MISSOULA – A College of Montana heart just lately secured a $7.1 million grant to assist forestall unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted illnesses amongst younger American Indian populations.
The five-year grant was earned by UM’s Middle for Kids, Households and Workforce Growth. It was funded by the U.S. Workplace of the Assistant Secretary of Well being and Workplace of Inhabitants Affairs.
The UM heart will present evidence-based packages for younger Natives in Montana, Arizona and New Mexico. The Johns Hopkins College’s Middle for Indigenous Well being is a key associate on the grant.
“This multiyear, multistate prevention grant will present transformative and foundational infrastructure from which American Indian youth might be supported, served and valued inside their tribal tradition,” stated Dr. Kristen Rogers, the middle’s principal investigator on the grant, which can create a brand new program titled Native Youth POWER.
She stated the multistate venture will give attention to lowering teen start and sexually transmitted an infection charges amongst Native youth, which constantly are the best charges of any ethnic minority group.
“We are going to present coaching on being pregnant prevention, spacing and delay, together with sexually transmitted an infection prevention and intervention,” Rogers stated. “A important aim of this venture is to cut back pregnancies in Native youth whereas respecting cultural norms of household and tribal connectedness.”
In Montana, Native youth who entry well being and psychological well being care at All Nations Well being Middle in Missoula or Rocky Boy Well being Middle on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation will obtain focused, culturally acceptable interventions with reference to being pregnant and STD prevention.
“We’re dedicated to advancing well being fairness throughout the state,” stated Kate Chapin, govt director of the UM heart. “This new partnership with Johns Hopkins College will present Montana with the instruments and experience to raised serve one of the crucial susceptible populations in Montana – American Indian youth. We’re honored to obtain this five-year award.”
With the Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico, the brand new prevention packages might be applied at summer season camps and in reservation college districts.
“Targeted schooling for this high-risk group goes to learn their households and our complete neighborhood,” stated Sandra Friede, a public well being nurse on the Rocky Boy Well being Middle, which offers well being and psychological well being care to its tribal neighborhood.
Skye McGinty is govt director of the All Nations Well being Middle, which serves greater than 18 tribes all through Montana. She stated, “We’re thrilled to associate with the College of Montana, the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana and the Navajo Nation on culturally acceptable reproductive schooling. Decolonizing our our bodies begins with the type of empowerment this grant will present for Native youth and their households.”
Rogers stated the efforts will make use of a community-engaged, participatory strategy to program implementation. This system could have a foundational methodology in trauma-informed care and optimistic youth growth. Neighborhood and youth advisory boards inside every setting will help UM and Johns Hopkins employees in overseeing, implementing and monitoring all venture actions.
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Contact: Kristen Rogers; analysis and analysis director; UM Middle for Kids, Households and Workforce Growth; 406-243-5465; kristen.rogers@mso.umt.edu.
