Two Feathers Native American Families Services

The Two Feathers Native American Family Services of Northwest California, Chekws: Hope for Tomorrow (C-HFT) Project, serves American Indian (AI) youth ages 10-18 and their families in Humboldt County. The system-wide goal for C-HFT is to build an effective, collaborative and sustainable AI-focused mental health and substance use program within two school districts to prevent suicide and improve overall well-being for AI youth and their families. The C-HFT system will operate in partnership with Klamath Trinity Joint Unified School District (KTJUSD) and Northern Humboldt School District (NH), including 24 schools and over 1,200 AI students. C-HFT will also work closely with Humboldt County Department of Mental Health and Stanford Psychiatry, Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Well-Being to offer trainings on suicide assessment, prevention, and intervention, as well as telemedicine psychiatric services for acute cases in the schools. C-HFT will utilize evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions and treatment approaches, as well as locally defined, culturally infused practice based programs to increase the safety net of suicide prevention and interventions for AI’s living in Humboldt County. The C-HFT plans to serve 1000 youth through the following goals and objectives: Goal 1: Increase the number of culturally competent professionals able to identify and work with youth at risk for suicide. Two Feathers staff in collaboration with Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services will provide culturally appropriate Mental Health First Aid Training to 80% of school personnel in both school districts. Goal 2: Improve prevention and early intervention for AI youth in the schools. Conduct screening with 200 AI youth annually, 1000 over the course of the 5-year project. Refer 20 parents of at risk youth per year to parent support groups. Refer 30 youth per year to local cultural groups, and 15 youth per school district annually to a trauma informed skills development group. Goal 3: Increase the engagement of youth and their families with accessible, culturally appropriate clinical service providers who can assess, manage and treat AI youth at risk for suicide. Conduct assessments with youth identified as needing a higher level of care based on screening outcomes or referrals form outside providers. Provide intensive therapeutic services to 75 youth per year. Goal 4: Increase culturally appropriate, post-suicide services for AI youth and their families. Provide direct crisis stabilization for all AI youth in the C-HFT school districts who have attempted suicide and their families through “”Family Intervention for Suicide Prevention”” services.