Covering Indian Country – June 2019

In this issue: Oneida Nation Veterans Department, new resources, funding opportunities, and more
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

June 2019

Spotlight: Oneida Nation Veterans Department

Photo of Kerry Metoxen

Kerry Metoxen (Oneida), Manager, Oneida Nation Veterans Department

Recently, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin was declared a Purple Heart Reservation in honor of its Veterans who were killed or wounded in combat. Oneida Nation also broke ground on a Purple Heart Memorial, slated for completion in 2020.

Purple Heart recipients are eligible to receive lifelong compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, eligibility is contingent upon receiving a formal diagnosis of PTSD and meeting VA criteria.

"Lots of men don't want to talk about it. Instead, they'll self-medicate with alcohol or become workaholics." — Kerry Metoxen, Manager, Oneida Nation Veterans Department

Persuading male Veterans to seek help for PTSD can be particularly challenging. Fortunately, Oneida Nation's behavioral health staff includes board-certified psychiatrists and counselors who can help Veterans address substance use disorders.

Men with PTSD also have the option of participating in a weekly group session facilitated by a psychotherapist. A separate program exists for female Veterans with PTSD or other trauma.

June: Men's Health Month

Drop-in ad featuring a female Native doctor checking a Native male patient's heart beat. It reads, 'Men, stay strong. Regular checkups and preventive health care will keep you strong and healthy for yourself, your family, and your community. Learn more at Medicaid.gov or talk to your Indian health provider. HealthCare.gov'

Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. Other sizes are available on CMS's Outreach and Education Resources page.

Public service announcements

Share these informational audio clips and videos on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page.

SoundcloudAudio
English Lakota Navajo Ojibwe Yupik Zuni


YoutubeVideo
English Lakota Navajo Ojibwe Yupik Zuni

TwitterTweet it

Men, stay strong for yourself, your family, and your community with regular checkups and preventive health care.

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#CMSNativeHealth

Flyers and fact sheets

A collage of the brochures Communities Need Healthy Men; My Health - Men's Health Checklist; and Enroll in Medicaid for Yourself, Your Family, and Your Community.

Download these files or order copies of these resources on the Tribal Products Ordering Page. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.

  • The Men's Health Checklist (PDF, 1.4 MB, 2 pp) provides a list of preventive health services that are free with Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
  • The brochure, Communities Need Healthy Men (PDF, 755 KB, 2 pp), explains how health insurance can benefit men and their families even if they already have access to an Indian Health Service clinic.
  • The Enroll in Medicaid Flyer (PDF, 425 KB, 1 p) lets Native men know how they can qualify for Medicaid and that enrollment for tribal citizens is open year round.

Health observances

Men's Health Month

During June, take every opportunity to ask the men in your life when they last visited a health care professional.

Timely treatment of ailments or injuries, along with regular wellness visits, can help people avoid serious physical or mental illness.

However, results of a survey commissioned by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) suggest that most men who are sick or in pain will wait at least a few days or a week before seeking treatment. Men ages 35–44 are more likely than men ages 45 and older to wait out the ailment or injury entirely.

Additionally, only about half of men have had a recent physical exam. According to the AAFP survey, the most common barriers that keep men from getting preventive care are:

  • The belief that they need to be extremely sick to seek health care and
  • The belief that healthy people have no reason to visit a health care professional.

June is National Safety Month

National Safety Month is an opportunity to highlight prevention of injuries and deaths related to motor vehicle crashes.

Tribal Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention Best Practices Guide 2016

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Moreover, AI/AN men ages 20 and older are twice as likely as AI/AN women in that age group to die in a motor vehicle crash.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new webpage titled Injury Prevention in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. The webpage features several resources on tribal road safety, including a toolkit, video, and best practices guide. The resources aim to:

  • increase the use of seat belts and child safety seats and
  • decrease alcohol-impaired driving.

National HIV Testing Day: June 27

In the weeks leading up to National HIV Testing Day, encourage everyone you know in Indian Country to find out their HIV status. Also, remind them that services are available to help people newly diagnosed with HIV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone between the ages of 13–64 should be tested for HIV at least once, and people at high risk for HIV should be tested yearly.

Logo for National HIV Testing Day, June 27

In a recent fact sheet, CDC estimates that about 1 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native people with HIV (PDF, 778 KB, 2 pp) are unaware they have the virus, so they don't get the treatment they need to stay healthy and protect their partners from infection.

Additional resources

Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain

Research suggests that heart-healthy habits may help reduce people's risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain

American Indian and Alaska Native-specific resources are now available to increase awareness of the link between heart and brain health.

 

Released by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the International Association for Indigenous Aging, the resources include posters, a 2-page flyer, a provider guide, radio public service announcements, and videos.

 

Preventing substance use among Native youth

Survey results show that many Native youth living on or near reservations begin using alcohol, marijuana, and other substances by grade 8.

Early initiation of substance use increases an adolescent's risk of developing a substance use disorder later, which is why ongoing efforts to prevent substance use disorders among Native youth are so critical.

To that end, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) urges tribal communities to participate in its 2019 Communities Talk initiative, a series of town hall meetings aimed at preventing underage drinking. Organizations interested in hosting a meeting may be eligible to receive a $750 stipend if they email info@stopalcoholabuse.net by Friday, June 14, 2019.

Additionally, SAMHSA's Native Youth Educational Services Workgroup has compiled an extensive list of programs and resources to address substance use disorders.

Funding opportunities

National Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for Tribes

Deadline: June 18

View the National Child Welfare funding opportunity

 

The Administration for Children and Families is offering funds to establish a National Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for Tribes.

 

The center will support the successful administration of child welfare programs and enhance tribes' ability to provide effective child welfare services.

 

Fiscal Year 2019 Small Ambulatory Program

Deadline: June 28

View the Ambulatory Program funding opportunity

 

Indian Health Service will fund the construction, expansion, or modernization of small ambulatory health care facilities that serve American Indian and Alaska Native people.

 

Federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

 

Calendar of Events

CMS ITU Outreach and Education Training

June 18–19, 2019

Billings, MT

Register for the ITU Training in Billings

The target audience for this CMS ITU training is business office staff, benefits coordinators, patient registration staff, medical records staff, and purchased/referred care services staff. Topics include CMS Tribal Affairs updates, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, state-administered programs, Social Security, and Veterans Affairs.

Upcoming ITU Outreach and Education Trainings:

June 25–26 in Richmond, VA
August 14–15 in Norwich, CT

2019 National UNITY Conference

July 4–8, 2019

Orlando, FL

Register for the National UNITY Conference

Sponsored by United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc., (UNITY) this annual youth leadership development conference addresses social issues that impact communities nationwide. The target audience includes community leaders, youth activists, and advisers.

Logo for UNITY. Tagline reads, 'Inspiring hope, changing lives since 1976.'

National Conference on American Indian/Alaska Native Injury and Violence Prevention

July 23–25, 2019

Denver, CO

Register for the National Conference on AI/AN Injury and Violence Prevention

The theme of this Indian Health Service Injury Prevention Program conference is bridging science, practice, and culture. The target audience includes injury prevention practitioners, injury researchers, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders.

2019 Diabetes in Indian Country Conference

August 6–9, 2019

Oklahoma City, OK

Register for the Diabetes Conference

Logo for 2019 Diabetes in Indian Country Conference

Health care providers and Special Diabetes Program for Indians grantees are encouraged to attend the Indian Health Service 2019 Diabetes in Indian Country Conference for updates on addressing diabetes.

2019 National Title VI Training and Technical Assistance Conference

August 13–16, 2019

Minneapolis, MN

Register for the National Title VI Training and Technical Assistance Conference

The conference is hosted by the Administration on Aging Office for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs. The draft agenda (PDF, 232 KB, 9 pgs.) includes workshops on topics such as best practices in tribal nursing homes, disaster preparedness, adult day care, and home care assistance.

Fourth Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition

September 15–18, 2019

Prior Lake, MN

Register for the Conference on Native American Nutrition

This conference is for tribal officials, researchers, and others with an interest in Native nutrition and food science. Topics include youth voices, urban and rural nutrition issues, and more.

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About the Newsletter

Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources, success stories, and best practices with the people who connect tribal communities to health coverage.


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