ALASKA: Suicide Prevention Model Relies on Local Adaptation

Alaska Public Media

A suicide prevention model implemented successfully with Alaska Native communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough is now being adapted for the Bering Strait Region. Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (P.C. CARES) provides research and strategies that villages can tailor to their needs. The program works with local coordinators and health aides to enable each village to facilitate its own conversations, which are called learning circles. Participants from different community sectors learn new information and skills to promote wellness, prevent suicidal crises, and engage their friends and family in prevention efforts. “The whole process is all about self-determination and about people deciding for themselves what they want to do and how they want to do it,” said Lisa Wexler, a primary investigator with P.C. Cares.

Spark Extra! Learn about other suicide prevention efforts of indigenous communities in Northwest Alaska.