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Seven Directions provides free technical assistance (TA) to Indigenous-focused organizations working to address opioid and substance use, and other preventable issues, in their communities. We support a wide range of organizations, including Tribal health programs, Urban Indian organizations, Tribal colleges, and more.
Opioid Overdose Prevention in Tribes: Technical Assistance through Public Health Institutes project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): This project seeks to support 25 tribal community grantees addressing opioid overdoses by: (1) Strengthening epidemiologic surveillance and public health data infrastructure, (2) Increasing implementation of evidence-based health interventions in health systems, and (3) Highlighting effective current opioid overdose prevention activities.
This CDC cooperative agreement with the Cherokee Nation supported a community of practice, strategic planning with Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and accreditation work with Choctaw Nation and Chickasaw Nation. Seven Directions produced "Becoming Butterfly Performance Management," "Becoming Butterfly Indigenous Health Governance," "Choctaw Nation Community Health Assessment," and the "Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Tribal Epidemiology Center Capacity Development Plan 2020 - 2023."
The goal of the STARS in Public Health Project (ended in 2018) was to increase capacity at Native American health systems: Six tribal grantees underwent self-assessment of their readiness for formal public health accreditation, and identified the prerequisite systems and evaluation structures that need to be in place.
In the fall of 2018, Seven Directions’ Our Nations, Our Journeys Indigenous Public Health Forum focused on health system transformation, specifically looking at ways to bridge public health and health care services. Interactive sessions and discussions led to the development of a ‘roadmap’ highlighting ideas generated at the forum and in the field.
Our Nations, Our Journeys Indigenous Public Health Forum is a biennial gathering that celebrates indigenous achievements and innovations in public health practice. By honoring diversity and unique pathways to wellness, this event is an opportunity for tribal and urban Indian public health leaders and professionals to participate in a community of practice focused on one common goal: healthy Native communities.
Our 2023 ONOJ focused on decolonizing data and opioid overdose prevention approaches developed and implemented within tribal and urban Indian communities. We look forward to sharing highlights of these discussions throughout 2024. See you in 2025 for the next ONOJ!
From 2021-2022, Seven Directions provided technical assistance through the Strengthening Public Health & Regenerative Knowledge Exchange (SPHRKE) program, creating space to share resources and discussion on a range of public health practices, such as tribal public health accreditation, "Becoming Butterfly" Indigenous performance management systems, etc. In 2023, Seven Directions, in collaboration with NNPHI, developed and facilitated a public health ECHO series titled "Today for you, Tomorrow for me: Reciprocity, Relationship building, and Equity in our Public Health Practice". The 3 sessions topics were relationship building, communications, and sustaining connections.
Project funded by the CDC. This project will seek to tap into Indigenous knowledge of the social determinants of health through a comprehensive environmental scan, creating a framework and community of practice that honors wellness traditions in tribal and urban Indian communities.
This CDC-funded project culminated in the Indigenous Social Determinants of Health curriculum, available here. This free resource includes powerpoint slides, a training script, and worksheets for tribal and urban Indian teams interested in exploring the social determinants of health specific to their community. For more information, please contact Dr. Christina Ore.
This needs assessment study surveyed healthcare providers and administrators at 27 Indian Health Services and tribal out-patient clinics identifying common problems and best practices. The results of the study will inform the CDC on how to increase uptake of STEADI implementation in tribal clinical settings.