Rosebud Sioux Tribe

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center will continue to impliment the Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and early Intervention Project, targeting Rosebud Sioux Tribal youth between the ages of 10-24 years old who reside within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. For the past two years, the Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center has been the venue for providing successful culturally relevant and appropriate y outh suicide prevention and early intervention strategies with the intent of reviving the life of our people. The Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Centers overall goal is to increase the number of risk youth who are receiving referrals and treatment from behavioral health services. The goals of the program include:

• Program staff will implement the public health approach to suicide prevention as outlined in the Institute of medicine report, Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative. This approach focuses on identifying broader patterns of suicide and suicidal behavior, which will be used in analyzing data collected and monitoring the effectiveness of services provided.
• The WWHHC will provide outreach and prevention strategies to increase participation in, and access to, treatment and prevention services for Native American youth.
• WWHHD will provide direct outpatient treatment (including screening, assessment and care management) or prevention services to Rosebud Sioux Tribal Youth at risk in an effort to increase the number of youth identified as at risk for suicidal behavior who are referred for and received behavioral health care services.

The Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center has been a pillar in tribal communities across the reservation in promoting suicide awareness and education. The WWHHD, if funded, expects to fill gaps in the current delivery system by hiring a clinical Licenses Psychologist to screen, assess, and provide case management and referrals to tribal youth in need of such services.