Project Grant H79SM091116

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services) awarded the University of Hawaii at Manoa $735,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to strengthen youth suicide prevention capacity across Hawaii's community-embedded youth-serving systems.

The award funds Hawaii's Community Systems Initiative for Youth Suicide Prevention, which targets primary prevention, early intervention, and postvention efforts addressing suicide among Hawaiian youth. Approximately 30 percent of Hawaii's population is age 24 or younger, reflecting the state's Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Asian American, and multiracial demographics. Suicide remains a leading cause of death among individuals ages 24 and younger in Hawaii. Suicide planning rates among high school students range from 13 to 16 percent across islands, while lifetime planning rates among middle school students average 20 percent overall. The initiative responds to demographic shifts from urban Honolulu toward rural and neighbor island communities, where families reside farther from larger healthcare facilities and specialty care.

Performance occurs in Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. The period of performance runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031. The assistance type is a Project Grant, which supports knowledge development and application projects for prevention and treatment alongside systems change capacity building and targeted community response.