Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
NCUIH National Urban Indian Behavioral Health Awareness - Through the National Urban Indian Behavioral Health Awareness (NUIBHA) program, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) proposes to deliver a national information-sharing project by which the awareness, visibility, advocacy, and education for behavioral health of urban Indian health care can be improved upon and prioritized on a national level, for the benefit of the 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) and the urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population they serve. The NUIBHA program will provide a platform and mechanism to examine and prioritize quality prevention, treatment, and recovery elements in the urban AI/AN population. It supports better care and healthier communities through the dissemination of proven interventions and practices. The need for a program to combat the opioid epidemic and the broader behavioral health crisis in Indian Country is substantial. American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those who live in urban areas of the United States, experience high rates of behavioral health issues caused by centuries of generational trauma resulting from colonization and hostile acts of the United States Government. In fact, AI/AN people experience serious mental illnesses at a rate 1.58 times higher than the national average, and high rates of alcohol and substance abuse. Between 1999 and 2015, the drug overdose rates throughout Indian Country increased by more than 500%. In addition, Native youth experience the highest rates of suicide and depression, with the Native youth suicide rate being 2.5 times that of the national average, making it the second leading cause of death in urban Indian youth. Unfortunately, mainstream healthcare systems and providers are often unable to address these and other health issues in a culturally sensitive manner, which exacerbates the challenges. NCUIH is well-positioned to advance positive behavioral health outcomes within the urban Indian population by engaging the 41 UIOs that provide culturally appropriate health services to AI/AN people living in urban areas. As the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to the support and development of quality, accessible, and culturally-competent health services for AI/AN people living in urban settings, NCUIH recognizes the opportunity to partner with UIOs to address ongoing behavioral health disparities in these communities. Education, technical support and training will be used to achieve this goal. Through the NUIBHA program, with its comprehensive national project approach, NCUIH will engage UIOs in six required strategic activities that offer a platform to voice common concerns, raise awareness of the population’s behavioral health disparities on a national level, and promote the dissemination and sharing of best practices, resources, and techniques. Through these six activities, NCUIH will: • Host a Behavioral Health Urban Indian Listening session at the NCUIH Annual Conference to provide a space for direct input from urban Indian leaders, behavioral health staff, and field experts. • Participate in the AI/AN Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, by providing technical support on behavioral health issues related to urban Indian populations and programs. Design and facilitate National Action Alliance Hope for Life Day Campaign. • Host a resource booth at our annual conference to raise awareness of behavioral health. • Provide technical assistance and resources through Open Office Hours, conducted in a virtual classroom setting that is culturally relevant and competent, and tailored to the situational and contextual needs of behavioral health within the urban Indian community. • Use existing media platforms to communicate to UIOs on behavioral health programs, best practices, service deliver, quality improvement and strategies. • Develop an internal quality improvement process to support continuous evaluation and improvement in behavioral health work.
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).