The Center for Indigenous Health and Chinle Unified School District (CUSD) will launch Project AWARE Wildcats (PAWs), a program to promote mental and behavioral health and expand access to services for students. Project PAWs builds on the relationship built between the Center and CUSD as part of Project SafeSchools and the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts.
Consistent with the National youth mental health crisis, community-based mental and behavioral healthcare services are not sufficient to meet needs of Chinle’s student population. Analysis by the Center for Project SafeSchools has found that Native American students are four times as likely as their non-Native peers to experience depression, anxiety, and social-emotional challenges, a pattern exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
MEET OUR TEAM
Emily Haroz – PAWs Project Director
Kristin Mitchell – PAWs Asst. Project Director
Shannon Archuleta – PAWs Project Coordinator
Roshelle Wagner – Wraparound Specialist
Mariah Lee – Kinship Navigator
Chastity Begay – Kinship Navigator
Cody Elliott – Kinship Navigator
Tylaya Towne – Kinship Navigator
Tonya Tolino – Guest Intern,/Dartmouth College Fellow
Terrah Wagner – Kinship Navigator
RESOURCES
Mental Health Webinars
Project A.W.A.R.E. Wildcats presents their Mental Health & Wellbeing Webinars. The webinars will deliver a variety of topics from general psychoeducation, holistic health practices, familial and community interventions, etc. Webinars may include special guest speakers and allow CUSD students, caregivers, staff, and community members resources to explore.
Navigating the Path to Mental Wellbeing: One Conversation at a Time
Community Resources
Community Resources for Central Agency, Navajo Nation
Project Partnerships
Chinle Unified School District #24
The work will be made possible by a $4.7 million subcontract over 5 years from the Chinle Unified School District, with funding that originated from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).