Thursday, September 21, 2023
9/21/2023
The Cocopah Native Connections program will serve youth ages 9 through 24 from the Cocopah Indian Tribe. They represent 23% of all Cocopah Tribe members. The total number of individuals to be served annually is 160 youth/community members totaling 800 individuals over the 5-year project. The Cocopah Tribe is a federally-recognized, sovereign tribe located in the southwestern corner of Arizona in Yuma County, 13 miles south of Yuma and 15 miles north of San Luis, Mexico, along the Colorado River. The 2010 U.S. Census estimates 817 youth between ages 9 to 24 live in the Cocopah Tribe Region with the majority being American Indian (90%) and 21% Hispanic or Latino. Almost two-thirds (60.5%) of family households are married couple families (41.3%) or households headed by single mothers (19.2%). Other household structures include non-family households (32.7%), unmarried partner households (8.3%) and households with children under age 18 living with grandparents (7.6%). The median household income for the Cocopah Tribe is $43,300 and 26% of all households of the Cocopah Indian Tribe have incomes of less the $20,000. Poverty rates are at 32% with 80% of all children under 18 years of age considered to be living in poverty. More than half of school age children live below the poverty level (53%). In 2017, American Indians had the highest age-adjusted suicide rate (26.2 suicides per 100,000) among racial/ethnic groups. In 2017, the relative risk of suicide was nearly 28 times greater for Arizonans aged 20-24 years compared to their counterparts aged 10-15 years. The suicide mortality rate in Yuma County in 2017 was 9.5/100,000. The age-adjusted suicide death rate calculated by IHS for Phoenix Service Area (2008-2010), which includes the Cocopah Tribe is 13.2/100,000. The Cocopah Native Connection program aims to reduce the prevalence and incidence rates of suicidal behavior among Cocopah youth ages 9 to 24 by developing a Suicide Prevention Network focused on (1) coordinating tribal agencies including tribal police, health department, education, primary care, social services, cultural and youth centers, housing and others in the creation and adoption of a standard protocol for responding to behavioral health, suicide, and substance abuse related incidents, and (2) developing and implementing postvention protocols and system of outreach and referral for tribal youth. Training programs will be coordinated to increase mental health literacy and suicide intervention skills among community providers and youth and to build the capacity of the community to identify and assist individuals that may be at risk for suicide or substance use. Applied Suicide Intervention Training will also be provided to tribal law enforcement to increase officers’ abilities to respond to mental health crisis situations. The Network will form a youth suicide and substance abuse prevention coalition that will develop a culturally informed public awareness campaign to raise awareness of suicide factors for youth and develop youth community strengthening events. The project will develop and implement resiliency-based life skills education infused with cultural practices for youth to increase protective factors and reduce risk of both suicide and substance use.
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).
