Omaha Nation Community Response Team

Omaha Nation Community Response Team, a 501©(3) nonprofit corporation, which was established in 2004 to address substance abuse issues among the youth of the Omaha Nation, has also developed and successfully implemented “Project HOPE.”  Project HOPE was developed to serve as a catalyst for preventing suicide among the youth.  Project HOPE has delivered seamless suicide prevention efforts for youth ages 10-24, young adults, and community members among the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Project HOPE incorporates prevention, early intervention, outreach services and a media campaign to focus and reduce the existing suicide ideology in the communities in which it serves.  Project HOPE has one specific goal and four objectives in which we have continued to successfully implement and accomplished. Our goal and objectives include:

Project Goal: To provide effective and comprehensive suicide prevention and early intervention strategies for youth ages 10-24 on the Omaha Reservation in Northeast Nebraska. 

Objective 1: To implement a culturally relevant, evidence-based approach, the American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum (AILSDC), for youth in grades 6 -12 in both K-12 schools on the Omaha Reservation;
Objective 2: To create effective community partnerships in order to integrate new and existing youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies to provide a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention;
Objective 3: To initiate a series of community forums and trainings in coordination with a community media campaign to promote the Omaha Nation Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative; and
Objective 4: To implement emergency response services to promote healing for affected families and the community when a suicide is completed.
 
In addition to our goal and objectives, Project HOPE also strives to strengthen and enhance the tribal system of care by incorporating Omaha culture and knowledge to also reduce the risk of suicide behaviors.  Thus far, Project HOPE has positively impacted many lives among the Omaha people and continues to provide community-based prevention and early intervention activities for those we serve.