Authors: National Council of Urban Indian Health

Publication Year: December 2024

Keywords: Culturally Informed Care, Medicaid/Medicare, Mental and Behavioral Health, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), Substance Use, Traditional Healing, Opioid Misuse

Abstract:
The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) completed a needs assessment between 2023-2024 to analyze the impacts of substance misuse and opioid overdoses on Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) and the urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations they serve. NCUIH utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including a review of literature and policies, an environmental scan, key informant interviews, and a live virtual dialogue to collect and analyze data on how substance misuse affects urban AI/AN populations and the role that UIOs play in addressing substance misuse. Results indicate that the majority of UIOs offer behavioral health services, which can play a role in overdose prevention, with many UIOs offering substance misuse counseling, Naloxone/Narcan services, and other key harm reduction services.

Findings from this needs assessment highlight the need for improved investment in the behavioral health workforce, strengthened partnerships between stakeholders in overdose prevention to better support AI/AN populations, improvements to the availability and sustainability of funding opportunities for substance misuse prevention, and overall increased support for urban AI/AN populations through legislative and health care-related actions.

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Source: Link to Original Article.

Type of Resource: NCUIH products (infographs, urban data reports, etc..)