By Agnes Black Weasel, Director, Tribal Programs

September is Suicide Prevention Month. I want to use this as a time to talk about suicide, mental health, and the importance of making sure people know they are not alone and that help is available.

For Tribal communities, this conversation is especially important. American Indian and Alaska Native communities continue to experience suicide rates that are higher than many other populations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indian and Alaska Native people continue to experience one of the highest suicide rates among racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

When we talk about suicide in Indian Country, we also need to talk about something else: the work Tribes are doing to make things better.

Tribes across the country are taking a much more active role in suicide prevention. They are building programs around their own communities, bringing in culture and tradition, involving Elders and youth, training their own people, and working to make behavioral health services easier to access.

Tribal Communities Know What Their Communities Need

Every Tribal community is different; there isn't one suicide prevention program that is going to work for every Tribe.

Tribes have different cultures, traditions, languages, community structures, resources, and needs. That is why it is important for suicide prevention work to be led by the Tribe and shaped around the people who live there. Organizations are beginning to recognize this and support Tribal communities in developing suicide prevention strategies that are based on their own communities and circumstances.

This is where we are seeing some real progress.

Tribes are developing partnerships between behavioral health, schools, health clinics, families, cultural programs, youth programs, and community organizations, as well as prominently implementing the Cultural component relevant to each individual Tribe. Instead of waiting until someone is already in a crisis, communities are working on ways to recognize concerns earlier and connect people with help.

Culture and Connection Matter

One of the things that stands out in Tribal suicide prevention is the importance of culture and connection. For many Tribal communities, culture isn't something that should be added to a program at the end. It needs to be part of the program from the beginning. Connection to family, community, Elders, language, traditions, cultural activities, and a person's Tribal identity can all play an important role in helping people feel connected and supported.

The Indian Health Service's Zero Suicide work has shown how Tribal health programs are adapting suicide prevention approaches to fit their own communities. Some programs are using screening and safety planning while also involving cultural teachings, Traditional Healers, Elders, youth, and community members.

That combination is important. We don't have to choose between evidence-based suicide prevention and culturally-centered services; we can use both.

Focus on Youth

Youth and young adults are another major focus of suicide prevention efforts throughout Indian Country. Tribes are working with schools, families, behavioral health programs, and youth organizations to make sure young people have somewhere to turn when they are struggling.

Some Tribal communities are training teachers, health care workers, counselors, and other people who work with youth to recognize warning signs and know what to do when someone needs help.

Other communities are creating opportunities for young people to become involved in prevention themselves. Youth shouldn't just be viewed as people who need services; they can also be part of the solution.

Giving young people a voice, connecting them with culture, providing positive activities, and helping them build relationships with trusted adults can all make a difference.

Tribes Are Doing This Work

Tribal communities have been part of the effort to strengthen suicide prevention. The Department of Public Health and Human Services has worked with Tribal and Urban Indian health organizations on Zero Suicide efforts. This work has included many Tribes nationwide and other organizations.

The goal isn't to make every community do the exact same thing. It is about helping each community build suicide prevention into the services they already provide and finding ways to make sure people don't fall through the cracks.

Through better screening, better communication between programs, follow-up after a crisis, stronger referrals, and making sure someone continues to receive support after they leave a hospital or crisis service, communities are achieving this goal.

Tribes are developing their own programs, training their people, bringing culture into behavioral health, involving Elders, listening to youth, strengthening relationships with schools and health systems, developing crisis response plans, and improving follow-up.

They are looking at ways to build healthier and stronger communities before someone reaches a crisis. That is prevention, and that is something worth recognizing.

Suicide Prevention Is Bigger Than One Program

One thing we have learned through working with Tribal communities is that suicide prevention can't just belong to the behavioral health department. It has to be bigger than that.

Families, schools, health programs, youth programs, cultural programs, Elders and Cultural Carriers, and Community leaders all have a role, and each of us has a role in looking out for one another.

Sometimes suicide prevention starts with something as simple as asking someone, “How are you really doing?”

It can be sitting down and listening without judging, helping someone get connected to a counselor, making sure a young person has a safe adult they can talk to, inviting someone to a community activity, or helping someone reconnect with family or culture. It can also mean knowing when a situation has moved beyond what we can handle ourselves and getting professional help.

Moving Forward Together

Suicide Prevention Month gives us a reason to have these conversations, but this work can't stop when September ends.

For GPS, working with Tribal communities means recognizing that the Tribe knows its people best. Our role is to listen, support, help build partnerships, and work alongside Tribal leadership and community programs.

The goal isn't to come in with a one-size-fits-all answer; the goal is to help communities build the pieces that work for them. Because, at the end of the day, suicide prevention is about people.

It is about keeping our young people connected, supporting families, making sure people know where to turn, strengthening culture and community, and it is about reminding people that their life has value and that they don't have to go through difficult times alone.

Every conversation matters. Every connection matters. Every person matters.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

September Is Suicide Prevention Month: Tribal Communities Are Taking Action