$1.4 million Available to Tribal Communities for Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention

Outreach for applications are targeting the IHS Navajo, Phoenix and Tucson Areas

The Indian Health Service (IHS) today announced an additional funding opportunity for the Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI) – Generation Indigenous Initiative Support, totaling more than $1.4 million for Tribes, Tribal organizations and IHS federal facilities located in the IHS Navajo, Phoenix and Tucson Areas. The funding will support project activities that focus on promoting early intervention strategies and the implementation of positive youth development programming to reduce risk factors for suicidal behavior and substance misuse by working with Native youth up to and including age 24.

“A positive step we can take to help build stronger connections in Native families is to develop and implement appropriate prevention, treatment and aftercare for those that are at risk for suicidal behavior and substance misuse,” said Mary L. Smith, IHS Principal Deputy Director. “IHS is committed to working within Native communities to identify and address how we can better share data, educate and train staff to deal with this epidemic in Indian Country.”

The funding is intended to promote positive American Indian and Alaska Native youth development and family engagement through the implementation of early intervention strategies to reduce risk factors for suicidal behavior and substance misuse.

The awards support activities that focus on the following required project objectives:

Implement evidence-based and practice-based approaches to build resiliency, promote positive development, and increase self-sufficiency behaviors among Native youth;
Promote family engagement;
Increase access to prevention activities for youth to prevent methamphetamine use and other substance use disorders that contribute to suicidal behaviors, in culturally appropriate ways and;
Hire additional behavioral health staff specializing in child, adolescent and family services who will be responsible for implementing the project’s activities that address all the broad objectives listed.

The application package for this announcement HHS-2017-IHS-MSPI-0001 can be found at https://www.ihs.gov/mspi/newsannouncements/2016mspigenifoa/. The application deadline is January 9, 2017.

IHS recently announced 42 Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI) funding awards totaling more than $7 million for one year. These awards will provide more access to health services by increasing the number of behavioral health providers who specialize in working with children, adolescents and families with the overall goal of preventing suicide and substance use.

Generation Indigenous was launched by President Obama in December 2014. Gen I is a Native youth initiative focused on removing the barriers that stand between Native youth and their opportunities to succeed. This initiative takes a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth.

President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget for the Indian Health Service proposes additional funding to further expand the MSPI program, proposed to be renamed Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention.

From 2009 through 2015, MSPI supported over 12,200 individuals entering treatment for methamphetamine abuse; more than 16,560 substance use and mental health disorder encounters via telehealth; over 16,250 professionals and community members trained in suicide crisis response; and more than 690,590 encounters with youth provided as part of evidence-based and practice-based prevention activities.

For more information on the IHS Office of Clinical and Preventive Services, Division of Behavioral Health visit https://www.ihs.gov/dbh.

About the Indian Health Service:
The IHS, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. For more information, visit https://www.ihs.gov. Follow IHS on Facebook .