Promising Practices And Strategies To Reduce Alcohol And Substance Abuse Among American Indians And Alaska Natives

The DoJ supports the efforts of tribal governments to develop comprehensive strategies to address alcohol and substance abuse and related crime. Such strategies draw people together to act in unison to build a partnership composed of tribal leaders, the tribal court, prosecutors, law enforce. agents, corrections personnel, spiritual leaders and tribal members. The Programs showcased here represent 3 types of initiatives designed to reduce alcohol abuse and increase community safety: efforts that control the availability of alcohol within a tribal jurisdiction; educational and treat. efforts; and efforts that reduce the social and environ. factors that increase the risk of harm to the individual and community.

Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks â€" and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it. Reducing Underage Drinking will serve as both a game plan and a call to arms for anyone with an investment in youth health and safety.

An anthology that critically examines the devastating impact of race, class, and gender on the health and health care of African Americans, Latinos and American Indians, with particular focus on children and adolescents. It includes chapters that focus on issues such as: substance abuse, psychological coping, trauma, infant mortality, and racism.

Substance abuse, mental illness, and violence are a self-perpetuating vicious cycle in many Native American communities. In this book, the authors highlight the importance of eliminating health disparities and increasing the access of Native Americans to critical substance abuse and mental health services. Dedicated educators, researchers, and clinicians in the Native community demonstrate how practitioners can work within both the walls of western medicine and the circles of traditional healers, and promote healing through changes in the way we treat our sick_spiritually, traditionally, ceremonially, and scientifically_whether in rural areas, on reservations, or in cities. They emphasize the importance of non-profit community-based health organizations as nodes for community interaction and sources of mental health services for Native Americans in multi-tribal, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial urban areas. This excellent collection will be invaluable for medical and mental health professionals and the Native health community.