Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Alcohol use and substance abuse increase the risks for health complications, accidental injury, suicide, and other risky behaviors. These risks are highest for youth and increase with use. The goal of this project, the Substance Abuse Strategic Prevention Framework Partnership, is to improve the capacity of United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) and member Tribal Nations to assess, prevent, and reduce underage alcohol use and substance abuse for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth in the Indian Health Service (IHS) Nashville Area. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that rates of substance abuse or dependence are highest among AI/AN populations. Other available data sources corroborate this disturbing trend but are unreliable. Compounding these concerns, AI/AN populations have experienced devastating, intergenerational trauma, discrimination, racism, and oppression. These historical traumas are believed to be a contributing factor to long-term distress and substance abuse. The USET Tribal Epidemiology Center’s approach for this project is to: 1) improve behavioral health data quality and availability; then 2) use the improved data to inform policies, programs, and practices to reduce alcohol use and substance abuse in youth. USET’s first objective is to work directly with Tribal Nations (population 87,500) the Tribal Epidemiological Outcome Workgroup, SAMHSA, and other partners to assess and improve behavioral health data documentation infrastructure and integration at the local and regional levels. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe have a combined service population of 6,622 citizens and have both demonstrated a need and readiness to implement behavioral health data improvements and youth alcohol use and substance abuse prevention activities but lack the needed resources. USET aims to work with both Tribal Nations to implement integrated behavioral health supports and activities into public health programming through a trauma informed care lens to reduce alcohol use and substance abuse in their youth populations. The resulting impacts of program activities are expected to be a reduction in alcohol use and substance abuse and risk among IHS Nashville Area Tribal Nation youth and a reduction in the impact of historical traumas.
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).