SACRED Connections: A university-tribal clinical research partnership for school-based screening and brief intervention for substance use problems among Native American youth

Examining Characteristics of Local Public Health Systems With Exceptional Tribal Organization Participation

“…In 2019, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium collaborated closely with the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services to create “Healthy Alaskans 2020,” an initiative to improve health statewide with a specific focus on Alaska Native health 10. Other public health partnerships commonly involve formal partnerships between tribal health authorities, community members, and local universities, such as a statewide collaboration in California to address the opioid epidemic, Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention in Arizona, or SACRED connections to address substance use in Native American youth in the rural Midwest 11–13. Tribal nations that installed their own independent local health departments were found to prioritize a culturally relevant approach to service delivery that acknowledges the specific needs of the community served and is implemented with input and collaboration from tribal community members 14.…”

“…Tribal nations that installed their own independent local health departments were found to prioritize a culturally relevant approach to service delivery that acknowledges the specific needs of the community served and is implemented with input and collaboration from tribal community members 14. This emphasis on cultural relevance and community participation is common across the case study collaborations highlighted here10–13 and is cited as a major strength in tribal partnerships to improve AI/AN satisfaction with quality of health services 2…”

“…10 Other public health partnerships commonly involve formal partnerships between tribal health authorities, community members, and local universities, such as a statewide collaboration in California to address the opioid epidemic, Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention in Arizona, or SACRED connections to address substance use in Native American youth in the rural Midwest. [11][12][13] Tribal nations that installed their own independent local health departments were found to prioritize a culturally relevant approach to service delivery that acknowledges the specific needs of the community served and is implemented with input and collaboration from tribal community members. 14 This emphasis on cultural relevance and community participation is common across the case study collaborations highlighted here [10][11][12][13] and is cited as a major strength in tribal partnerships to improve AI/AN satisfaction with quality of health services.…”

“…[11][12][13] Tribal nations that installed their own independent local health departments were found to prioritize a culturally relevant approach to service delivery that acknowledges the specific needs of the community served and is implemented with input and collaboration from tribal community members. 14 This emphasis on cultural relevance and community participation is common across the case study collaborations highlighted here [10][11][12][13] and is cited as a major strength in tribal partnerships to improve AI/AN satisfaction with quality of health services. 2 While learning how to partner with tribal health authorities or AI/AN communities is important, understanding which communities across the United States currently involve tribal partnerships in local public health service delivery may explain the conditions necessary for partnership to be possible.…”