(PSS) — Project HALIGI AWARE, the Public School System’s Mental Health Program, conducted a four-day onboarding session for 23 summer mental health interns from Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
The onboarding session was held June 27-20, 2022 at Chacha Ocean View Middle School.
Throughout the summer months, these interns will provide mental health support for summer school programs. They will promote positive social, emotional and behavioral skills as well as the overall wellness of students.
During the four-day onboarding session, the 23 interns learned about social-emotional processes, mental health terminology, strategies to support and deal with real-life situations in the classroom, and paths of solutions in their day-to-day work life.
Walter Mendez, PSS local education agency community project manager for Saipan, shared an online platform that interns will use to promote social emotional learning or SEL in the classroom. The interns were also taught how to give presentations and how to properly use technological devices to engage student participation.
Vannah Hocog, behavioral specialist for Rota, gave a presentation on SEL competencies. These include self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills. These competencies, which can be integrated in real-life situations, will help interns properly communicate with their students.
Jericho Tobias, PSS mental health specialist, said: “We are beyond excited to share these opportunities with our student interns. After all that our students in the CNMI have endured throughout the past few years, these conversations are becoming more important for students so that they are aware of the support available to them.”
Mendez is upbeat about the “personal growth that each of the interns will (gain) by working with and assisting students. As educators, we understand that the highest level of learning is teaching. Giving these young adults this experience allows them to learn at the highest level as facilitators and ambassadors of mental wellness.”
Throughout the four-week program, PSS Mental Health and its new summer interns will use the presentation tool Nearpod in sharing multiple social-emotional lessons with elementary, middle and high school students.
The Public School System’s 23 new mental health interns from Saipan, Tinian and Rota pose for a group photo.
Jericho Tobias is the mental health specialist of the PSS Mental Health Program or Project HALIGI AWARE.
Walt Mendez is the PSS local education agency community project manager for Saipan.
