MEO Youth Services joins Suicide Prevention Month Proclamation ceremony

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Youth Services team participated in a ceremony Thursday marking September as Suicide Prevention Month in Maui County.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen read the proclamation. The event was organized by E Ola Hou Prevent Suicide Maui County Task Force and Mental Health America of Hawai‘i Maui County Branch, led by Danielle Bergan.

In his short talk, MEO Youth Services Director Dane Ka‘ae noted how suicide was a ‘hush hush’ topic when he was growing up, but today “I can say the word ‘suicide.’” Dane also noticed openness among youth on the topic of suicide.

MEO Youth Services staff visit Maui and Moloka‘i schools with a suicide prevention curriculum that encourages that openness and teaches youth about the possible signs of suicide. Through peer awareness, sign waving and other public activities, MEO Youth Services works to remove the stigma and the silence of suicide.

Representing MEO Youth Services at the proclamation reading was Dane Ka‘ae, Kristin Wells, Jaynina Gomes and Aaron Guerrero.

MEO Youth Services on Maui and Moloka‘i will be holding suicide prevention sign waving from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, in front of the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Kahului and the Moloka‘i Public Library. Youth Services staff also will be offering its suicide prevention curriculum in schools and in its afterschool program. 

Prior to reading the proclamation, the mayor reiterated what other speakers noted – that measuring suicide prevention is difficult because that requires quantifying an event that does not happen. But the community can control the effort and monitor the work put into prevention.

He also said that social media, or “unsocial media,” is the No. 1 threat to mental health. Users are able to reinvent themselves and have turned the platform into a weapon.

Other activities marking Suicide Prevention Month include:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid training by Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, J. Walter Cameron Center, Wailuku. For information, email Danielle at Danielle.Bergan@mentalhealthhawaii.org.

• Suicide Prevention safeTALK training by Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Sept. 11, J. Water Cameron Center, Wailuku. For information, email Danielle at Danielle.Bergan@mentalhealthhawaii.org.

• Out-of-The-Darkness Walk, 4:30 p.m. to sunset, Saturday, Sept. 21, at Moloka‘i Canoe Club. For information, contact U‘ilani Kiaha at (808) 757-0460.

• Adult survivors of suicide loss bereavement support group on Moloka‘i, organized by Nā Puʻuwai, Tuesday, Sept. 10. For information, email Anuhea Beair at ipc@napuuwai.org or call (808) 560-1060. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month.

Hawai‘i CARES 988 offers a free crisis, mental health and substance use call center. Locally trained and qualified clinical and crisis call center staff provide supportive counseling and screening for urgent or emergent mental health or substance use needs, recommendations for behavioral health assessments, services and crisis interventions. Call or text 988, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit hicares.hawaii.gov.