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Suicide Prevention in Indian Country Cortney Yarholar 1/15/14

Suicide Prevention in Indian Country Cortney Yarholar 1/15/14. Four Functions Resource Center Training Institute Technical Assistance (TA) Center Leader and influencer of science, policy, and practice . SPRC’s History Working with Tribes. Garrett Lee Smith signed into law in 2004

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Suicide Prevention in Indian Country Cortney Yarholar 1/15/14

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  1. Suicide Prevention in Indian Country Cortney Yarholar 1/15/14

  2. Four Functions • Resource Center • Training Institute • Technical Assistance (TA) Center • Leader and influencer of science, policy, and practice

  3. SPRC’s History Working with Tribes • Garrett Lee Smith signed into law in 2004 • 2005 Cohort 1 - One Tribal grantee • 2013 Cohort 8 – Fifty Seven grants to Tribes & tribal serving organizations

  4. Youth suicide in Indian Country • Second leading cause of death for ages 15-241 • Suicide rate for this age group is 25.48 per 100,000 people (2.6 times higher than national average)1 • 4 young men for every young woman1 • Youth ages 15 to 24 make up 40 percent of all suicides in Indian Country2 • A note on data and surveillance… 1 CDC, NCIPC, WISQARS. 2007 data. 2 Carmona, RH. (2005). U.S. Surgeon General’s testimony on suicide prevention among Native American youth, before the Indian Affairs Committee, U.S. Senate, June 15, 2005. www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/t06152005.html

  5. Indian Country Challenges • Large mental health burden • Limited mental health services and resources • Reluctance to access resources/stigma • Large untapped human and community capacity • Challenges to coordinated care between state and tribal resources and services • Crisis response systems are lacking

  6. You share… What questions or concerns do you have about youth suicide prevention in your community? Speak up or Type into the Chat Box

  7. A Big Picture “Comprehensive suicide prevention programs are believed to have a greater likelihood of reducing the suicide rate than are interventions that address only one risk or protective factor, particularly if the program incorporates a range of services and providers within a community.” Source: National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (p.36)

  8. Protective factors • Cultural continuity and connectedness • Religious and cultural beliefs • Family and community support • Access to health and mental health care • Restricted access to lethal means • Effective problem solving skills • Healthy coping strategies

  9. Innovative Strategies Peer to Peer Mentoring Using paraprofessionals Storytelling (Digital)Storytelling Culturally Strengthening Life Promoting strategies Laughter Understanding & Healing from Historical Trauma

  10. Programs that work • Life skills development • American Indian Life Skills Development • Awareness / Gatekeeper training • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) • Native H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Endure) • QPR Gatekeeper Training • Sources of Strength • Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program

  11. Programs that work • Counseling and support services • CARE (Care, Assess, Respond, Empower) • Attempt response • Specialized Emergency Room Intervention • Protective factors – more general in nature • Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) • Project Venture • *See the Best Practices Registry and related resources for additional programs that can be adapted for AI/AN communities*

  12. Tending to One Another

  13. Therapeutic IndigenousPractices Society/clans/bands Ceremonies Blessings Rituals Extended Family Honoring, Songs Naming Ceremonies Vision seeking Humility Acceptance Generosity Respect Acknowledgement Listening/watching/doing Sweatlodge Old Wisdom Spirituality Storytelling Humor/teasing Offerings/gifts Talking Circle Historical rides/walks Smudging, Prayers Drumming BigFoot 2008 Meditation Singing Dancing Bigfoot & Martinez 2011

  14. . Traditions today in the Creator’s Way Ceremony and rituals Prayer Offerings Circle Songs Simple Acts of giving Our charge as helpers is to guide or assist others in finding this way of health that the Creator intended for them and us. That is the Creator’s work that we are blessed with and can be seen in the use of rituals and ceremonies. . Bigfoot & Martinez 2011

  15. Resources • To Live to See the Great Day that Dawns: Preventing • Suicide by American Indian and Alaska Native Youth • and Young Adults www.sprc.org/library/Suicide_Prevention_Guide.pdf • SPRC’s American Indian / Alaska Native Suicide Prevention Pages www2.sprc.org/aian/index • - Getting started - Best practices & local efforts • - Sustainability - Resources • - Publications - Data sources

  16. http://www2.sprc.org/aian/best-practices Best Practices Registry (BPR) for Suicide Prevention • Section I: Evidence-Based Programs • Section II: Expert and Consensus Statements • Section III: Adherence to Standards

  17. SPRC Resources • On-line Library:  Collection of resources and publications • Grantee Pages • State web pages: Each of the 50 states have contacts, data, and state suicide prevention plans available http://www.sprc.org/stateinformation/index.asp • The Weekly Spark e-newsletter • Webinars:  Provides interactive presentations, lectures, workshops or seminars over the web. • Training Institute:  Provides a broad range of core suicide prevention competencies available to prevention professionals, mental health clinicians, community organizers, and others.

  18. Crisis Hotline Numbers Suicide Prevention Lifeline Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD

  19. Thank you! Cortney Yarholar, MSW Senior Tribal Prevention Specialist cyarholar@edc.org 405-264-3633

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