Category: Pacific Islands

By WestCare Pacific Islands’ Youth Enhancement & Treatment Programs  What a sensational summer it was! WestCare Pacific Islands’ youth empowerment and treatment programs hosted a series of summer programming. This collaboration offered participants activities to enhance mental health and well-being, increase their capacity to make positive choices, become leaders in their community, and engage in […]

By Salome Vuki, Quality Improvement Coordinator This July, WestCare Pacific Islands’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program celebrates Guam’s Liberation Day on July 21 with the theme, “The Strength to Overcome, the Faith to Persevere!” Liberation Day commemorates the end of the Japanese occupation in Guam by the U.S. military. In honor of Liberation […]

By Melvira Kyarii Kazuma, Family Educator and Indirah Tochi Tirso, Family Educator Rooted in the spirit of Klaingeseu (“to help one another” in the Palauan language), WestCare Pacific Islands’ Cheberdil Belau Center (CBC) has opened its doors to serve the community of Palau with two new programs for youth and young couples, the Tutoring Program […]

By Lavina Camacho, Behavioral Health Administrator In October of 2021, Uplift Counseling Services began a new partnership with the Guam Community College (GCC) offering behavioral health support and services, allowing the community college to address mental health directly. This collaboration stemmed from WestCare Pacific Islands (WPI) identifying the unmet needs and barriers for this young […]

By Mia Madlambayan, Research Assistant and Salome Vuki, Prevention Specialist, Maolek Na Lina’la (MNL)/Life is Good  Amidst the Holiday season, Maolek Na Lina’la (MNL) or “Life is Good,” pushed to organize multiple events for Guam’s youth while spreading the philosophy of a “good life” using the Positive Action curriculum.  MNL closed out a cohort with […]

By Ciera Tamayo, Outreach Specialist Happy Holidays from the Pacific Islands familia! The holidays are filled with family gatherings, festive décor, and an abundance of laughter. While we envision the holidays to be merry and bright, this time of the year may be difficult for many of our Veterans. This holiday season, help spread cheer […]

By Beverlyn Coleman, Clinical Program Director, I Ma’lak Na Ha’åni – Bright Futures WestCare Pacific Islands’ (WPI) school-based youth behavioral health program, Ma’lak Na Ha’åni – Bright Futures, is happy to announce its expansion to community-based services in January 2022! WPI was recently awarded the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). […]

By Raven Saville, Youth Educator and Leslie Estrella, Program Manager, Project Isa-Ta: PREP-PATHways, WestCare Pacific Islands The countdown to WestCare Pacific Islands’ PREP PATHways’ finale has officially begun! Despite the global pandemic, nothing has kept the PREP teams from Guam and the Republic of Palau from connecting with the community. The teams persevered and rose to […]

By Fuana Temarsel, WestCare Pacific Islands – PREP: Palau Instead of the usual indoor classroom sessions, PREP participants in the summer were treated to a trip back in time to learn how their modern world connects with their cultural roots. Our youth were taken to various historical sites to learn how the Palauan culture applies […]

By Salome Vuki and Kathryn Bisalen, Prevention Specialists, Maolek Na Lina’la  There was no stopping for the I Lina’la Hu (My Life) and Maolek Na Lina’la (Life is Good) programs of WestCare Pacific Islands as we headed down to the southern side of the island and kicked off our second summer camp in the village of Piti. With 16 middle-school-aged youth looking to […]