Native American Rehabilitation Association of NW (NARA)

The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) will continue its 10 year Native youth suicide prevention leadership by launching a system transformation initiative. SPIRIT will connect suicide prevention activities with clinical intervention, treatment and recovery for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and young adults living in the Portland metropolitan area and in the rural communities that are home to Oregon Tribes. SPIRIT will provide prevention and intervention services to 150 Native youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 each year of the project for a total of 750 over the five years. One hundred percent of this population will be AI/AN. Based on experience with previous suicide prevention grants, 41% will be male and 59% female. SPIRIT will serve approximately 24 Two Spirit (LGBTQ) youth a year (10 female, eight male, six transgender) for a total of 120 and between five and 10 returning military Native young adults each year. The newly created Suicide Prevention Training Institute, launched by NARA, will train 694 professionals and at least 231 Native youth and young adults over the life of the grant in QPR and ASIST. Key interventions and strategies are: (1) a coordinated System of Care consisting of outreach, prevention activities, clinical treatment and recovery services/supports; (2) a Statewide Youth Suicide Prevention Training Institute; (3) a full-time Outreach Specialist with ties to hospital emergency departments, Lines for Life suicide prevention helpline, and social media; (4) Project Venture evidence-based outdoor camps; (5) Oregon?s Tribal Best Practices; (6) incorporation of connectedness in all activities; (7) alignment with Oregon Suicide Prevention Plan and the Suicide Prevention Plan for the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board; and (8) partnerships with eight Oregon Tribes, higher education, Coordinated Care Organizations, hospital emergency departments, Title VII Indian Education, Native American Youth and Family Center, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, and the Chemawa Indian School. This Project is adopting the Zero Suicide approach to reduce rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide deaths and incorporating Goals 8 and 9 of the NSSP into its system transformation, which includes linkages with health, mental health, addictions and recovery for at-risk Native youth and their families. Other goals focus on: increased suicide awareness activities and education; access to prevention, treatment and training statewide; improved surveillance data reporting capacity; increased access to quality through continuous improvement; provision of targeted, evidence-based clinical interventions; and improved accessibility, follow-up and family/caregiver engagement.