Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Zero Suicide Initiative for Tribal Communities - The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA NW or “NARA”), an Urban Indian Organization, Federally Qualified Health System, as well as integrated primary and behavioral healthcare organization, located in Portland, Oregon, will continue efforts of a system transformation through implementing the Zero Suicide Initiative model. The proposed project will allow continued implementation of suicide prevention and intervention programs at all NARA sites that serve individuals 10 years of age or older. These sites include primary health and dental care, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services. The proposed project will impact the NARA health system through consistent, systematical increased awareness of suicide by maintaining current practices developed in some programs while continuing to establish effective screening, assessment, and referral processes in remaining programs throughout the organization who have yet to implement the Zero Suicide Initiative. This project will continue to improve overall care and outcomes for NARA patients who are 10 years or older and at risk for suicide. The importance of emphasis on individuals 10 years and older bridges the gap between existing NARA youth suicide prevention services whose focus has been youth and young adults up to 24 years of age, as well as the previous Zero Suicide Initiative funded through SAMHSA, which focused on individuals 25 years or older. Bridging this gap is crucial for the health system because it allows for a more efficient, integrated and systematized perspective for suicide prevention and intervention. For the greater Portland area community, the proposed project brings much needed access to behavioral health services, a crucial gain for a city and state that in 2021 was found to rank 51st in the nation, according to Mental Health America, for available behavioral health resources. The project will partner with Unity Behavioral Health Center, Portland’s only Psychiatric Emergency Room and Inpatient hospital for transitional care. The Zero Suicide NARA project will provide prevention and intervention services to approximately 1,200 individuals each year of the project for a total of 6000 participants over the five years. The project proposes to train 150 staff annually. Key interventions and strategies are: (1) create a leadership hub committed to reducing suicide among those in care at NARA; (2) development of a data-driven quality improvement approach to suicide care; (3) systematically identify, assess and monitor suicidality in the entire patient population; (4) systematic monitoring along a patient’s entire treatment pathway, for purposes of triage and indication for appropriate levels of acuity and intensity of care; and (5) provide responsive family and community support to those at risk, those who have attempted and those who have survived. By adopting the Zero Suicide model, NARA seeks to reduce rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide deaths. Through system transformation, NARA commits to goals focused on increased suicide awareness activities and education that are culturally sensitive, access to prevention, treatment, increased data reporting capacity, increased access to quality through continuous improvement initiatives, provision of targeted, evidence-based clinical interventions, and improved accessibility, follow-up and family/caregiver engagement.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).