DYS aims to strengthen NMI families

Participants of last Saturday’s Parent Leadership Development Workshop pose with organizers of the event held at Chacha Oceanview Middle School. Forty parents from various public and private schools on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota were nominated for the Parent Leadership award. (Jon Perez)

Division of Youth Services administrator Vivian Sablan said they would continue to involve the 2016 Parent Leadership nominees with their programs in their effort to strengthen the families in the CNMI.

DYS held a Parent Leadership Development Workshop last Saturday at Chacha Oceanview Middle School where 40 parents from various public and private schools in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota were nominated for the Parent Leadership award.

Sablan said the winners of the Parent Leadership award would join the other awardees from previous years to help them promote and continue DYS’ programs in the community.

“We will continue to work with these parents to actively engage and empower other parents to join DYS’ efforts in strengthening families in the CNMI,” said Sablan.

“The program continues with regular Parents Anonymous, Inc. support group meetings weekly and parenting classes scheduled every month,” she added.

The workshop highlighted the activities of the 2016 National Parent Leadership Month this February. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed a proclamation last Jan. 28 declaring February as National Parent Leadershhip Month.

“However, DYS intends to work towards providing mini workshops on other topic areas that are directly impacting our CNMI families,” Sablan said.

Domestic and sexual abuse, teen dating violence, and other forms of cyber pornography; disaster preparedness; the Commonwealth Respite Service Program; child mental health care; and suicidal ideation and other forms of self-harm behavior are the topics discussed by various speakers.

Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence executive director Maisie B. Tenorio, Jesse Ramon from the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Ayuda Network, Inc. executive director Diane Camacho, Project Care coordinator Ana B. Ada of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Community Guidance Center, and psychologist and project manager Debra Brown Lee were the resource speakers.

Sablan said April would be proclaimed Child Abuse and Neglect Month where they would partner with NMC’s Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence in promoting prevention and awareness as part of the month-long activities. April is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“Along with this will be series of presentations to school students as well as school and agency presentations on mandated reporting. The month-long activities [of Sexual Assault Awareness Month] is a roadside waving at the Toyota intersection,” Sablan said.

DYS will also prepare for the Summer Youth Empowerment Camp set between June and July.