American Indian Life Skills Development
GETTING STARTED:
For more information on the program, visit The Suicide Prevention Center. The manual is available via several online/bookstore options and can also be purchased here.
Mental Health Literacy Component Inventory
Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health: ADDRESSED
Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments: NOT ADDRESSED
Decreasing stigma: ADDRESSED
Understanding how to seek help effectively: ADDRESSED
Learning Standard Inventory
Based on learning standards provided by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Compare & contrast emotional, mental + behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
NO
YES
YES
Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns
YES
Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care
NO
Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
YES
A school-based, culturally sensitive, suicide-prevention program for American Indian adolescents, also known as Zuni Life Skills Development. Themes this program covers 1) building self-esteem, 2) identifying emotions and stress, 3) increasing communication and problem-solving skills, 4) recognizing and eliminating self-destructive behavior, 5) information on suicide, 6) suicide intervention training, and 7) setting personal and community goals. The curriculum also incorporates three domains of well-being that are specific to tribal groups: 1) helping one another, 2) group belonging, and 3) spiritual belief systems and practices. Lessons are interactive and incorporate situations and experiences relevant to AI/AN adolescent life such as friendship issues, rejection, divorce, separation, unemployment, and problems with health and the law.
Materials, Evidence and Implementation
SUPPORT MATERIALS
•Resources/Materials: Manual
•Fidelity Measure: Yes (observation tool)
•Student learning measure: Yes (pre and post knowledge)
- 1 Study (peer-reviewed)
- Quasi-experimental
- 101 freshman and 27 junior students (14-19 yrs old)
- Students exposed to the curriculum scored better than the no-intervention group at posttest on suicide probability and hopelessness. In addition, the intervention group showed greater ability to perform problem-solving and suicide intervention skills in a behavioral assessment.
IMPLEMENTATION
•Program Material Cost: $35/manual
•Modality: Classroom Curriculum
•Setting: Health, language arts, social studies, culture classes
•Grade level(s): High School
•Who delivers the program: Teacher, School Psychologist, Counselor, Prevention/ Interventionist/ Recovery Specialist
•Qualifications/Training needed?: Yes
•Training Description: Highly recommend AILS Key Leader Orientation 3-day training for groups of 20. Cost is $1,800 plus travel expenses of the trainer for the time of training.
•Virtual option?: No
•Length: ~50 lessons, ~40 min each, 3 times per week
GETTING STARTED:
For more information on the program, visit The Suicide Prevention Center. The manual is available via several online/bookstore options and can also be purchased here.
