Thursday, May 16, 2024
5/16/2024
The project will serve Native American youth between the ages of 0 and 24 in Kern County, California. The Bakersfield American Indian Health Project (BAIHP) is an urban Indian health program funded by the Indian Health Service as an outreach and referral center. It is the only Indian health care facility in Kern County. BAIHP serves a client population representative of over 220 tribes across the nation, whom currently reside in Kern County. The Native Connections project will deliver a culturally informed suicide and substance misuse prevention program for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth to build youth resilience, reduce risk of suicide and substance use, and support cultural identity development. Poverty exacerbates health disparities found in the Bakersfield community and for Native Americans in general. Census Bureau data from 2007 - 2011 indicates that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have the highest poverty rates of any race, at 27%. BAIHP extends services beyond the City of Bakersfield to the small urban areas of Arvin, Lamont, and Oildale. Residents who live in these areas are among the poorest in Kern County. The AI/AN population within the City of Bakersfield and suburban areas suffer from many unmet health needs. Residents who live in these areas struggle with significantly poorer water quality, a lack of health and wellness resources, and poor air quality that increases the incidence of chronic health issues. The community also experiences high rates of suicide, trauma, substance use and other mental health disorders. The area lacks youth prevention programming and geographically accessible health and mental health treatment. Coordination of care is weak as evidenced by a lack of formal networks and/or policies and procedures to ensure a continuum of care and after-care. In addition, there is a lack of culturally competent services much less culturally-based services. Finally, stigma regarding the use of mental health services is still common among tribal and AIAN residents. To address these gaps in services, BAIHP will establish a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) and a Kern County Service Providers Committee (SPC). Along with the Native Connections staff members, this will accomplish the following goals: 1. To design and deliver a culturally informed suicide and substance use universal prevention program for Native American youth in the service area that is designed to build youth resilience, reduce risk of suicide and substance use, and supports cultural identity development. 2. To increase community awareness of suicide, trauma, and mental health issues that may contribute to stigma and distrust. 3. To develop interagency policies, procedures, and protocols to increase tribal youth access to coordinated substance use, suicide
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).
