The application seeks renewed funding for Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Disparities (CAIANHD; P60 MD000507) under RFA MD-11-003, NIMHD Comprehensive Centers of Excellence (P60). During this third cycle of support, we will seek to address the health impacts that high rates of psychological trauma have on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. In the Research Core, we develop a conceptual framework to guide this work; we then propose 2 Research Projects that will develop methods for detection and brief interventions in primary care settings (RPl) and develop innovative treatment methods (RP2). Both Research Projects will be conducted, in parallel, in 2 of the largest AI/AN health systems in the country-the Cherokee Nation Health Services in OK and the South-central Foundation in AK. In our Research Training/Education Core, we continue and extend our focus on the training of AI/AN health scientists and practitioners at 2 critical points in the pipeline: college students at Tribal Colleges and Universities (with initial collaboration with Dine and Oglala Lakota Colleges) and postdoctoral research scholars. Our Community Engagement/Outreach Core proposes 3 innovative and integrated activities: 1) providing seed monies for community research conferences; 2) capacity-building at these conferences, for community members to learn about and use community readiness assessment tools; and 3) training select community advocates in Digital Storytelling and associated technologies in order to energize public health efforts in their communities. These activities will take place in the Navajo and Oglala Sioux Nations and in Anchorage, AK with the South-central Foundation. Finally, the Administrative Core will provide the critical logistical support necessary to complete our goals as efficiently and effectively as possible. Throughout, the extent and effects of psychological trauma on health-both physical and mental-will be a consistent theme. This work not only brings attention to this serious source of health disparities but also develops the tools-within the research, training, and community realms-to address the consequences of trauma exposure We have assembled a unique, interdisciplinary cadre of health scientists, many Native, from our existing collaborative network to address CAIANHD's aims. This renewal application builds on our work by pursuing insights about the centrality of psychological trauma on health disparities, by enhancing innovative outreach and training efforts, and by broadening institutional collaborations-all committed to bettering the health of this country's Native peoples.

P60MD000507

2003-09-30

2017-09-21