Npaihb thrive (tribal health: reaching out involves everyone) - since 2009, the northwest portland area indian health board has successfully managed and fulfilled objectives within the thrive…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board $735,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to implement the NPAIHB THRIVE (Tribal Health: Reaching Out Involves Everyone) suicide prevention initiative.

The THRIVE project will develop and deploy suicide risk response systems for tribal youth across the Northwest, including screening, assessment, treatment, and case management services. The initiative will conduct youth conferences and skill-building trainings incorporating lethal means safety planning and evidence-based practices rooted in tribal traditions. The project will generate social media messages and suicide prevention marketing materials, with five-year targets of reaching 200 tribal youth at conferences, 400 attendees in skill-building trainings, 20,000 people through media campaigns, and 600 tribal youth aged up to 24 years old for screening, assessment, treatment, and case management services.

NPAIHB serves 43 federally recognized tribes across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, where tribal suicide rates run approximately 7 percent higher than overall regional rates and only 10 to 35 percent of tribal youth and adolescents seek professional mental health services during suicidal episodes. Work is performed in Portland, Oregon. The award runs through September 29, 2031.

Npaihb thrive (tribal health: reaching out involves everyone) - since 2009, the northwest portland area indian health board has successfully managed and fulfilled objectives within the thrive project by supporting northwest (NW) tribes in efforts to prevent suicide. Over 483,000 tribal people reside in the NW. Tribal youth are disproportionately impacted by suicide and depression, increasing the need for suicide prevention programming to address them. Data from idaho, oregon, and washington for 2020-2024 show that the age-adjusted suicide rate for NW tribal people was approximately 7% higher than the overall NW suicide rate. Still, only 10-35% of tribal youth and adolescents seek professional health services during a suicidal episode, a GAP driven by geographic isolation and lack of mental health providers. The thrive project will work with tribes to develop suicide risk response systems that include screening efforts of tribal youth. The thrive project will provide supportive resources and community-based prevention strategies, including media campaign materials and skill-building training that incorporate lethal means and safety planning components, and which are rooted in tribal-based and evidence-based practices. The following goals and objectives will improve suicide outcomes for NW tribal youth; over five years, our project activities will reach: 200 tribal youth during thrive's youth conferences (50 youth annual during years 2-5); 400 attendees across skill-building trainings (80 annually); 20,000 people reached by social media messages and suicide prevention social marketing materials (4,000 annually); and 600 tribal youth (up to 24 years old) with screening, assessment, treatment, and case management (120 annually). Goal 1) enhance organizational practices in NW tribes to improve suicide risk screening and response systems for tribal youth (up to 24 years old), and their families O1) fund NW tribes to provide their suicide risk screenings, assessments, and referrals for tribal youth up to 24 years old; O2) help tribes develop and implement a suicide risk response system to ensure that timely referrals, incorporating safety planning are used; and O3) collaborate with tribes to ensure their suicide risk response system has been culturally adapted; bridges clinical safety with tribal traditions; streamlines coordinated care; and provides tailored safety plans goal 2) improve and expand the delivery of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies in tribal settings O1) provide skill development trainings around lethal means safety and suicide prevention, intervention, and/or postvention; and O2) respond to technical assistance requests and provide monthly coaching calls and expert consultation to NW tribes, including subawardees, to strengthen their community-based prevention strategies goal 3) promote mental health services for tribal youth up to 24 years O1) update, reprint, and disseminate suicide prevention social marketing materials from the we are connected campaign; O2) create and disseminate social media posts aimed at promoting suicide prevention, the 988 suicide & crisis lifeline, and reducing mental health stigma for social media accounts owned by NW tribes; O3) review the responding to concerning posts protocol when concerning posts are received; O4) promote suicide prevention, the 988 suicide & crisis lifeline, and the crisis text line at meetings or tribal community and cultural events; and O5) during years 2 - 5, host a youth conference that teaches suicide prevention skills, increases protective factors, promotes improved mental health, and builds cultural pride and resilience