University of Hawai’i at Hilo

The University of Hawaiʻi Suicide Prevention Program will serve a highly diverse student population and will target subpopulations that are at high risk for depression, suicide, and substance use issues, including Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, veterans, and students who stigmatize mental health and/or rarely access mental health care prevention and support services. The goals of this grant project are to reduce mental health disparities related to our students’ race, ethnicity, gender and/or sexual identity; decrease reported levels of student distress and suicidal ideation on campus; and educate students and campus community about alcohol and substance use and abuse as a means of reducing high-risk and harmful student behaviors. Interventions and strategies used will include suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings, mental health and substance use focus groups, mental health screening, alternative mental health wellness intervention / prevention programming, and stigma reduction education.

The project’s objectives are as follows:

1. to develop a Community Stakeholder Communication Protocol and establish a Community Prevention Network,
2. facilitate completion of Kognito for 40% of targeted student leaders / employees, and 30% of targeted faculty / staff by end of grant period,
3. train two new QPR facilitators to offer this suicide prevention gatekeeper training to 210 students over three years,
4. establish sustainable protocols and management systems for ongoing suicide prevention gatekeeper training,
5. train 40 student leaders over three years in using and sharing Hei, an indigenous strategy for well-being,
6. increase student participation in mental health / substance use screening events by 10% each year,
7. roll out No Shame, No Blame stigma reduction campaign particularly targeting Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men,
8. by the end of three years, produce six video clips aimed at increasing targeted students’ access of counseling services by 15%,
9. deliver evidence-based substance use intervention program(s) to 30% of students who have identified themselves as needing this support,
10. develop culturally relevant alternative mental health prevention and intervention strategies by conducting focus groups, allowing at least 120 students over three years to access mental health care services who otherwise would not,
11. expand access to HeartMath software by at least 25 students a year as part of a campaign about stress, anxiety and sleep management, and
12. revitalize Men of Strength programming as a means of increasing participant’s help-seeking, well-being, and knowledge of campus and community support resources.