Project Grant H79SM091069

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded United Indian Health Services, Inc. $735,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to establish the Ko'l Ho Koom' Mo Project, a culturally grounded suicide prevention and early intervention initiative for American Indian/Alaska Native youth from birth through age 24 and their families in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in northwestern California.

The project will strengthen the capacity of local healthcare providers, mental health counselors, clinic staff, tribal programs, and community partners to assess youth, recognize suicide risk, respond effectively, and connect youth and families to appropriate supports. The initiative integrates mental health, substance use disorder, pediatric health, and tribal public health systems to close gaps between service providers and build upon cultural strengths within tribal communities. The project will benefit approximately 4,971 AI/AN youth and their families across 5,282 square miles of geographically isolated and rural terrain where youth face barriers associated with geographic isolation, transportation challenges, economic hardship, and substance use.

United Indian Health Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1970 and governed by a consortium of nine tribal governments, operates twelve clinic sites providing medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, physical therapy, and tribal public health services across the two-county region. The award period runs through September 29, 2031, with performance located in Arcata, California.