Friday, April 18, 2025
4/18/2025
Nebraska Native Connections - The Nebraska Native Connections initiative is an inter-tribal effort to provide mental health and substance use/misuse services to Native American youth in reservation, rural/frontier, and urban communities throughout Nebraska. The Initiative aims to identify local policies, systems, and environmental change strategies that address suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and substance misuse for (AI/AN) youth, as well as to identify areas needing improvement. The Initiative will address the significant mental health and substance use/misuse needs of Native American youth in Nebraska. According to the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS), there are 36,992 American Indian-Alone (or in combination) residents in Nebraska. Thirty-two percent are children and adolescents between the ages of 0-24 (n = 11,993). Native American youth in Nebraska are more likely to live in poverty, have less access to healthcare, higher absenteeism rates and lower graduation rates, and experience higher rates of trauma than other children in the state all of which negatively impact mental well-being and overall wellness. The Initiative will be implemented in partnership with a variety of community-based organizations, including tribal governments, schools, mental health clinics, and substance abuse treatment centers. A total of 100 Nebraska Native American youth will be served annually, 500 throughout the lifetime of the project. The Initiative will implement a number of strategies and interventions, such as: Determine the community's readiness to address suicide and substance misuse among AI/AN youth and develop a community action plan based on the results of the community readiness assessment. A tribal strategic action plan that addresses the needs of AI/AN youth regarding suicide prevention and substance misuse using a public health model multi-tiered approach will be developed. Furthermore, the project will develop and/or revise "postvention" protocols that reflect the traditions and culture of the community while also addressing coordination of care and intervention among youth-serving agencies for AI/AN youth. Amongst the key goals and objectives are: Goal 1: Identify local policies, systems, and environmental change strategies that address suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and substance misuse for AI/AN youth, and identify areas needing improvement. Objective 1.1: Partner with local organizations and stakeholders experienced in working with AI/AN youth for cultural insights and effective suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and substance misuse strategies within two months of project start. Goal 2: determine the community's readiness to address suicide and substance misuse among AI/AN youth. Objective 2.1: Based on the results of the community readiness assessment, develop a community action plan that outlines specific strategies and activities for addressing suicide and substance misuse among AI/AN youth.
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).