Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) received a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the Indian Health Service (IHS) Office of the Director under the Injury Prevention Program for American Indians and Alaskan Natives (CFDA 93.284), effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030. Under this five-year award, CRIHB will deliver two coordinated, evidence-informed injury prevention strategies targeting priority areas identified by its member tribal health programs: (1) Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention and Child Passenger Safety, and (2) Ecological and Disaster Injury Prevention related to fire, smoke, and heat resilience. CRIHB will continue to provide expert education and technical assistance to tribal health programs in California, with the primary goal of reducing unintentional injury deaths and serious injuries among children through increased proper use of car seats and boosters.

The second strategy focuses on supporting tribal communities throughout California in preparing for and mitigating injuries associated with wildfire smoke, heat exposure, and fire-related events. This initiative emphasizes capacity building, interagency coordination, and the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into preparedness and response planning. Over the five-year performance period, CRIHB will strengthen local capacity, promote intergenerational safety education, and build long-term sustainability for injury prevention within tribal communities by incorporating activities from a cultural perspective and providing TEK education to member tribal health programs.