In November 2000, Hawaii Families As Allies began its search for young people to form Hawaii’s first youth council for children’s mental health. Efforts started with letters being sent to all branch chiefs, care coordinators and mental health supervisors at the Family Guidance Centers. Letters were also sent to family and community organizations and articles were included in the SPIN and Mental Health Association newsletters.
Interested youth between the ages of 14 through 25 were asked to complete an application and submit it to Hawaii Families As Allies along with a consent form from their parent/legal guardian giving them permission to apply for the council and go through the interview process. One of the questions that are asked during the interview is “If you could change one thing (regarding services for children and adolescents) what would it be?” Answers to this question help determine the focus of their work.
The first meeting of the Youth Council was held on April 28, 2001. The executive body and some of the core members have been meeting monthly. The recruitment and interview process is ongoing; we will continue to interview and select new members. Our goal is to have a representative from every community on the council.
Council members are learning about leadership, effective meeting participation and teamwork. They have started working on their vision/mission statement and will soon be creating their by-laws. Our youth brainstorm action planning around important issues and concerns they have identified. They have participated on youth panels at conferences and have spoken out individually at interagency meetings.
We envision this council to be the voice for youth in the state of Hawaii. They see themselves as educators and advocates for better services for children and adolescents. They will share their knowledge and experiences with heads of the system of care and legislators. They will speak out in many arenas and would like to work with schools on an anti-stigma campaign. There is much to do and they are just beginning their work. They are bright, enthusiastic and energetic young people who have much to offer. We hope that you will support them in their efforts to make things better for the children of Hawaii and assist us in our recruitment efforts.
Click here to read more about some of our participating Youth members.
If you know a young person who may be interested in becoming a member of the Youth Council, please contact Donna Makaiwi at HFAA for an application. Ph. 251-0059/487-8785 or toll free 1-866-361-8825. Mahalo!
The Youth Council also has resources and links just for other youths to explore and find others with common interests. Click her to go to the Youth Zone.
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