Hawai'i Healthy Relationships
Project Description:
1. Need:
In Hawaii, few youth or adults with I/DD have received any accessible Healthy Relationships education during or after high school. Thus, most Hawaii adults with I/DD are unprepared to distinguish between healthy vs.unhealthy relationships and are unprepared to recognize sexual violence or exploitation. Silence around relationships and sexuality places people with IDD at risk of loneliness, sexual abuse, violence, and trauma. Thus, the DD Council's 5 year plan aims to develop sustainable support systems related to healthy relationships and sexuality for PWIDD, including persons with communication differences.
2. Overall goals and objectives:
The Center on Disability Studies has teamed up with the Hawai'i Self Advocates Advocacy Council and Hawai'i State Council on Developmental Disabilities to train six dyad teams (1 professional and 1 self-advocate per team) to become Hawaii Healthy Relationships Educators and Peer Educators. Once trained, these teams will deliver locally adapted, Hawai'i Healthy Relationships Courses to 50 adults with I/DD in communities across 4 Hawai'i Counties (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, and Hawai'i). during the project period.
3. Distinguishing features:
(a) Six Self-Advocates with I/DD will co-lead the Hawai'i Healthy Relationships courses.
(b) Although the curriculum has been successfully delivered at scale in other states, our project will locally adapt the curriculum to improve uptake in Hawai'i's unique implementation context.
4. Expected benefits:
Short Term Outcomes (among participants with I/DD):
(a) Increased ability to identify key features of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships.
(b) Increased capacity to demonstrate (and respond appropriately to) consent and non-consent.
(c) Increased skills for Self-Advocacy.
(c) Increased self-reported empowerment.
Long Term Outcomes (among participants with I/DD):
(a) Reduce risk of sexual exploitation, violence, and abuse among adults with ID/D
(b) Increased pro-social attitudes and behaviors relating to Healthy Relationships and Sexuality
(c) Increased understanding of how to identify and report sexual exploitation, violence, and abuse.
Keyword(s):
Developmental Disabilities, Health Equity, Healthy Relationships
Core Function(s):
Continuing Education/Community Training, Other Direct/Model Services
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Other - Leadership, Other
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Adults with Disabilities
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Mulit-County, State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
