Some AI/AN communities have experienced suicide clusters, in which a group of suicides or suicide attempts happen close together in time and space. These suicide clusters are rare and occur almost exclusively among teenagers. This report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides information about suicide clusters and responses in tribal communities and identifies strength-based approaches to prevention and response. The authors begin with background information on the prevalence of suicide among AI/AN populations, a description of suicide clusters, and a discussion of the risk and protective factors for suicide. Next, the authors describe the results of a qualitative study of two communities that experienced suicide clusters: a tribal reservation near Albuquerque, New Mexico and three villages on the Bering Sea coast of Western Alaska. Those communities also provide their perspectives on the resources necessary to prevent and respond to suicide clusters and the barriers to effective response.

This brief from the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center provides an overview of key concepts and statistics about trauma in Indian Country. First, the brief provides data on traumatic experiences and exposure to trauma among AI/AN populations. Next, the authors define several key concepts related to trauma, such as historical trauma, historical oppression, adverse childhood experiences, and resilience and resistance. The brief concludes with a discussion of the associations between trauma and health, organizational and community responses to trauma, and future research and policy directions.

This newsletter from the National Indian Child Welfare Association describes the secondary traumatic stress that may occur among providers who work with AI/AN youth and adults. Also known as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, or burnout, secondary traumatic stress is the emotional duress that comes from hearing another person’s traumatic experiences firsthand. Left unchecked, this secondary trauma can lead to burnout and turnover among social workers. To combat secondary trauma, the authors suggest a strategy of relationship-based prevention. Building trust and safety among coworkers and allowing staff members to practice self-care will help prevent secondary trauma symptoms from escalating to burnout. The newsletter also provides self-care tips and resources for social services professionals who are concerned about secondary traumatic stress.

Language assessment and proficiency tools are often the best gauges of language acquisition. There are a variety of tools that language projects can use, such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or ACTFL. Choosing the right assessment tools and providing staff training and support in their use can be difficult. Ku Kahakalau is the Project Director of the Institute for Native Pacific Education & Culture or INPEACE’s Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Funded Project located in Kapolei, Hawaii. The webinar was presented by ANA's Alaska Region Training and Technical Assistance Center on the Indigenous Language Proficiency Scale and other language assessment tools.

This report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation describes the implementation of the Tribal Home Visiting Program, which utilizes an evidence-based, two-generation approach. The report includes information about the technical assistance provided to support grantees, recommendations for legislative or administrative action to improve services, and more aspects of the program.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Regions IX and X hosted the Tribal Technical Assistance Meeting on July 25‐27, 2016 at the Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The meeting brought together Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) stakeholders to discuss innovative strategies and collaborations to promote economic and social well‐being for individuals, families, and tribal communities. During the meeting, tribal representatives engaged in listening sessions, shared best practices, and participated in workshops in order to more successfully serve the program participants in their communities.

This blog post discusses the recently announced $600,000 in awards to six tribal entities for a new round of Tribal Early Learning Initiative (TELI) grants. These grants allow tribal communities to coordinate their early learning and development programs and enhance the services offered to children and families from pregnancy through kindergarten.

On May 5, 2014, the Social Security Administration presented a webinar, "An Overview of Social Security Programs and Services Important to Tribal Communities" sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management, in partnership with the Administration for Native Americans. This webinar explained programs and services of particular interest to tribal community members throughout Indian Country. During this webinar, speakers Charles Jenkins and Alfredo Padilla Jr. expanded on important programs and services such Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Supplemental Security Income, grandchildren benefits, services offered to reservations in remote areas of the United States, upcoming field office changes, and more about the "my Social Security" account.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted the 2013 Tribal TANF--Child Welfare Coordination Projects Annual Grantee Meeting on August 14-15, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The meeting provided Tribal TANF--Child Welfare Coordination Project grantees with the opportunity to share information with their peers regarding their program structure and performance. The meeting also addressed grant requirements for Year Two of the projects, strategies for building coalitions in Native American communities, home visiting programs, program sustainability, and approaches for documenting cross-agency coordination and collaboration.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management hosted the first national Tribal TANF Summit to Improve Program Performance and Strengthen Native Families on August 12-14, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The workshop focused on Tribal TANF program administration and participant engagement. Experts from the field shared information on a variety of topics including: career pathways and subsidized employment, TANF policies and procedures, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, opportunities for economic development, and effective prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.