Lessons Learned from the White Mountain Apache Surveillance System

Novalene Goklish, Rosemarie Suttle, and Mary Cwik presented an overview of the award-winning, community-based White Mountain Apache Surveillance System. The presentation covered the: 1) history and development of the system, 2) data collection and follow-up procedures, 3) knowledge gained from the data, and 4) implications for suicide prevention.

Presenters talked about the strengths and challenges of mandated surveillance and imparted practical information about feasibility and implementation issues. Participants had time to ask questions about how to gain support for local data collection, and possibly surveillance, in their own communities.