Creating path forward for mental health of children, teens, and families

In a concerted effort to develop the mental health support system for the students and families of the CNMI Public School System, 13 government entities consisting of about 100 personnel got together last Sept. 12 at the Saipan World Resort.

The summit was held as part of a strategy to strengthen the system of support for youth mental health. The Mental Health department of the Office of Student and Support Services hosted a workshop titled “Community Compass: Navigating Youth and Family Mental Health Supports and Services in Unity” centered on improving referral pathways for youth mental health services amongst community agencies. The intention of the event was to open opportunities within agencies to hear about the various services and programs that are available to the islands’ youth and families in the CNMI.

Dr. Bobby Cruz, the State Education Agency director for PSS Mental Health, began the event with a metaphor, stating, “Trees operate in deep harmony and connection rather than in isolation. Even though the intricacies of their collaboration are not fully understood by us, their collective strength underlines the significance of community and interdependence for true flourishing. What affects one affects all.”

Cruz emphasized that the mental well-being of all children is a shared responsibility, and PSS is thankful to further develop and now collaborate with compassionate partners.

The transformative event was an all day event held on Sept. 12, with an agenda that was designed to encourage collaboration and understanding among stakeholders, community partners, providers, and professionals working in the field of mental health. Throughout the course of the day, participants were given opportunities to have meaningful dialogues on gaps in services and solutions this upcoming school year, which assisted in strengthening the foundation of continued partnerships.

Each of the 13 agencies presented the framework that their various organizations are continually working toward in order to improve how well they serve their respective demographics. The significance of involving parents and guardians in helping the growth and development of our youth was one of the primary highlights of, along with the importance of concentrating on positive protective factors, crisis preparedness tactics, and many more.

LEA Community manager for Saipan Walter Mendez, mentioned that this event was an important bridging tool for PSS Mental Health and related government agencies to launch discussions on how their different programs may better serve youth and families in the CNMI.

The objective of PSS Mental Health is to build resilience in the students and employees of the public school system by creating an environment that is secure and encouraging. Their all-encompassing mission and vision, which is founded on trauma-informed care, seeks to identify and provide universal strategies for all students, early support for identified students, and more individualized interventions for those in need all while creating critical relationships to give intense assistance such as coordinated referrals.

Evelyn Pangelinan, Community Health Outreach worker for CHCC’s System of Care shares, “I feel that all our partners, as youth-serving agencies, share a similar mission and vision for the island community we collectively serve in that we all want to help and ultimately promote optimal wellness and wellbeing, in the context of mental health, and in all aspects. We are in a position to effectively navigate and direct our young people toward the support they may need when we combine our efforts with those of the various stakeholders in the community who are concerned with mental health.”

Beyond the school setting, issues of mental health continue to play a significant role in the lives of our younger generation, added Pangelinan.

Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio said, “I want to know all the services that are available for our youth in the CNMI so that I can channel them accordingly when they come before me in court. If the mental health services in our community are able to provide our young people with the help they need to define the challenges they face and find a means to move past those challenges, then collectively we will be able to create new opportunities for our youth.”

The Community Compass: Navigating Youth and Family Mental Health Supports and Services in Unity workshop, in its second annual facilitation, has set a promising course for the CNMI’s youth and family mental health landscape, fostering unity, and empowering all involved to navigate the paths toward improved mental health support.

PSS extends its heartfelt gratitude to the following community partners for their invaluable participation and unwavering commitment to collectively share and illuminate the pathways for our youth and families to access vital mental health support within our community:

988 Suicide Prevention

Youth Environment Solutions Program

PSS Special Education Program

Second Wind

Family & Youth Enhancement Program

Department of Youth Services

CDC-Non-Communicable Disease

Department of Public Health and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Community Guidance Center

System of Care

Healthy Transitions

Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program

Psychiatry

Suicide Prevention Program

Addiction Services Unit (PR)