Weekly News, Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Events in Indian Country

July 30, 2020

NIHB Joins NCAI and Tribal Organizations to Send Tribal Priorities to Congressional Leadership for Upcoming COVID-19 Relief Package

On July 20, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and a consortium of national and regional Tribal and Native organizations sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker of the House Pelosi, Senator Minority Leader Schumer, and House Minority Leader McCarthy outlining Tribal priorities to Congress for the upcoming and likely final COVID-19 pandemic relief package before the November election. The letter encompasses a broad scope of Tribal priorities including health, education, housing, public safety, Tribal governance, and economies. Read the full list of priorities here.

Report from the Presidential Task Force on Protecting Native American Children in the Indian Health Service System



The Presidential Task Force on Protecting Native American Children in the Indian Health Service System (IHS) has released a report with their findings and recommendations. Read more here.

Infection Prevention & Control: Project Firstline Survey

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on an infection prevention and control (IPC) training initiative for frontline Tribal healthcare facility personnel. In order for this initiative to be as responsive to the needs of Tribal healthcare workers and the Tribal health system as possible, we are asking frontline Tribal healthcare personnel to complete this 10-minute survey on infection prevention and control training interests, needs, and preferences. Responses will be used to inform decisions on the development and delivery of training and capacity building efforts to ensure it best meets the needs of you and your colleagues. Complete the survey here!

Funding Opportunity: Supporting Tribes to Increase Commercial Tobacco Cessation

Applications due Friday, August 28, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce  Supporting Tribes to Increase Commercial Tobacco Cessation , a funding opportunity for Tribal governments, Tribal health departments, and Tribal health care facilities/health systems seeking to implement projects to increase commercial tobacco cessation, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) cessation and ‘quit smoking’ attempts by promoting evidence-based services and activities, and/or adapting evidence-based health systems changes.  Read more here.

Funding Opportunity: Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment

Applications accepted on a rolling basis until filled. Opportunity closes September 14, 2020.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment made possible through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The funding will provide an opportunity to increase the level of programming, research, policy development, coordination, and/or communication between Tribal programs, leadership, community, and key partners involved in addressing the health consequences of the opioid epidemic. Read more here.

Call for Tribal COVID-19 Resources

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking to create a pool of resources which Tribes can access when planning or implementing their own COVID-19 response.  To this end, NIHB is asking Tribes to share with us any tools, operational plans, guides, policies, communication products, etc. that has helped your Tribe combat this pandemic.  The materials can be de-identified, if needed. These resources will be placed online within NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Response Center alongside other community health materials. We hope this aids Tribes to build on successes and support each other in the collective effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Indian Country. 



To submit any materials or resources, please email Courtney Wheeler ([email protected]). If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Wheeler. 

Free Service to Meet Tribal Health Agency COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training Needs

Tribal health agencies can now receive a customized package of online training for their COVID-19 contact tracers. This is a free service offered by the Public Health Foundation through the TRAIN Learning Network.  Read more here.

“Preparing for the Regional Health Impacts of Climate Change in the United States” Document from CDC

Each region of the United States experiences climate change and its impacts on health differently. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new document “Preparing for the Regional Health Impacts of Climate Change in the United States” describes the various health impacts climate change will have on different regions of the United States, actions taken by the CDC Climate and Health Program’s health department partners to prepare for and respond to climate change in their communities, and relevant tools and resources. Read more here.

New COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Contact

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

COVID-19 Event: IHS COVID-19 Response Webinar Series: The Necessity of Behavioral Health Integration During and Following a Pandemic

Today! Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

The stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to an increase in Primary Care Clinic patients reporting behavioral health problems (depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, etc.). It is critical that behavioral health providers and primary care providers work together to develop Primary Care Clinic protocols to manage patient concerns. This presentation will provide behavioral health integration strategies to address these issues. Read more here.

COVID-19 Event: IHS COVID-19 TeleECHO Session

Today! Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

The ECHO Institute and the Indian Health Service (IHS) launched weekly COVID-19 Clinical Readiness and Patient Care ECHO sessions on March 17, 2020 in response to the pandemic in Indian Country. These sessions convene IHS and Tribal providers from around the U.S. During this session, speakers will discuss IHS clinical readiness and patient care. Register here .

NIHB Webinar: Health Insurance Enrollment During COVID-19

Today! Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is hosting a webinar on Health Insurance Enrollment During COVID-19 on Thursday, July 30 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern Time. This webinar is for enrollment assisters, patient registration and benefits coordinators.



The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made it critical for enrollment assisters across Indian Country to stay informed on the special protections and benefits that health insurance coverage offers to the safety of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The webinar is intended to help educate enrollment assisters about available health insurance coverage options, benefits and special federal protections exclusively for AI/ANs. The webinar will cover Special Enrollment Period eligibility for AI/ANs who have experienced lifetime events, such as losing a job or having a baby. Webinar participants will hear from BeWellNM and an Indian Health Service Patient Benefits Coordinator about their outreach and education strategies. Register here.

Novitas Tribal and Urban Indian Health Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC) Webinars 

Novitas Solutions will conduct two FQHC webinars on August 5, 2020:

These webinars are for Free-standing Tribal and Urban Indian Clinics who wish to become a FQHC or for FQHCs who are enrolled and need a refresher on FQHC billing and reporting. Topics discussed in the webinars include FQHC requirements and enrollment, FQHC PPS reimbursement, FQHC billing, and credit balance reporting overview. Attendees are required to have a Novitas Learning Account. If you do not have an account, please follow the guidelines under IHS for setting up an account located at the top of the page. Register for the events here.

Indian Health Service (IHS) Suicide Prevention Webinar Series:

Chapter 34 Suicide Prevention and Care Policy

Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

This webinar will present the Indian Health Service (IHS) Indian Health Manual Chapter 34 Suicide Prevention and Care Policy, which establishes uniform clinical practice guidelines for treating patients at risk for suicide who receive services at IHS facilities. The presenter will review practice guidelines for: screening, suicide risk assessment, identifying levels of suicide risk, discharge planning, safety planning, and suicide surveillance. Read more here.

Suicide Screening: Evidence, Clinical Pathways and Treatment Priorities

Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

This presentation will provide a thorough, in depth review of current evidence-based suicide screening tools. The presenter will also provide education on evidence for various suicide screening tools, the appropriate clinical pathways and treatment priorities for patients identified at risk for suicide.  The presenter will discuss American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultural considerations and strategies. Read more here.

Indian Health Service Grief and Loss Webinar Series:

Complicated Grief

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something important. Everyone grieves differently. Development, culture, family, and other factors strongly influence how people experience, mourn, cope with, and heal from loss. This webinar will review the diagnostic criteria for complicated grief (formally known in the DSM-5 as Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder) as well as guidelines for the differential diagnosis of normal grief, loss-related depression and/or trauma (including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). Using case examples, the presenter will illustrate how to employ guidelines to determine if time-effective complicated grief therapy is clinically indicated and the importance of using a warm handoff to make appropriate referrals. Read more here.

Complicated Grief Treatment

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

This webinar will discuss Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT), which is a time-limited psychotherapy model designed to address the symptoms of complicated grief. CGT is rooted in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The presenter will provide an overview of CGT, including the treatment protocol, recommended number of sessions, and other critical aspects of this psychotherapy approach. Participants will learn intervention strategies and techniques based in CGT. Read more here.

9th Annual National Native Harm Reduction Summit

Tuesday - Thursday, September 22-24, 2020

The Native Harm Reduction Summit provides an opportunity for health care, chemical health, social service providers, and community members to focus on the intersectionality of health equity and social justice related to Hepatitis C, HIV, and drug use in Tribal and rural communities. Read more here.