NCJ Number
122908
Date Published
1990
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The Special Initiatives Team of the Mental Health Programs Branch of the Indian Health Service was formed to help American Indian tribes and communities who are concerned about issues related to violence and who want to address them actively.
Abstract
The team was formed because of awareness that suicide, homicide, spouse abuse, child abuse, and other violent behaviors have significantly increased among Native Americans in the past two decades and that some communities are so numbed to violent acts that they cannot perceive the violence nor use their inherent strengths to counter it. The team offers assistance, consultation, and referral on program planning and development, mobilization of resources, and development of data collection methods and analysis of local needs. The team operates on the philosophy that the community contains the strengths and expertise to address violent behaviors effectively. Projects conducted since June 1987 have included a social services program for child abuse and suicide prevention, a community violence elimination program, a suicide prevention program, and a mental health videotape. 10 references.