Maui Youth & Family Services, in partnership with Maui United Way and Sentry’s Mālama nā Keiki Initiative, provides critical mental health support for Maui keiki impacted both directly and indirectly by the Lahaina wildfires.
Guidance for Our Collective Work
The theme he lei po’ina ‘ole ke keiki, meaning, a lei never forgotten is the beloved child, provides guidance for our collective work, as this initiative addresses child and youth mental health directly, while also developing the body of community support.
Community Outreach & Support
MYFS mental health professionals conduct outreach to wildfire recovery efforts at community events. They promote healing through on-site support and referrals for future treatment. MYFS will partner with multiple Maui based organizations to bring additional mental health support to disaster-effected keiki, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui, MEO’s Head Start Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters and YouthLine.
Mental Health Services
MYFS provides mental health services for youth who otherwise could be waiting indefinitely on a waitlist. These services are available in central Maui on an outpatient basis.
At Maui middle and high schools, MYFS counselors have offices on these campuses where they provide individual and group counseling and substance use treatment. Services are also available in the community for youth who do not attend a participating school or who require a higher level of care than can be offered at the school.
Building for our Future
With an eye to the future, we seek to grow our team and our community’s capacity to hold and heal our keiki in distress. As part of the Mālama nā Keiki Initiative, several trainers will provide resources, knowledge and expertise to better inform keiki serving professionals in our community. This includes trainings on supporting youth in trauma, how to address substance use after disaster, suicide prevention, and mental health first aid; developing a peer-support hotline; improving mentoring support for youth who have faced trauma, and introducing new trauma-focused protocols. Professional development, internship support and specialized supervision will also support the professional development and expansion of this youth-serving community.
Families will benefit from trainings on young child mental health, and cultural practices such as ho’oponopono, with the goal to create a healer in every home.
Ho‘aka Mana
This work is enhanced and supported by Ho‘aka Mana, a training offered to partners and staff to provide an understanding of the significance and importance of culture and health in connecting with clients and the community. They will learn how to integrate cultural knowledge in care, in order to bridge clinical and traditional knowledge. Participants will gain important skills to better relate to clients and support their immediate needs, as well as provide long-term treatment and care.
This cultural element underlies all of the work we do through the Mālama nā Keiki Initiative, and is designed to create a knowledge base that will carry on beyond the life of this program.
