Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
The San Diego Zero Suicide Project, proposed by the San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC), will develop a comprehensive, culturally responsive, and community-based needs assessment and workplan designed to reduce the risk of suicide/suicide ideation that impacts American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and adults in the San Diego metropolitan area. The community-owned, community - and partner-guided process will result in a model that increases awareness and aligns resources across AI/AN and non-AI/AN agencies serving the population of focus. The total AI/AN population within San Diego County is 53,253, and about one-third (34%) of the total AI/AN population in San Diego is under 25 years old. In 2014, the Trends in Indian Health reported that suicide was the second leading cause of death for AI/AN youth and young adults ages 15-24, residing in Indian Health Services (IHS) service areas; and the suicide death rate for the cohort is four times higher than the national average. Findings also showed that AI/AN young adults, ages 15-34, comprised 64% of suicides in Indian country. Confirming this trend is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, reporting mental health plays a role in almost 90% of suicides, with conditions often treatable; however, in the case of the AI/AN community, mental health resources are in short supply and do not always reach them. Building on SDAIHC's understanding of need and goals, measurable objectives have been developed to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of suicide/suicide ideation. SDAIHC will utilize the Zero Suicide model, endorsed by IHS, as its comprehensive approach to suicide care that aims to reduce the risk of suicide for patients seen by clinical and other staff. The model is an expression of our commitment to patient safety, and to the safety and support of our clinical staff that treat and support patients with suicide ideation. To this end, our initiative will focus on sustaining long-term relationships between patients and SDAIHC staff in that according to the HHS Suicide Prevention Resource Center, people who die by suicide are move likely to have seen a primary care provider in the previous month before their death than any other health care provider/type. The grant goal of attaining zero suicides among patients where SDAIHC is their medical home and for new patients that seek treatment for a primary care or behavioral health concern, and have a underlying suicidal ideation. SDAIHC is committed to using comprehensive, evidenced-based and data-driven strategies that conform with and embrace the Zero Suicide model. Committed to a transparent and inclusive process, SDAIHC will develop strategies that are tailored to its understanding of the current need among patients, their families and friends, which will include the seven essential elements. Through the purposive selection of leadership and use of community-level and agency-specific data strategies for implementation will be developed in lockstep with evaluation components that will be used to assess model fidelity, improvement from baseline, and other measures to be determined. A total of 3,200 individuals will be reached in the first year of the grant term.
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).
