Tribes and other Tribal public health authorities have faced difficulties in receiving real time infectious disease case reports from outside entities. Such delays affect how quickly a Tribe can respond and ensure a swift investigation in their communities. As sovereign governments, Tribal nations have inherent public health authority which bestows upon them the legal authority to receive case reports on conditions of interest to them. Electronic case reporting (eCR) is the automated, real-time exchange of case report information between electronic health records (EHRs) and public health agencies. Learn more about eCR and the benefits here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is offering a funding opportunity to eligible applicants with public health authority (Tribal Nations, Tribal Organizations, Tribal Consortia, Tribal Epidemiology Centers) to begin the implementation process of eCR directly to the Tribal public health authority. NIHB anticipates funding two high-quality proposals from Tribes or Tribal organizations for up to $350,000 each.

Access the Pre-application Webinar Recording and Slides

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is accepting applications from Tribal infection control professionals and frontline healthcare workers interested in serving on the Tribal Infection Control (TIC) Steering Committee. The TIC Steering Committee will support NIHB’s Project Firstline collaborative by reviewing and advising on infection control materials for Tribal health systems across the country, developed by NIHB. The steering committee has an important role in developing and implementing infection control projects as they provide feedback and recommendations based on their experience and expertise in infection control.

Contact Carmen Sanders, Project Coordinator, Public Health Policy and Programs at [email protected] with any questions

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to provide the opportunity to assist Tribal Infection Control Officers and Health Officials with completing courses to expand their knowledge of infection control and improve their ability to prevent infections in Tribal communities. NIHB has a scholarship opportunity available for Tribal infection control professionals and healthcare workers to complete online infection control training courses. Scholarship funds can be used for:

View the application here

For additional information, visit NIHB Project Firstline, or contact Carmen Sanders, Project Coordinator, Public Health Policy and Programs at [email protected] with any questions

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) recently announced a new round of funding for Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country (TPWIC). TPWIC began in 2018 and has funded over 30 Tribes and Urban Indian Health Centers. The current opportunity is again offering up to $150,000 per award to Tribes and Urban Indian Health Organizations. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to improve cultural connectedness among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). This funding opportunity offers support for the implementation of tribal practices and cultural traditions to build resiliency and connections to community and culture to improve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellbeing.

The funding award is designed to support the following strategies:

Click here to apply.

For questions, please contact Kelly Bishop at [email protected].

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services shared is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) Health Equity Workgroup (HEW). The purpose of the ACD is to advise the Secretary, HHS, and the Director, CDC, on policy and broad strategies that will enable CDC to fulfill its mission of protecting health through health promotion, prevention, and preparedness. The HEW will consist of approximately 15 members who are experts in fields associated with health equity; public health science and practice; public health policy development, analysis, and implementation. The CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky encouraged nominations to represent the Tribal perspective during the HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Please see the March 7, 2022 Federal Register notice regarding this opportunity for more details.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is accepting applications for up to six (6) Tribal Infectious Disease Planning and Response Steering Committee members to support the optimal health of all American Indian and Alaska Native peoples by developing recommendations for surveillance and prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Steering Committee objectives include:

The committee provides education, training, and guidance to Tribal health and public health professionals to strengthen Tribes and Tribal organizations' capacity to address outbreaks and input in developing, adapting, and reviewing video and print materials to improve the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Committee members will receive a $1,500 stipend for their time and service on the committee.

The application deadline is Friday, March 25, 2022, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. To download the application and read the full description, click here. For more information, contact Audrianna Marzette at [email protected].

Download the application here.

In case you missed it! Recordings from the first two FY22 AmeriCorps State and National Tribal Notice of Funding Opportunity webinars are now available online. Tribes are eligible and encouraged to apply for funding.

Some of the funding opportunity priorities include:

For questions, contact [email protected].

View the recordings here. 

 

Tribal Leaders are invited to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Virtual Tribal Consultation on Substance Use Disorder Patient Records, 42 CFR Part 2.

For more information, comments, or concerns, please email [email protected], or you may contact the Director for the Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy, CAPT Karen Hearod, at 202-868-9931. 

Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health recently launched the +Connection is Medicine (+CiM) project that is aimed at supporting Diné and Apache families who are struggling with mental health due to ongoing stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and returning to in-person learning. The study will leverage evidence-based tools, including developing individualized based coping plans and facilitating connections to care through case management. The study is being initiated in response to ongoing feedback from the Project SafeSchools Community Advisory Board and other community stakeholders who have raised concerns about mental distress in the community due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study will recruit from participants already enrolled in Project SafeSchools and who have elevated symptoms of mental distress.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will be hosting a FREE webinar focused on long COVID-19 titled “Long COVID-19 Effects and Recovery: Information for Indian Country”. Dr. Allison Kelliher, Director of the Practice-based research network (PBRN), known as the American Indian Collaborative Research Network (AICoRN) will present on data around possible treatments, what we have left to discover and ongoing efforts to explore this, and a general approach to healing from chronic viruses from a holistic perspective. Tribal public health/health professionals, Tribal leaders, community members, and Tribal Nations are encouraged to join the webinar.

For questions, contact Moones Akbaran, Project Coordinator, Public Health Policy and Programs, at [email protected]. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division is hosting informational webinars for leaders in states, local communities, Tribes and territories, private non-profit organizations, and individuals. The webinars will provide an overview of the individual grant programs, available funding, relevant application process, and deadlines for submitting a successful Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) application. Registration is capped at 1,000 for each event. The webinars will be recorded and made available on FEMA.gov at a later date.

Join National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline (PFL) partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for an event to celebrate all healthcare workers! Tribal healthcare workers and infection prevention professionals don’t want to miss this event where they will hear directly from CDC leadership, including:

The CDC Project Firstline team will also present their new infection control training resources including videos, toolkits, infographics and more! 

Join the National Indian Health Board and the Public Health Foundation for a virtual Tribal Accreditation Learning Community (TALC) on the revised Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies). The Core Competencies provide a framework for workforce development planning and action, and can serve as a starting point for public health professionals and organizations working to better understand and meet workforce development needs. These actions are essential in ensuring Tribal public health departments have competent and skilled staff to provide services to Tribal citizens.

During our TALC, an overview of the revisions to the Core Competencies will be provided and participants will have a chance to engage with fellow Tribal health professionals and the Public Health Foundation. Read more here.

Physicians, nurses, health educators, administrators, and support staff working with American Indian and/or Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities are invited to join this webinar hosted by the National Native Network.

This conference, cohosted by the University of Minnesota and American Indian Cancer Foundation, will address the traditional uses of tobacco and commercial tobacco impact in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities across the U.S. A disparate proportion of AI/AN communities use commercial tobacco compared to other racial/ethnic groups. High prevalences of commercial tobacco use among AI/AN Tribes are directly reflected in the disproportionate rates of chronic diseases in AI/AN populations.

United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), Inc. is now hosting Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance, a Tribal Behavioral Health ECHO series. Native Psychological Brilliance refers to the intelligence, strengths, balance, innate resources, and resilience of Native people. Each session will be one hour in length that will provide an opportunity for participants to:

Learn more about the Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance series here.

Register for future Webinars

Save the Date! 2^nd National Conference on AI/AN Injury and Violence Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) are hosting the 2^nd National Conference on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Injury and Violence Prevention. The virtual conference will highlight sessions on important topics for Tribal injury and violence prevention, including but not limited to suicide prevention, Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), Indigenous evaluation methods, and health equity.