PBPN Youth Wellness Services - Youth substance misuse is a pressing issue in The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) and Native youth are more likely to develop substance use disorders (SUDs) compared to their peers. Thus, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation proposes the Prairie Band Youth Wellness Services initiative, a Health Center-based project, focused on youth aged 0-24, that will implement evidence-based and culturally rooted services to build resiliency, mitigate risk factors for substance misuse and related mental health issues, promote positive youth development, and strengthen partnerships for a holistic system of care. The project’s goals are to: (1) Assess, develop, and increase opportunities to strengthen Youth Wellness Services as a key provider of youth and community wellbeing for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; (2) Implement strategic prevention programming and community outreach initiatives that increase community-wide readiness for substance use prevention and wellness services; and (3) Facilitate a community of practice with partner tribal communities and organizations to share and adapt best practices, develop a broad network of youth peer support, and increase capacity for growth opportunities for our youth and families. Our youth are our future; they are tomorrow’s elders and leaders. It is critical that we build a strong system of support around them to ensure the overall health and longevity of our people. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is a federally recognized sovereign Indian Tribe in northeast Kansas, with more than 4,500 enrolled members. Together, we can build a healthy, safe community that celebrates our culture, traditions, and values. As we work to address the hard issues our community faces, we honor that approximately 34% of our population are aged 24 years and under. Our youth are our tribe’s future and the continuation of our culture, making youth mental health and substance misuse prevention in the community major concerns for our leadership and members. Through the implementation of cultural classes, community assessments, mental health trainings, and prevention services our project seeks to extend and reinforce our protective factors of cultural connectedness and resiliency for our youth. The conducting and evaluation of these services will allow the community to be involved in the planning and feedback processes that are key components of this project. Working on preventing the behaviors of underage drinking, cannabis use, and vaping in the community will strengthen our youth’s overall wellness and contribute to a healthier and thriving community.
