Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
Fairbanks Native Association’s (FNA) Youth and Young Adult Services (YYA Services) division proposes to implement Preparing Our Future Leaders (PFL), a co-occurring disorder (COD) outpatient treatment project that will prepare Alaska Native transitional aged youth (21-25) (TAY) for a substance free, mentally healthy life. Without intervention, the cycle of substance use, mental illness, and trauma will likely continue for generations to come. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) ages 18-25 have the highest rate of COD (Substance Use Disorder and any mental illness) of any AI/AN adult age group. This is especially significant as Substance Use Disorder has significantly increased suicidality among AI/AN adults since 2016. Major Depressive Episodes among this group have also increased significantly since 2016. YYA Services is ideally positioned for PFL as it already meets many of the requirements for success. YYA services 1) has a strong infrastructure in place developed over the past seven years by the Interagency Transition Council (ITC), a tribal community coalition (ITC); 2) is Family-centered with a dedicated Family Services unit; 3) includes an existing outpatient treatment (OP) unit that utilizes an Evidence Base Practice with a family component (Community Reinforcement Approach); and 4) has four highly skilled consultants to provide technical assistance and fill in during key staff absences to ensure quality and timely services. Through our experience providing services to youth, TAY and adults, we have found that the needs of TAY often do not align developmentally with youth or adult populations. To achieve long term recovery, TAY need treatment designed to meet their unique needs. Our COD OP unit does not segregate treatment by age and serves ages 16-25. As a result, neither youth or TAY fit in developmentally. PFL will therefore enhance the existing COD OP unit by segregating treatment into two developmentally appropriate units (age 16-20 and ages 21-25) and expand the existing unit by serving an additional 308 unduplicated TAY over the life of the project. PFL will support existing ITC responsibilities by continuing to focus on system of care coordination and access to care improvement and it will enhance recovery support. As Alaska Native tribal organizations we serve both AI/AN by agreements initially established through the Indian Health Service. Therefore the target population is both AI/AN TAY ages 21-25 with substance abuse disorders and/or COD and their families/primary caregivers. Evidence-Based Practices will include Community Reinforcement Approach, Seeking Safety, and Contingency Management, all of which are currently in place. Additional treatment strategies will include Tobacco Counseling & Intervention, Recovery Supports, linkage to System of Care and UA/Drug Testing. PFL’s overarching goal is to enhance and expand comprehensive evidence-based treatment, early intervention, and recovery support services to transitional aged youth ages 21-25 and their families/caregivers.
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).
