Project Description:
The Honoring Life suicide prevention program adapts the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s Celebrating Life model to the Shiprock region of Navajo Nation. Implementation of the suicide surveillance and case management program with training and guidance from the Celebrating Life team has been supported by the Southwest Hub for American Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Research (Southwest Hub).
Honoring Life has four components:
- Early identification of high-risk youth ages 10-24 through community-based surveillance systems
- Case management and monitoring by community mental health workers (known as case managers) to assess and understand risk and promote linkages to care
- Brief culturally informed interventions to reduce risk and promote connections to care
- Educating health professionals and community members about identifying and addressing suicide risk in the community
Honoring Life partners with the Shiprock community to receive referrals of youth who are at risk of suicide and self-harm behaviors, coordinate with other health and mental health professionals across an individual’s spectrum of care, and follow up with youth to promote their wellbeing. These partners include medical centers and hospitals, schools, and other tribal agencies.
For more information, please contact Mary Cwik mcwik1@jhu.edu