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Navigating Mental Health and Well-Being
A Cultural Approach to
Health and Wellness
About Us
What Does Kaimana Mean?
“The concept “Kaimana” is a Pacific Islander term meaning derived from the combined words of “Kai” the sea and “Mana” divine power (Pukui & Elbert, 2003). Meaning, "divine power of the sea." The hope for choosing the combined meanings of this word was to provide a visual landscape of how an initial reaction to a massive, powerful wave of the sea can be perceived as life-threatening” (Katoa-Taholo, 2019). However, if the divine power of the sea is revealed, it can manifest itself as a formidable wave of support, skills, and services from culturally responsive mental health and well-being networks.
Sea Change
This powerful sea can provide important skills and insight into transforming a life-threatening situation into a manageable situation, where cultural considerations and important mental health resources are given to bring some sustenance and relief. Kaimana was created to open participants up to this powerful sea of mental/emotional well-being skills, support, and resources for Pacific Islander populations and to those that work with them.
The Kaimana Curriculum
The Kaimana Intervention curriculum is designed so that other populations, especially indigenous populations that experience similar nuances as a collective culture may use the Kaimana Intervention curriculum. Fully licensed Mental Health (MH) therapists or MH therapists that are under direct supervision of a fully licensed MH therapist and cultural consultants may apply their specific cultural traditions in place of the Pacific Islander ones so that they may adjust the curriculum to specifically match their culture.
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