Support for 988 tribal response cooperative agreements - the iowa tribe of oklahoma will expand tribal access to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline for american indian and alaska native individuals…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma $1.5 million on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to expand tribal access to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals across north-central Oklahoma.

The Iowa Tribe will place a trained Native liaison at a state 988 call center, maintain dedicated crisis therapists, and operate school-based suicide prevention programming at Perkins-Tryon Elementary, Middle, and High School. The tribe will lead a statewide Oklahoma Tribal 988 Workgroup to connect tribal nations with 988 crisis centers, building on two prior federally funded projects to close gaps in culturally responsive crisis care for AI/AN individuals. The project serves a catchment area spanning Payne, Lincoln, and Logan Counties, home to 16,306 AI/AN residents, with particular emphasis on youth and families experiencing elevated suicide risk.

Performance runs through September 29, 2029, with place of performance at Perkins, Oklahoma. Direct services reach AI/AN children, youth, and adults across the catchment area. The funding supports the Iowa Tribe's role as a coordinating hub for tribal 988 crisis response within Oklahoma's tribal crisis system, addressing persistent capacity gaps in the statewide 988 network's ability to identify, serve, and warm-transfer AI/AN callers to tribal resources.

Support for 988 tribal response cooperative agreements - the iowa tribe of oklahoma will expand tribal access to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline for american indian and alaska native individuals in payne, lincoln, and logan counties, oklahoma. The project will place a trained native liaison at a state 988 call center, maintain dedicated crisis therapists and school-based suicide prevention programming, and lead a statewide workgroup connecting tribal nations with 988 crisis centers. Building on two prior federally funded projects, this work will close longstanding gaps in culturally responsive crisis care for AI/an individuals. Project name: iowa tribe of oklahoma (ITO) TR988 tribal response project (FG-26-003). Geographic area and capacity development need: the ITO, a federally recognized tribe of approximately 900 citizens, will implement this project across its jurisdictional catchment area spanning payne, lincoln, and logan counties in north-central oklahoma. This area is home to 170,356 residents including 16,306 american indian/alaska native (AI/an). Building on two consecutive TR988 grant cycles, the project addresses a persistent capacity GAP in the statewide 988 crisis system's ability to identify, serve, and warm-transfer AI/an callers to tribal resources, and expands ITO's role as a coordinating hub for tribally responsive 988 crisis response within the oklahoma tribal 988 workgroup. Population of focus: the population of focus for capacity-building activities is AI/an residents of the catchment area and surrounding counties who are served by, or eligible to be served by, the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, with particular emphasis on youth and families given documented elevated rates of suicide risk, depression, and unmet behavioral health need. Population to be served: direct services will continue for AI/an children, youth, and adults across the catchment. School-based services reach students at perkins-tryon elementary, middle, and high school (minimum 75 students annually) and hope squad members at perkins-tryon and coyle high schools. Clinic-based services serve AI/an callers and community members of all ages presenting with suicidal ideation, mental health crisis, or substance use concerns, including pediatric and early-childhood populations screened using appropriate tools. Catchment-area data show suicide rates 91% above the general population, 33 deaths by suicide in 2025, 79 self-harm hospitalizations in 2024, and treatment gaps affecting 87-94% of individuals with identified mental health needs across the three counties. Strategies and interventions: ITO will (1) develop and deliver an ITO-specific cultural-competency module for 988 staff through the TR988 workgroup; (2) place and train an embedded cultural liaison at an oklahoma 988 call center; (3) maintain two behavioral health therapists and a peer recovery support specialist for same/next-day crisis appointments, navigation, and follow-up; (4) update ITO-988 referral and data-tracking protocols; (5) expand pediatric and early-childhood 988 screening and referral; (6) sustain the embedded school-based therapist model and hope squads; (7) lead TR988 workgroup convenings, learning collaboratives, and a best practices toolkit; and (8) implement a tribal 988 communication strategy to reduce barriers to help-seeking. Project goals: goal 1: ensure AI/an residents of the ITO catchment area have access to culturally competent, trained 988 crisis center support. Goal 2: improve coordinated integration and follow-up care between 988 crisis centers and ITO. Goal 3: facilitate collaboration with tribal, state, and community system partners in a manner that respects tribal sovereignty. Measurable objectives: by year 1, place and train an embedded cultural liaison at an oklahoma 988 call center and achieve a documented increase in successful AI/an referral linkage to BAH-KHO-JE behavioral health services (samhsa strategic priority: crisis care). Maintain 100% same/next-business-day appointment access for AI/an 988