​PULE I LE OLA I LO’U LOTOIFALE
Tusia:  Judy Mata’utia
 
O Setema o le masina ua atofaina mo le puipuia mai o tagata mai le pulea o latou soifua, ma e faatupulaia ai le malamalamala ma le silafia I lea tulaga aemaise o le mafai ona faia o faatalanoaga ma faasoa e faatatau I le pulea o le soifua.  O mafaufauga e pulea le soifua, e pei o tulaga o le soifua maloloina faale-mafaufau, e mafai ona a’afia ai so’o se tasi e tusa lava po’o le a le matua, po’o le itupa ae po’o le a lava sona talaaga.  O mafaufauga e fia pulea le soifua, e ui ina taatele, e le tatau ona tatou manatu o ni faiga masani ae e masani ona faaalia mai ai nisi tulaga e sili atu ona ogaoga ma matuia. 
 
O se taimi lelei foi lenei e faatalanoaina ma faalauiloa ai nei mataupu ua tele ona tapu ma faasaina ona faatalanoaina e o tatou tagata, tatou aiga, aemaise o tatou fanau.    E tatau ona iai se suiga i manatu ma mafaufauga a le lautele ina ia faatupulaia le faasalalauina o faamatalaga ma aoaoga taua e faatatau I le pulea o le soifua, faapea le faatumauina o le iai o le faamoemoega mo a taeao mo e ua a’afia ona o se tasi ua pulea I lona soifua.  Tatou te a’afia uma lava I le pulea o le soifua, e le na’o le tagata ua faia lea tulaga o le toe pule lava I lona soifua.  O le pule I le ola e a’afia ai aiga ma uo I se taimi umi lava, talu ona toesea se tasi e pele ia latou.  E ui ina taua le soifua maloloina faale-tino, ae tutusa lava ma le taua o le iai o le soifua maloloina faale-mafaufau ma le soifua manuia e fesoasoani pe a tatou a’afia I tulaga nei I ni taimi umi.  O le a’afiaga e foliga mai e sili atu ona faalauteleina I nofoaga laiti ma le vavalalata e pei o Amerika Samoa, aua na’o le 55,000 lona faitau aofa’I, ma o le tele o aiga o aiga lautele. 
 
O se tasi o auala e fesoasoani e puipuia mai le pule I le ola, o le faatupulaia o avanoa e maua ai ma mafai ona togafitia ai mo faanoanoaga, popolega, po’o le atuatuvale foi.  Peitai, e fai sina faigata ona maitau ma iloaina faailoga po’o foliga vaai o faanoanoaga ma popolega e feagai ma le tagata, e le faapea e faaalia ni uiga ese pe faapitoa e tagata uma e a’afia I tulaga nei.  E le gata ina ia tatau ona tatou mataalia ma maitauina le tupulaga talavou, ae tatau foi ona faapena I tagata matutua.  O le soifua maloloina faale-mafaufau o oe po’o se pele ia te oe, e le mafai ona tatou le manatu mamafa tele I ai.  Po’o se mataupu ua leva ona e tauivi ma feagai ai po’o se faalavelave ua faavaivai ai lou tagata, aapa i uo, ai, po’o se faufautua e faamama avega I le sailiga o se fesoasoani.  E leai ma se tulaga e tatau ona e matamuli ai I le aapa atu mo se fesoasoani. 
 
I nai tausaga ua se’i mavae atu nei, na si’isi’i ai I luga le numera o le pule I le ola I Amerika Samoa.  A’o taula’I le tele o le lalolagi I le Koviti-19 I le 2 tausaga talu ai, sa faapena foi Amerika Samoa, ae sa faaopoopo I ai ma le faateleina o le tupulaga talavou na maliliu I le pule I le ola I Amerika Samoa.  Ina ia tatou fesoasoani i le taofia o lenei faafitauli, ua tatau ma onomea ona amata ona tatou talanoa.  O le mea e leaga ai, o tatou o ni tagata tatou te le fiafia e faatalanoaina le autu taua lea, ae pei ua faataliga tutuli iai ma le faatalanoaina ai lava.  Seiloga lava la e mafai ona tineia ese ia ituaiga mafaufauga, e tatau lava la ona faia le tatou vaega ma le tatou galuega. 
 
Afai e te fetaiai ma se tasi o talanoa e uiga I le oti, pe ua fia pule I le ola, ua iai faalogona o le leai o se faamoemoe, tuua toatasi, pe ua leai ni faalogona, pe lagona le maasiasi, po o le faia foi o faamatalaga e faatatau I le pule I le ola I luga o le upega tafailagi, atonu o nisi nei o faailoga vaaia e faailoa mai ai tulaga o feagai ma latou, ma o lo o taumafai foi e aapa mai mo se fesoasoani.  O le malosi ma le iai o le soifua maloloina faale-mafaufau, faatasi ai ma le maufetu’una’I, atonu o le tele foi lena o se avanoa e mafai ona tatou le a’afia ai I tulaga o le pulea o le soifua, ma mafai ai fo’i ona tatou lagolagoina ma fesoasoani atu ia latou o lo’o feagai ma tulaga nei.  Afai e te fia faatalanoaina atili lea mataupu, faafeso’ota’i mai le mau a Amerika Samoa e tete’e atu i sauaga i le 699-0272.
 
 
 
 
Resources:
https://amchp.org/2021/10/28/youth-led-suicide-prevention-efforts-in-american-samoa/
http://www.asalliance.co/tusitala---monthly-articles/remembering-you-are-not-alone-its-suicide-prevention-awareness-month
 
 
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Written by:  Jennifer Tofaeono, Executive Director Alliance   
​  I love concepts that help remind us of how to create healthier communities.  We are the collective, and we need to create these spaces. The Alliance holds space, which at a minimum means we take the initiative to be empathic to someone else’s situation and circumstances.  Our focus this month is Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month.  Everyone can get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes we are not effective with our words. We express our selves in ways that are not healthy, or we feel unsafe to be seen and heard.  We become more exposed which increases our vulnerable position to the people who surround you.  As a community, the Fa’aSamoa thrives by being collectivists.  But what happens when the space we hold does not have the ability to create supportive, and non-judgmental space, where we can be fully emotional, physically, and mentally vulnerable?
When I say the Alliance holds space, we have created a safety net that allows us to be vulnerable, imperfect, and express ourselves.  Every morning we practice wellness, which allows us to describe our focus for the day or  share something that impacts our being.  It has provided us a space where we feel safe and find a pathway to wellness.  We can express ourselves openly and authentically, and we help one another process our emotions.  We have held Wellness Space for the last three years, and the shift in our workspace has been positive.  We have been able to unpack complex emotions, like anxiety, anger, sadness, and fear.  It has allowed us to be open to explore and share liked experiences.  
Building a safe space has not been easy, but here are some tips if you would like to hold this space for your staff, family, friends, or loved ones.  You can practice compassion and love in the present moment.  As you hold space, make sure that everyone can feel loving kindness, and authenticity.  Practice deep listening.  This means to do more than hear to understand, it means listen without judgement, without telling them how they should have handled the situation.  It means just listening.  Ensure the listener knows you hold them in deep respect, and compassion.  Simply sitting, meaning you’re creating the safe space, do not feel you have to get up and clean the room, or make changes to the chairs.  It means sitting as someone has shared with you—so they know you’re focused on them, making them feel safe.  Sit through the hard stuff. You must be present—  Try to focus on anyone who has entered your space.  That doesn’t mean responding to email, as they’ve shared their story, or answering phone calls.  Let them know you are focused on them.  Practice non-judgement, build your safe space.   When someone expresses pain, or hurt, my first reaction has always been, “How can I help fix it.” Please remember we are not here to “fix” them or the way they feel.  Allow them to go through the pain.
Always make sure the person is safe.   If you find that you are not able to support or provide space, work with the person to find a therapist, a pastor, and/or matai—but ask the person first.  When you begin to develop and practice creating “safe” spaces, you will begin to see the healing in your community.   

Written by:  PROVISION
Each year, colleges and universities throughout the nation recognize the month of September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month (NCSAM). This month of Campus Safety awareness encourages the public to have difficult conversations about topics on violence prevention on our nation's campuses. Every year, college students across the nation are becoming victims of sexual assault, robbery, stalking, and other drug related crimes.
 
According to an article written on substance use among college students, the use of illicit drugs has increased in the past decade. Substance use among college students has a correlation with several negative outcomes. One of those being an increased risk of committing or experiencing a sexual assault.
 
Studies show that gender-based violence remains a primary public health and safety issue on our college campuses.  After reviewing 15 years’ worth of data, a team of researchers found that women, underclassman, students with disabilities, students with past histories of sexual victimization, and students with racial, ethnic, or sexual minorities had a higher prevalence of being sexually assaulted on campus. These could come in the form of unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, or broadly defined sexual assault.  
 
The Office of Violence against Women or OVW is committed to the support efforts for victims and prevention of sexual assaults on campus. The Office of Violence against Women is working to create healthy and safe environments for students nationwide by collaborating with campus programs, law enforcement, and victim service providers. Many of the Office of Violence against Women Campus Programs are supporting National Campus Safety Awareness Month by promoting awareness on campus and providing prevention activities, such as self-defense, safe dating, and healthy relationship support. Some campuses are also holding orientations for incoming students that cover the topics of sexual assault, stalking, and dating domestic violence. 
 
The Office of Violence against Women also updated the National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners, this incorporates the foundational training that supports the services to specialized groups like college students and their staff. The Office of Violence against Women does not provide services to the public. But the Office of Violence against Women offers help and support on the islands of American Samoa. For more information, please contact American Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence at 684-699-0272 or find us at http;//www.asalliance.co/. 

Sweeney, Kristen. “NCSAM.” MemberClicks, https://www.clerycenter.org/about-ncsam. 
“September Is National Campus Safety Awareness Month.” September Is National Campus Safety Awareness Month | Campus Drug Prevention, https://www.campusdrugprevention.gov/news/september-national-campus-safety-awareness-month. 
Director, Courtesy of Acting, et al. “Protecting Our Students: National Campus Safety Awareness Month.” The United States Department of Justice, 20 Jan. 2021, https://www.justice.gov/archives/ovw/blog/protecting-our-students-national-campus-safety-awareness-month. 
Welsh, Justine W, et al. “Substance Use among College Students.” Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), American Psychiatric Association, Apr. 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527004/. 
How Prevalent Is Campus Sexual Assault in the United States? https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249827.pdf. 

Written by:  PROVISION
September is National Suicide Prevention Month.  It’s important that we recognize mental health related distress or suicidal thoughts happen to those around us, without the support or care they need.  In 2020, the United States had one death by suicide about every 11 minutes.  12.2 million seriously thought about suicide, while 3.2 million made a plan for suicide and 1.2 million attempted suicide.  People ages 10-34 years of age, suicide is the second leading cause of death.  Young adults go through significant stress transitioning as they gain more independence and responsibility when moving from home or going to college.  This has also been amplified with the Covid-19 pandemic.   

Those who attempt suicide and survive may suffer serious injuries physically and emotionally.  Suicide and suicide attempts also has an affect on friends, family and the community.  When someone dies by suicide, the surviving family and friends could feel anger, shock, or guilt and could also go into depression and need to seek help for themselves.   

But, there is hope.  Suicide is preventable, and we all have a role to play.  Open the lines of communication.  Reach out, ask questions like, “I’ve noticed you seem down lately.  What’s going on?” Or, “Hey, we haven’t talked in awhile.  How are you doing?”  Show interest in them, ask questions and listen to what they say.  Validate their views instead of shutting them down.  It doesn’t mean you agree with them, but it lets them know that you see them, you hear them and you understand. 

On July 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established 988.  It’s an easy to remember 3 digit number for people in crisis to speak to counselors.  As a result, covered phone service and text providers in the United States and the five major US territories, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianna Islands Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands were required to direct all 988 calls and texts to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022.  The centers are supported by local and state sources as well as the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  The 988 Lifeline provides confidential support to those in crisis or distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  When you call or text 988, you will connect to a health professional. 

If you or a friend are struggling with mental health distress or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988.  You can also contact the Alliance as www.asalliance.com or call 699-0272.  


“988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.” CDC Facts about Suicide, 2022, cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html. 
“Suicide Prevention Awareness Month 2021.” The Jed Foundation, 7 Sept. 2021, https://jedfoundation.org/suicide-prevention-awareness-month-2021/.