History

In 2004-2005, the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) transferred $200,000 to IHS via an Interagency Agency Agreement for technical assistance (TA), and related services, to provide suicide cluster response and suicide prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. This effort targeted two major service areas: (1) the development of a community suicide prevention website or “tool kit”; and (2) the training of at least 12 people (representing one person for each IHS Area) to deliver on-site community and program assistance for communities which are experiencing suicide clusters or are otherwise in need of suicide prevention assistance.

In 2004-2005, the NSPN project provided suicide prevention skills training to approximately 20 NSPN team members and 370 community members, who were mostly youth (ages 15-21), in Albuquerque, NM, Billings, MT, Ft. Yates, ND, and Red Lake, MN. In 2005-2006, IHS allocated $300,000 to carry the NSPN project forward. During 2005-2006, the NSPN project is providing (1) suicide prevention services/trainings to a minimum of 7 communities in crisis or in need of suicide prevention services; (2) at least one Area wide suicide prevention training for each of the 4 IHS Areas with the highest rates of suicide (Aberdeen, Alaska, Bemidji, and Tucson Areas); and (3) at least one suicide prevention training for NSPN team members to continue to build capacity.