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Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention (SASP)

In September 2009, the Indian Health Service (IHS) launched the Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI), a national pilot demonstration project aimed at tackling two critical public health issues in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities: methamphetamine use and suicide. The six-year project proved highly successful, leading IHS to initiate a new cycle of MSPI funding in September 2015.

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The initiative established key goals for grantees, including:

  • Building capacity among Tribes, Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHPs), and federal agencies to deliver effective prevention, treatment, and aftercare for methamphetamine use, as well as suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention services through comprehensive needs assessments and strategic planning.
  • Enhancing data sharing systems among Tribal, UIHP, and federal behavioral health providers to demonstrate program effectiveness and impact.
  • Developing culturally relevant strategies to address methamphetamine use through prevention, treatment, and aftercare tailored to AI/AN communities.
  • Increasing education for providers and communities on suicide and methamphetamine use through targeted training programs.
  • Promoting youth development and family engagement by implementing early intervention strategies to mitigate risk factors for suicidal behavior and substance abuse.

To achieve the goals, the MSPI outlined four purpose areas:

  • Community and Organizational Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning
  • Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention
  • Methamphetamine Prevention, Treatment, and Aftercare
  • Generation Indigenous Initiative Support

By focusing on these areas, MSPI (now SASP) continues to empower AI/AN communities to address these critical issues with culturally grounded, evidence-based approaches.

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