PRESS RELEASE: National Council of Urban Indian Health 2019 Youth Advisory Council Members Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Meredith Raimondi
202-544-0344
mraimondi@ncuih.org

National Council of Urban Indian Health 2019 Youth Advisory Council Members Announced

NCUIH welcomes 5 new young adults to promote resilience and raise awareness about suicide prevention and substance misuse in American Indian and Alaska Native young populations.

Washington, DC (June 17, 2019) — The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced its 2019 cohort of National Urban Indian Youth Advisory Council Members (Youth Council). The 2019 class of NCUIH Youth Council members include Czarina Campos (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Taylor Francisco (Navajo Nation), Megan McDermott (Descendant Piegan Blackfeet & Plains Cree), Quentin Paulsen (Nima Corporation), and Benjamin Sandecki (Cherokee).

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among AI/AN urban youth and we are proud to have these extraordinary young people leading the charge in working to end this epidemic. The NCUIH Youth Council includes 5 outstanding American Indian and Alaska Native youth who are working at the forefront to advocate for better access to prevention and recovery services to address the challenges facing AI/AN youth living in urban areas,” said NCUIH Executive Director Francys Crevier.

“No one is going to do this work for us, and if we don’t do it now, no one will,” said Adon Vazquez, a 2018 Youth Council Member.

NCUIH’s inaugural Youth Council began serving in 2018 with a goal of connecting urban American Indian and Alaska Native young adults with opportunities to share, learn, and advocate for initiatives to address suicide and substance misuse in their communities while providing a leadership experience to assist and support their professional development. Similarly, the 2019 Youth Council will be working over a 12 month period to promote urban AI/AN youth suicide prevention strategies and raise awareness about substance misuse.

The 2019 Youth Council will be attending a training in Washington, DC in late June.

View the one pager on the Youth Advisory Council.

View the selection criteria for the Youth Council.