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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The Indian Health Service (IHS) has published two reports prepared by RTI International, an independent scientific research institute, that document progress, challenges and lessons from implementing suicide prevention services at two Urban Indian Organizations.
The Year 1 Monitoring Report (2023-24) and Year 2 Monitoring Report (2024-25) examine implementation of the Zero Suicide Initiative by organizations awarded IHS grants in 2022. The findings offer practical insights for strengthening behavioral health services for American Indian and Alaska Native patients and sustaining suicide prevention programs.
“These reports highlight the work Urban Indian Organizations are doing to make suicide prevention part of everyday care,” said Rebecca Perry, MSc, project director at RTI. “Understanding their experiences can help identify ways to support staff, strengthen services and better engage American Indian and Alaska Native community members in care.”
RTI is conducting the cross-site evaluation of the American Indian Health Service of Chicago, Inc., and the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc. The reports describe how the initiative was integrated into each organization’s practices and examine its role in strengthening suicide prevention and care.
The Year 1 report documents the importance of strong leadership, community partnerships and incorporating traditional Native American practices into care. It also identifies challenges involving staff training, patient engagement and information systems used to track care.
The Year 2 report builds on those findings, highlighting five priorities:
- Supporting staff well-being and preventing burnout
- Continuing to integrate culture into suicide prevention services
- Strengthening staff confidence in recognizing and responding to suicide risk
- Maintaining strong organizational leadership and clear communication
- Planning to sustain services beyond the grant period
RTI’s evaluation approach emphasizes Indigenous data sovereignty, collaboration with participating organizations and collection of information useful for program decisions.
Read the evaluations (via IHS)
Learn more about RTI’s evaluation capabilities
RTI International is an independent scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems.
For more information, visit www.rti.org.
