and Office of Community Services, this toolkit is designed to provide caseworkers, independent living skills providers, foster parents and other supportive adults with strategies and resources to critically evaluate and improve their current ability to promote financial capability for youth in foster care. It is designed for those working with youth under the age of 18 and young adults preparing to transition out of the foster care system. The toolkit is a compilation of lessons learned, best practices and practical tools, which can be used together or separately, to help service providers methodically choose and integrate new system strategies, programs or interventions to improve the financial capacity of the youth they serve. Additionally, content and tools can be tailored to meet stakeholder needs based on the intended outcomes of their services and the characteristics of the populations they are serving.
Toolkit and Tipsheets Are Located Here:
A Financial Empowerment Toolkit for Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care.
Know Your Credit History: How to Interpret a Credit Report
Get Tax Savvy: What You Need to Know About Taxes
Creating a Credit Profile: How to Build Your Credit
Protect Yourself and Your Stuff: What You Need to Know About Insurance
Excerpted from Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 12/10/2014
Hawaii is the healthiest state in the country, claiming the top spot for two years straight in America's Health Rankings, released annually by United Health Foundation.
"I'm elated that we have gotten the highest ranking in the nation for the second year in a row," said Keith Yamamoto, acting director of the state Department of Health. "We do think it's a reflection of our community and their commitment to healthy lifestyles and environmental protection." The national snapshot of health compares states on community indicators, policy, behaviors, clinical care and outcomes. It shows Hawaii excelling on a range of factors, from low rates of smoking and physical inactivity to the state's strong commitment to public health and medical coverage.
Aloha State residents also reported fewer "poor mental health days" in the previous month than their counterparts elsewhere in the country, placing second in that category nationally. Hawaii was also second nationally in terms of dollars spent per person on public health, on its insured rate, and on its cancer death rate.
CFS WOMEN RECEIVE AWARDSPatti Bates, CFS Executive VIce President aand Chief Operating Officer was chosen from 7 finalists and more than 50 nomnations for the prestigious award of Businesswoman of the Year for 2014 in the Nonprofit category by Pacific Business News.
Patti celebrated her 21st year with CFS. Her career is rooted in the dedication and training of a social worker, coupled with a depth of knowledge and skills in the ares of finance, properties, human resources, administration and management.
Karen Tan, CFS Vice President of Programs was one of 16 PBN WOment to Watch awardees.
Congratulations to them both!
Karen is the lead member of the CFS team for key initiatives such as the implementation of Results Based Accountability to align the entire organization to focus on measurable outcomes and impact.
Karen also vies clinical excellence as a program priority for CFS and is instrumental in CFS' role as a top Trauma-informed Care organization in Hawaii.