At the Nexus of Old and New: Finding Hope & Inspiration for Health & Healing in Our Communities National Association of Social Workers Hawai‘i Chapter October 4, 2018 Queens Conference Center

Presenter Aukahi Austin Seabury, Ph.D. Executive Director, Licensed Clinical Psychologist I Ola Lāhui aaustin@iolalahui.org (808)525-6255

Mo‘olelo: Work Day at Ho‘okua‘āina

Mo‘olelo: Work Day at Ho‘okua‘āina Ideal vs. Real Real is perfection We see the yellowed bent ones as beautiful too Clearing the weeds around helps them grow There’s a larger system Specific lo‘i Larger environmental system

Connections to Our Work It’s hard work, mostly that nobody sees Can feel like slow progress Sometimes hard to see the benefits and outcomes Look up See others doing the work See the sky and the larger system Knowing when it’s the right time to act in the right way You might get kalo, but is it as big and healthy as it could be?

So what does this tell us to do? Continue seeking knowledge Indigenous wisdom Practice wisdom Learn from others’ experiences Research base Best practices here Innovate and make connections How those things apply to THIS context Be Inspired and Cultivate Hope

An Example: You run a program for at-risk adolescents in a predominantly Native Hawaiian community. One of the girls in the group gets upset during an activity and calls out another girl intending to fight her.

An Example: You run a program for at-risk adolescents in a predominantly Native Hawaiian community. One of the girls in the group gets upset during an activity and calls out another girl intending to fight her. What are your options? In the moment With youth With staff With caregivers Future policy

An Example: You run a program for at-risk adolescents in a predominantly Native Hawaiian community. One of the girls in the group gets upset during an activity and calls out another girl intending to fight her. From a social determinants of health perspective Why at risk? The reasons she’s there that she has no control over From an indigenous perspective Mihi process at a pu‘uhonua example From a historical trauma perspective What is learned if she is kicked out?

Finding a Way to Elevate the Conversation We can teach instead of punish We can be a positive learning experience instead of a confirmation of negative experiences We can redirect energy toward self-understanding and redefine strength and leadership We can do all of this and still be safe and responsibly protect our staff, the youth, and their families

Finding a Way to Elevate the Conversation At the nexus of old and new, we will not do the same old things and expect our communities to rise. We will innovate by being grounded in our indigenous wisdom and apply it to contemporary challenges We will not let our own stress, trauma, or lack of knowledge limit how far our communities can go. We will take care of ourselves, seek new knowledge and inspiration, and bring that to this work.

Mahalo nui loa National Association of Social Workers Hawai‘i Chapter October 4, 2018 Queens Conference Center