Ka Malu a Waʻahila: Cultivating cultural safety for Native Hawaiian students in university behavioral health

Abstract

Ka Malu a Waʻahila, an Indigenous-centered and student-informed program, was established in 2022 to meet the growing behavioral health needs of Native Hawaiian college students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Utilizing a cultural safety foundation and relying on the wisdom of community voices articulated by the Pilinahā framework, clinicians provide prevention, direct intervention, and outreach services. As the program continues to evolve, future plans include expanding to other Pacific Islanders and developing an additional layer of systemic change through building an Indigenous behavioral health training pathway and training curriculum for clinicians serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities.