Covering Indian Country – December 2019

December 2019

Spotlight: Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Amy Painter, MBA

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is devoted to advancing implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The SPRC supports suicide prevention efforts across all settings and age groups, including American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.

SPRC's Manager of Tribal Initiatives Amy Painter (Ho-Chunk/Dakota), MBA, notes that key partners are crucial to the success of suicide prevention initiatives. In addition to community-level partners, tribes often must collaborate with partners outside of their communities to develop a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention.

"One of the things we do well is to foster collaboration between tribes and external partners, such as states or universities," says Painter. The partnerships provide opportunities for tribes to teach cultural humility while accessing technical expertise on subjects such as suicide surveillance or inpatient care.

"We help facilitate the work in a way that honors tribal sovereignty."

— Amy Painter, MBA, Manager of Tribal Initiatives, SPRC

Notably, SPRC maintains a comprehensive online library that includes best practice models, toolkits, online trainings, research summaries, and more. The center also maintains a webpage with tips and resources specifically tailored to AI/AN settings.

"We want to make sure tribal communities are aware of all the free resources on our website and can find what they need," Painter says. "To that end, we've archived the Native Connections and SPRC Websites Walk Through Webinar, which walks viewers through the resources available."

SPRC is supported by a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant and operated by the Education Development Center, which is headquartered in Waltham, MA.

December: Health care coverage for a healthy year

Health observances

Safe Toys and Celebrations Month

December's increase in decorating and entertaining brings a greater risk for fires (PDF, 834 KB, 1 p). In observance of Safe Toys and Celebrations Month, help families prevent fires this holiday season (PDF, 5.6 MB, 1 p) by sharing the tips below.

• Test fire alarms and remind visitors to smoke outside at least 20 feet from the house
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking food or boiling water
• Consider using battery-operated candles
• Inspect electrical decorations to ensure cords and wires are secure and intact
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets and extension cords
• Turn off and unplug holiday lights at bedtime or when leaving home

Additional resources

Education to help prevent liver cancer and hepatitis

A leading cause of death worldwide, liver cancer is more common among American Indians and Alaska Natives than in White or Black populations. This health disparity is largely due to high rates of chronic hepatitis C infections in Indian Country.

As described in a recently published program evaluation brief, Cherokee Nation implemented activities to increase knowledge and awareness of hepatitis prevention and control.

Health care providers who participated in the activities throughout the 8-month period were better able to identify patients at high risk for hepatitis and liver cancer. Both providers and community coalition members said they intended to mention those diseases during upcoming health care visits.

Caring for people with cancer

Meeting the needs of people with cancer can be challenging for caregivers. Compassionate, culturally appropriate resources are now available to help.

Tips for Caring for In-Treatment American Indian Cancer Patients (PDF, 289 KB, 4 pp) covers topics such as communicating with health professionals, monitoring patients' vital signs, and seeking support as needed.

American Indian End of Life Considerations (PDF, 287 KB, 4 pp) describes the various ways in which caregivers can help patients and families plan ahead and improve quality of life.

Guidance on using CMS tribal outreach materials

The National Indian Health Board and CMS developed 2 brief role-play videos demonstrating how to use tribal outreach and education materials.

The first video is intended for patient benefits coordinators and others who host information booths at health fairs or community powwows.

The second video is geared toward community health representatives, public health nurses, and community health care providers who visit patients in their homes.