Indian Health Service (IHS) has awarded grants worth $16.5 million to 4 behavioral health programs serving American Indians and Alaska Natives. The programs are Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention (SASP), the Domestic Violence Prevention Program (DVPP), the Behavioral Health Integration Initiative (BH21), and Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths (PARD).
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Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention provides culturally appropriate prevention and early intervention strategies aimed at reducing suicide and substance use and misuse among Native youth. Projects implement evidence-based, practice-based, and emerging practices to build resiliency, foster positive development, and promote family engagement.
The DVPP funding will expand outreach and increase awareness of domestic and sexual violence, provide victim advocacy, intervention, case coordination, policy development, community response teams, community and school education programs, and forensic health care services.
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The BH21 is a new funding opportunity at IHS. It assists awardees in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating behavioral health integration with primary care.
Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths also is a new program. Funding increases access to social detoxification, evaluation, stabilization, and fostering patient readiness for and entry into treatment.