The proposed project will build capacity by training community members within seven tribal nations to use an innovative, culturally appropriate community-based mental health first response system. While completing our NARCH VIII program activities, we developed academic/community partnerships within these tribal communities, and we learned about each community?sexistingresourcesandinfrastructure.Wewillleveragethesepartnershipsandapply thisknowledgetocompletetheNARCHXCapacityBuildingactivities.Morespecifically,wewill seedtheseventribeswithindividualswhoareequippedtohelpexperiencingmentalhealthcrises, particularly youth in recovery from substance use disorders. Early Capacity Building Core activitieswillincludeassistingwiththedevelopmentofthecoreFirstFacemodulesandtraining Healing Lodge research staff to conduct research activities. Later, working alongside tribal Working Groups, we will expand First Face by developing additional modules, including tribe- specific modules;? revise the First Face curriculum in response to feedback from trained communitymembers;?continuetobuildresearchcapacity;?anddevelopenduringandformalized First Face training materials. During the final year of the project, we will train hundreds of tribal communitymembersintheFirstFaceprogramandlaythefoundationforaself-sustainingFirst Face training center at the Healing Lodge, complete with a First Face ?Train-the-Trainers? programthattheHealingLodgecanoffertointerestedtribesandindividuals.Insum,wewillbuild capacityfortribalcommunitiestolearnandapplytheFirstFaceprogram,thussparkingamental healthculturechangeacrossthesecommunities.
