Mindful connections program - the great plains tribal leaders health board (GPTLHB), through cooperation with existing service agencies and key stakeholders, will, during this three-year project,…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living awarded a cooperative agreement of $500,000 to the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board on September 30, 2025, under the Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiative (CFDA 93.470).

Over the three-year period of performance through September 29, 2028, the recipient will expand and maintain training and services for a coordinated lifespan respite system serving the four-state Great Plains area encompassing South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Deliverables include outreach materials, caregiver and provider training, and an online respite database. The project will expand workforce capacity through education and training in Rapid City, South Dakota and the broader region; adapt existing dementia training to create a program rooted in tribal tradition and designed to build awareness of dementia in Indian Country; develop a comprehensive community-informed care directory to increase public awareness of early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and relevant care resources; and train community-based service providers, family caregivers, and community members in dementia care.

The Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board is a tribally owned, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing 17 tribal nations and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota. The program aims to increase knowledge of ADRD through screening and early diagnosis, risk reduction, quality of life initiatives, and community education, with anticipated outcomes including improved caregiver self-efficacy, reduced caregiver burden and stress, increased provider competency in diagnosing ADRD, and a sustainability plan to support the project beyond the funding period.

Mindful connections program - the great plains tribal leaders health board (GPTLHB), through cooperation with existing service agencies and key stakeholders, will, during this three-year project, expand and maintain training and services for a coordinated lifespan respite system that builds on the varied infrastructure currently in place throughout the four-state great plains area (GPA) of SD, ND, NE, & IA. The goal of this project is to increase and strengthen knowledge of alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) through direct and enabling services, including screening and early diagnosis, risk reduction, quality of life, and community education in the GPA. Objectives: 1) expand workforce capacity in MNI luzahan/rapid city, SD, and the GPA through education and training; 2) adapt existing dementia training and education to create one GPA-focused program based on tribal tradition and designed to build awareness of dementia in indian country; 3) increase public awareness of the early signs and symptoms of ADRD and relevant care resources by developing a comprehensive community-informed care directory; 4) train community-based service providers, family caregivers, and community members in dementia care. Anticipated outcomes: 1) families and caregivers will have specific knowledge gains and tracked improvements in knowledge related to ADRD; 2) providers will demonstrate increased competency in diagnosing ADRD; 3) families will increase awareness of of risk reduction strategies and the share evidence-based intervention; 4) caregivers' will have improved self-efficacy and reduced caregiver burden and stress; 5) a sustainability plan will be developed to support the project in the future. The expected products are outreach materials, caregiver and provider training, and an online respite database.