Indian Health Service Behavioral Health Programs

Objectives: The Indian Health Service Behavioral Health Programs consists of several funding programs designed to help Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations (UIO) assist American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations achieve and realize the highest possible level of physical, mental, social and spiritual health through addressing health concerns and delivery systems with behavioral components. The Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention (SASP) Program’s objectives are to reduce the prevalence of suicide and substance use and decrease the overall use of addicting and illicit substances among AI/AN populations, by improving care coordination; expanding behavioral health care services through the use of culturally appropriate evidence-based and practice-based models to address these issues; develop or expand on activities for the Generation Indigenous Initiative (Gen-I) by implementing early intervention strategies for AI/AN youth at risk for suicidal behavior. The objective of the Behavioral Health Integration Initiative (BH2I) program is to improve the physical and mental health status of people with behavioral health issues by developing an integrative, coordinated system of care. Awardees of this program will increase capacity among Tribal and Urban Indian organization (UIO) health facilities to implement an integrative approach in the delivery of behavioral health services, including trauma-informed care, nutrition, exercise, social, spiritual, cultural, and primary care services to improve morbidity and mortality outcomes among the AI/AN population. In addition, this effort will support activities that address improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from mental illness, substance use disorders, and adverse childhood experiences. The objective of the Community Overdose Intervention Prevention Program is to address the opioid crisis in AI/AN communities by the following three things: first, developing and expanding community education and awareness of prevention, treatment and recovery activities for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder; second, increase knowledge and use of culturally appropriate interventions and to encourage an increased use of medication-assisted treatment/medications for opioid use disorder (MAT/MOUD); and third, support Tribal and Urban Indian communities in their effort to provide prevention, treatment, and recovery services to address the impact of the opioid crisis within their communities. The objective of the Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths (PARD) through Social Detoxification Program is to increase access to community-based prevention strategies to provide social detoxification, evaluation, stabilization, fostering patient readiness for and entry into treatment for alcohol use disorders and when appropriate, other substance use disorders. The objective of the Zero Suicide Initiative (ZSI) is a key concept of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) and is a priority of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. The ‘Zero Suicide’ model focuses on developing a system-wide approach to improving care for individuals at risk of suicide who are currently utilizing health and behavioral health systems. The objective of the Youth Regional Treatment Center (YRTC) Aftercare Program is to address gaps in services that occur when youth transition from an YRTC treatment program and return home or to their designated caregiver. There may be limited, if any, aftercare support services available in a youth’s home community. Limited access to an aftercare support system significantly decreases the likelihood of successful recovery and increases the probability of relapse and other poor outcomes. The objective of the NUIBH program is to increase the awareness, visibility, advocacy, and education for behavioral health issues on a national scare and in the interest of improving Urban Indian health care.