Addressing Native American Youth Suicide

CMBM will provide a groundbreaking program of comprehensive mental health services for at-risk youth and their families on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The situation there is calamitous: 85% unemployment; 8 times the national rate of Type 2 diabetes; alcoholism and addiction affecting nearly every family. The impact of these conditions on the young has been especially tragic: In the past year, 20 young people have taken their own lives, and more than 200 have attempted suicide. CMBM will train tribal elders, mental health professionals, teachers and youth activists in a program of self-care, group support and community building that has been featured in the New York Times: “The Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s program is the one with the strongest evidence that it works to cure PTSD.” The project will underwrite the complete training and supervision of 75 who have completed initial training and are committed to bringing this work to the most troubled youth on the reservation.

CMBM believes this program will be a prototype for other Native American communities to address immediate and historical trauma, reduce despair, and instill hope among their young people. Both adults and youth will be encouraged to share what they have learned through their networks. In particular, young people will be encouraged to reach out to other schools in Native American communities as ambassadors of mind-body healing. This will be done through existing regional networks of Native American communities and schools. As with its other programs, CMBM expects to secure coverage of its work on Pine Ridge in major media, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS and ABC. CMBM will also publish research on the effect of the program and its impact on the suicide epidemic on Pine Ridge. This program has the potential to inform Native American communities nationwide about a groundbreaking way of treating youth stress and anxiety,depression and suicidality, and to impact the lives of many thousands.

Vision

Healing Community Trauma, Restoring Hope

Vision: To create a model of self-care and group and community support for young people on the Pine Ridge Reservation that will reduce completed and attempted suicides by addressing stress, anxiety and trauma. CMBM envisions creating a national network of leaders from Native American and other disadvantaged communities that will bring its model to those most in need.

Center for Mind-Body Medicine

Addressing Native American Youth Suicide

Model and Strategy

Impact

Leadership

James Gordon