Great Plains 988 Tribal Response - The Great Plains 988 Tribal Response project will strengthen South Dakota’s (SD) crisis response system by increasing awareness, accessibility, and utilization of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Through collaboration with Tribal Nations, the 988 Lifeline Center, urban Indian organizations, and community partners, the project will improve crisis response coordination, strengthen referral pathways, expand resources, and increase awareness of 988 services. These efforts will help reduce behavioral health disparities and improve access to crisis support for AI/AN individuals and families statewide. The project will serve all of SD, including the state’s nine federally recognized Tribal Nations and AI/AN populations residing in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. SD is home to approximately 93,443 AI/AN residents, representing 10.5% of the state’s population. AI/AN communities experience significant behavioral health needs, including accessing crisis services, limited awareness of 988, geographic isolation, transportation challenges, shortages of providers, and insufficient integration of Tribal resources into statewide crisis response systems. AI/AN individuals also experience disproportionately high rates of suicide, self-harm, substance use disorders, and behavioral health service utilization. The population of focus includes AI/AN children, youth, adults, and elders living both on and off Tribal lands. Particular emphasis will be placed on youth and young adults, who account for a disproportionate share of AI/AN suicide deaths in SD. The project will benefit individuals experiencing mental health crises, suicidal ideation, substance use disorders, grief and loss, and other behavioral health challenges. While this is primarily a capacity-building initiative, the project will improve support and referral services for AI/AN individuals accessing 988 through calls, texts, and chats. To increase capacity, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board will implement several evidence-based and culturally responsive strategies. These include establishing partnerships with state, Tribal, and local organizations; supporting a dedicated 988 Counselor position within the Helpline Center to improve referrals and linkages; updating a cultural crisis-response handbook; developing a Tribal-specific 988 data collection and reporting system; providing suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention training; expanding culturally informed outreach and education campaigns; supporting suicide prevention programming; distributing healing kits and Hope Baskets; and participating in statewide coalitions and technical assistance. Project goals are to: (1) strengthen collaboration between Tribal communities and 988 crisis centers; (2) improve coordination, referral systems, data collection, and follow-up care; (3) enhance training for staff and partners; (4) increase awareness and utilization of 988 services across Tribal communities; (5) support evaluation and quality improvement; and (6) implement a sustainable Tribal 988 communication strategy. Key measurable objectives include establishing partnership agreements; engaging all SD Tribes through Tribal liaisons; maintaining a dedicated 988 Counselor position; distributing a revised cultural handbook to partner organizations; providing trainings; implementing a Tribal 988 data-tracking system; conducting annual outreach across all nine Tribes and two urban centers; delivering suicide prevention sessions annually; distributing healing kits monthly and Hope Baskets annually; and implementing a comprehensive Tribal 988 communications campaign throughout the project period. By strengthening culturally responsive crisis-service capacity and increasing awareness and utilization of 988, the Great Plains 988 Tribal Response project will advance suicide prevention, behavioral health, and community-based crisis response for AI/AN communities across SD.
