PRESS RELEASE: NCUIH Releases Financing Toolkit for Providers to Address Behavioral Health Disparities in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 9, 2024) – The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) has released a new resource to combat the significant mental health challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The toolkit, Investing in Wellness: Financing Strategies for Behavioral Health in Indian Country, developed in response to the alarming statistic that 19 percent of AI/AN individuals reported experiencing a mental illness in the past year, seeks to provide sustainable funding solutions and resources to enhance behavioral health care access in Indian Country.

The toolkit comes at a time when behavioral health issues among AI/AN communities have not received equal policy attention or funding. Existing funding models often rely on short-term grants that inadequately address the persistent and complex needs of these communities. “The Investing in Wellness toolkit is essential for bridging the funding gap in behavioral health services,” said NCIUH CEO Francys Crevier, J.D. (Algonquin). “We aim to equip leaders with practical financing strategies tailored specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native health care systems, ultimately improving access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services. By focusing on the patient journey and incorporating traditional healing practices into behavioral health programming, the toolkit aligns with the growing advocacy for holistic approaches in treatment.”

Key strategies outlined in the toolkit include:

  • Enhancing Behavioral Health Care Access Through Optimizing Medicaid Reimbursement
  • Traditional Healing as a Financially Sustainable Strategy for Improving Behavioral Health
  • Cultivating Funding Opportunities for Behavioral Health Programming
  • Investing in Prevention, Crisis Care, and Integrated Services
  • Strategies to Build, Expand, and Sustain Behavioral Health

The development of this toolkit was guided by a community-based participatory approach, ensuring that the needs and voices of AI/AN communities were central to its creation. “Culturally sensitive care is an important part of any treatment regimen. The Investing in Wellness toolkit notably supports traditional healing practices, such as therapeutic talking circles and natural remedies, as proven ways to support person-centered health and wellness,” said Alaina McBournie, senior manager for the substance use prevention and treatment initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “Pew is proud to partner with NCUIH to help expand access to lifesaving services for American Indian and Alaska Native people.”

View Toolkit

About NCUIH

The National Council of Urban Indian Health is a national non-profit organization devoted to the support and development of quality, accessible, and culturally competent health and public health services for American Indian and Alaska Native people living in urban areas. NCUIH advocates for the 41 Title V Urban Indian Organizations under the Indian Health Service in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

NCUIH respects and supports Tribal sovereignty and the unique government-to-government relationship between our Tribal Nations and the United States. NCUIH works to support those federal laws, policies, and procedures that respect and uplift Tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship. NCUIH does not support any federal law, policy, or procedure that infringes upon or in any way diminishes Tribal sovereignty or the government-to-government relationship.

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NCUIH Contact: Meredith Raimondi, Vice President of Policy and Communications, mraimondi@ncuih.org, 202-417-7781

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NCUIH Supports Native Community and Voter Engagement at Native Health’s National Voter Registration Day Event in Phoenix

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On September 19, 2024, Native Health in Pheonix, Arizona hosted Frybread for the Future Fest, an event focused on building community and registering Arizona residents to vote. Over 500 people were in attendance and approximately 30 eligible voters registered to vote. During the event, which was hosted at the site of the former Phoenix Indian Boarding School, participants were able to check their voter registration, browse an Indigenous Market, speak with staff from Native Health and Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, get free Native Vote swag, and enjoy homemade frybread and ice cream. The event also had traditional performances by local Tribal members. Native Health hosts hundreds of similar events each year, which play an important role in building community and provide a space for community members to stay connected to traditional cultural practices.

NCUIH staff, Chelsea Guitierrez and Emily Larsen

NCUIH staff, Chelsea Guitierrez and Emily Larsen, provided support for the event, assisting in set-up, handing out t-shirts, and clean up.

Native Health Designated as First IHS Voter Registration Site

On March 5, 2023, President Biden announced agency actions to make the voting process more accessible in alignment with recommendations made by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). This included a new initiative at the Indian Health Service (IHS) piloting “high-quality voter registration services across five different IHS facilities before the end of 2023”. The first facility to be announced under this pilot program was Native Health.

NCUIH Advocacy on Voting Efforts

In partnership with the National Urban Indian Family Council (NUIFC), NCUIH has been working with UIOs, like Native Health, to Get Out The Vote and increase Native voter participation in the 2024 election cycle. Voter information, including a social media toolkit can be found here.

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NCUIH Requests IHS Support All Facility Types and Integrate Social Services into the New IHS Electronic Health Record System

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On September 6, 2024, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) submitted written comments to the Indian Health Service (IHS) Director, Roselyn Tso, regarding the IHS’ January 18, 2024, Dear Tribal Leader and Urban Indian Organization Leader letter (DTLL/DULL) about the August 8, 2024, joint Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer (TC/UC) session on Health Information Technology (HIT) Modernization: Multi-Tenant Domain Considerations. In its comments, NCUIH requested that IHS support all facility types to address inefficiencies during the implementation process and ensure social services are integrated into IHS’ new electronic health record (EHR) system.

Background on IHS HIT Modernization

During the November 8, 2023, TC/UC on HIT Modernization, IHS announced that it selected General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT) to build, configure, and maintain a new IHS enterprise EHR system utilizing Oracle Cerner technology. The new EHR, named Patients at the Heart (PATH), will replace the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS).

For more information about HIT Modernization implementation, please click here.

NCUIH’s Requests

In its comments following the TC/UC, NCUIH recommended:

  • IHS should increase the value proposition for urban Indian organizations (UIOs) to participate in the PATH EHR:
    • Integrate social services into the PATH EHR
    • Support the unique interoperability needs of UIOs
    • Ensure security of patient health information
  • IHS should address the following challenges and risks that UIOs may face when transitioning from their current EHRs to the shared PATH EHR:
    • Lack of support for all UIO facility types
    • Failure to be included in pilot site and implementation cohort selection

NCUIH Advocacy on HIT Modernization

NCUIH has previously submitted several comments to IHS on HIT Modernization:

NCUIH also submitted written testimony  to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies regarding the Fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding for UIOs in which NCUIH requested increased funding for EHR Modernization. Specifically, NCUIH requested support for the IHS’ transition to a new EHR system for IHS and UIOs by supporting the President’s budget request of $913 million in FY 2024 appropriations.

NCUIH will continue to closely follow IHS’s progress and policies with HIT Modernization.

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