Hawai‘i's Caring Communities Initiative: Building a Safety Net for Youth Suicide Prevention

Background: The Hawai‘i's Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) aims to positively impact at-risk communities as well as the statewide suicide crisis infrastructure in the State of Hawai‘i. Led by the University of Hawai‘i Department of Psychiatry, HCCI collaborates with six community organizations in rural areas to provide training and technical assistance in developing youth suicide prevention awareness projects that are community-led and culturally grounded. HCCI also partners with community trauma centers to prevent future attempts by identifying and supporting youth who are at-risk for suicide. HCCI partners with National Alliance on Mental Illness-New Hampshire's The Connect Project to train communities and trauma centers on evidence-based strategies for suicide prevention. Methods: HCCI uses a mixed-methods design to evaluate the project efforts. Quantitative surveys are used to assess growth in knowledge and skills and qualitative focus groups and interviews are conducted to identify strengths and areas of improvement. The numbers of people reached through the awareness activities, at-risk youth identified, and collaborative relationships formed are also measured. Results: Preliminary results suggest that the HCCI model is effective in increasing knowledge and competency in youth suicide prevention efforts and fits the cultural needs of the communities. Conclusions: HCCI has the potential to increase community awareness on youth suicide prevention as more community members, youth, and health providers are trained in evidence-based strategies and more at-risk youth are identified and referred to trained health providers. HCCI provides an innovative and collaborative model that frames youth suicide prevention as a collective effort.