Confederated Tribes/Colville Reservation

This application titled Making suicide every ones business:  A Native American Community approach, builds on cultural strengths of balancing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives.  Our four community-wide effort incorporates community members (parents, youth), point of entry staff, and health care provider trainings, multi-media awareness campaign, and solidifies community networks.  Suicide is a significant mental health problem among the members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT), particularly the youth. In 2009 the youngest reported suicide attempt was 13 years old.  In 2006, the suicide rate among members of the CCT was five times greater as compared to other Washington Natives and 20 times greater than the national average. The rates decreased slightly in 2007 through 2008. However, in the last two years, after the Department of Health funding ceased, these four communities of 6000 members have witnessed an increase in suicide ideation, attempts and completions once again.

The Suicide Prevention Coalition, established by the CCT in 2007, is responsible for the review and implementation of culturally appropriate prevention and intervention initiatives to address the growing problem of suicide. The efforts of the Coalition have revealed the interrelated problems of historical trauma, grief, and loss maintains a high level of suicide risk potential among underserved members of the reservation.  This proposal requests a universal approach to reducing the rate and risk of suicide and interrelated social problems by using inherent cultural assets in order to strengthen and balance our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives.  Using Evidence Based Practices and Best Practices, the proposed plan will:

Goal 1: Strengthen collaboration between the CCT Suicide Core Team with internal and external partnerships to create a safety net and maximize resources.
  1a) Solidify partnerships, sign MOUs with all (100%) partners, increase meeting participation to 75%;
  1b) Enhance the Coalition infrastructure: Establish data collection on 100% notification of ideation, attempts and suicides into the Suicide Registry.
  1c) Build Coalition sustainability by increasing knowledge and skills-all members attend at least one training a year.
 

Goal 2:Develop community awareness and identification on the specific needs and issues that lead to youth suicide.
  1) Hold 4 culturally responsive community workshops with 1260 parents, families, tribal employee, and community members.
  2) Promote the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and suicide prevention awareness through multi-media outreach (reach approx. 10,000: number of broadcast, text messaging Facebook hits).
 

Goal 3:  Strengthen the identification, referral and treatment process at point of entry CCT Programs that connect youth who are at risk for suicide.
  3a) Enhance Suicide identification:  Suicide Triage and Risk Assessment training (n=23);
  3b) Increase (to 100%) referrals between behavioral health program and regional support network;
  3c) Increase (to 80%) the number (n=30) of providers trained to deliver culturally-responsive Behavior Therapy.