§1665i Training and Community Education

Summary

The Secretary must work with the Secretary of the Interior to create—or help tribes create—local community education programs in every Service unit or tribal program. These programs must give short, timely information to tribal leaders and teach about behavioral health to political leaders, tribal judges, law enforcement, tribal health and education boards, health care providers (including traditional healers), and other important community members. The programs can also offer local training to build skills and to train tribal providers in prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare. Through the Service, the Secretary must train the right Bureau of Indian Affairs and Service employees and staff in schools or programs run under contract with them—including supervisors of emergency shelters and halfway houses—on behavioral health topics like crisis intervention, family relations tied to alcohol or drug abuse, child sexual abuse, youth substance abuse, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The Secretary must work with tribes and Indian behavioral health and prevention experts to make community-based training models that cover higher risk for children of alcoholics, cultural/spiritual and cross-generation issues in prevention and recovery, and community-based, team approaches to prevent and treat behavioral health problems.