Our goals are to increase community champions to sustain the suicide prevention efforts and promote positive mental health and increase knowledge of suicide stigma and provide positive awareness. - In describing the extent of problems within the Kiowa Tribe geographic catchment area would be the various impacts of substance use despite the strengths of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families and communities. Other problem is suicide, which remains a devastating and all too frequent event. Complex, interrelated factors contribute to an increased suicide risk among Native American people and include mental health disorders, intergenerational trauma, and community-wide issues. According to a report from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The report further states, “Emotional disturbances and substance abuse among youth (ages 10- 19) occur at alarming rates. About 10% of Oklahoma youth have a mental health disorder and an additional 10% have a substance abuse issue.” The report also reveals that local teens don’t have enough activities to participate in to keep them out of trouble; (3,000) three-thousand teens admitted they were bored. The 2023. Caddo Health Department conducted community meetings and surveys within Caddo County. The results from the Carnegie Health Care Assessment Survey found that the top health concern was under the category of mental health and substance abuse. The three areas were: prescription drug abuse, methamphetamine, suicide, and suicide attempts. The survey reported that in the area of social and economic factors—children were living in poverty in Caddo County. And that the rates are at a 19% level higher than the rate of 15% within the state of Oklahoma. The Anadarko Physicians Hospital also conducted a Health Care Assessment Survey. Community members expressed their top health concerns were: Mental Health and Depression to Suicide, Lack of Resources, and Alcoholism. According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health’s Substance Abuse (ODMH) reported that $1 spent on prevention saves $14 in taxpayer money. The report from ODMH in 2016-2020, indicated 162 suicide deaths in the state of Oklahoma between the ages of 10-24 years old. Also, a report from ODMHSAS states that in Caddo County 67% of mental health issues go untreated for the ages of 17 and under, and 89% of mental health goes untreated for the ages 18 and over. In 2015, the highest U.S. suicide rate (15.1) was among Whites and the second highest rate (12.6) was among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Much lower and roughly, similar rates were found among Hispanics (5.8), Asians and Pacific Islanders (6.4), and Blacks (5.6). The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) reports that youth suicide numbers continue to rise in Oklahoma Between 2005 and 2014, youth suicide death from ages 10 to 24 years of age has increased by 31% with an average of 85 youth dying each year by suicide. In addition, the Kiowa Tribe Elder Program conducted a survey that reflected that the Native American Youth and Young Adults need the following protective factors against suicidal behavior, the findings are as follows: A sense of belonging to one's culture, a need for strong tribal/spiritual bond, the opportunity to discuss problems with family or friends, feelings to experience a connection to a family and a need for mentorship and positive emotional health. The Kiowa Teen Suicide Prevention Program understands the current service gaps within the target counties and is trying to provide the needed support to at-risk youth. Some of the gaps are a lack of: traditional and other resources to support the community grieving process, addressing suicide stigmata and provide an increase QPR training for targeted youth to response to a suicide crisis, increase communication between behavioral health services and a school-community collaboration. The Kiowa Teen Suicide Prevention Program has been key to develop a community prevention infrastructure to increase the capacity to implement, improve, and sustain effective substance use prevention and mental health services by facilitating multiple meetings to discuss topi
