Taos Pueblo Community, Outreach, Resilience, & Empowerment (CORE) Substance Abuse & Suicide Prevention Program - Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program: Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Aftercare (HHS-2022-IHS-SAPTA-0001) – Taos Pueblo Project Abstract The purpose of this proposal is to build on current work by promoting the development and use of evidence-based models that are culturally appropriate in implementing interventions, treatment, and aftercare services to our Native adult and youth populations from a community-driven context. This grant will support the evolution of the Taos Pueblo Youth Outreach program, which was previously Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI) grant-funded, and support the establishment of the Youth & Family Services program which will integrate the Taos Pueblo Youth Outreach Program and Youth Behavioral Health in the same program. The lack of coordinated behavioral health services for youth in the Taos Pueblo community has yielded negative outcomes and risky behaviors, with American Indians in Taos County reporting rates of substance use, sadness, and suicide at rates higher than those of Taos County and the State of New Mexico. The goals and objectives outlined are designed to reduce the prevalence of substance abuse and to decrease the overall use of illicit substances in our tribal community by capitalizing on local strengths and in coordination with other coalitions and collaboratives. Those goals include working with Taos/Picuris Indian Health Service Unit to improve care coordination, expanding on available behavioral health care treatment services, screening, improving the referral process, expanding on activities for the Gen-I initiative, and developing a formal plan to ensure the sustainability of all efforts. The personnel in this project will work to support an increase in community awareness of local behavioral health services, develop community response plans, establish local health system policies and protocols for integration and access of prevention and intervention services in schools, courts, and other agencies. The activities of this grant will continue to provide access to culturally appropriate treatment resources and services and continue to work with the Taos Pueblo Trauma Resiliency Team to implement trauma-informed approaches in various local programs and care treatment services. This project will continue to implement evidence-based and practice-based prevention programming and add interventions for substance abuse prevention for Native youth. These programs promote positive development and increase self-sufficiency of Native youth by promoting family and community engagement, and continue to provide school-based awareness/education about substance abuse prevention, treatment, and aftercare services. This project will also support the development of Native youth peer-to-peer support and education programs and the development of a Tribal Youth Council. If awarded the first year of this project will focus on developing a strategic plan to address long-term substance abuse prevention, treatment, and aftercare needs of the community. We aim to improve the lives of our community members through these investments and opportunities for access to resources and programs that can lead our people to reach their full potential.
