The mission of NARA is to provide education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives and anyone in need. Through the Native Connections project, NARA’s aim is to prevent suicide and substance abuse, reduce the impact of trauma, and promote mental health among American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) youth through the ages of 24 years in the Portland Metro area. NARA proposes the following goals to achieve this aim: 1) Implement trauma informed care and culturally centered strategies that address behaviors towards decreasing suicidal ideation and attempts, and substance abuse by AI/AN youth ages 10 to 24 in the Portland Metro AI/AN community, and 2) Increase collaboration among AI/AN-serving organizations to improve the cohesive communication and collaboration of a culturally-responsive network responding to mental health and behavioral health needs of the Portland Metro AI/AN community. NARA will achieve these goals through the following eight measurable objectives over the course of five years: 1.1) By the end of project year 1, NARA will examine and revise policies and procedures to enhance transition to treatment, follow-up care services, and culturally adapt postvention protocols with input from AI/AN-serving organizations, youth serving agencies, and schools to meet quarterly during the length of the project; 1.2) By June 2022, NARA will deliver a culturally centered substance abuse/suicide prevention curriculum, Healing of the Canoe’s Culturally Grounded Life Skills for Youth, via a drop-in model to at least 40 youth annually adhering to COVID-19 protocols by the CDC and Oregon Health Authority; 1.3) By February 2022, NARA will deliver Question Persuade and Refer (QPR) trainings in-person or virtually for 30 NARA staff members annually; 1.4) By February 2022, NARA will deliver Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) trainings in-person or virtually to at 10 least collaborating professionals annually; 2.1) By the end of project year 1, NARA will convene a Tribal Evidence Based and Cultural Best Practices Conference to share inter-organizational knowledge about health promotion with a strong focus on suicide prevention and behavioral health to a minimum of 50 participants annually during the length of the project; 2.2) By September 2021, NARA will utilize the National American Indian/Alaska Native Hope for Life Day Toolkit as part of a series of public messaging to at least 500 community members during the length of the project; 2.3) By September 2022, conduct suicide prevention NARA community events monthly for at least 50 community members during the length of the project.; 2.4) By September 2022, NARA will utilize the National American Indian/Alaska Native Hope for Life Day Toolkit during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month as part of a series of public messaging to at least 500 community members annually during the length of the project.
