Rosebud Youth Suicide Prevention Center gets $476,000
November 1st, 2009 | Published in Culture, Education, Social Issues | Comments (0)
Story Published: Oct 21, 2009, in Indian Country Today
According to the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] the suicide rate among American Indians and Alaskan Natives was higher than the overall suicide rate in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among the children and the youth of these tribes, the ages ranging from 10-34.
The article discusses the decision made by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA] to give the Rosebud Sioux Tribe $476,000 to help support their Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center [WWHHC]. The money will be used towards prevention and counseling services for children, youths, and their families on the reservation. This is wonderful news, and the hope is that we continue to pay attention to our young people everywhere.
To learn more about Suicide Prevention Resource Center [SPRC]
For more information and lesson plans for the Sioux
The following are suggestions for Exercises based on this article :
In groups, have students look for any new vocabulary words and discuss the meanings.
Then have students read the article, and answer the following questions:
Questions for Reading Comprehension:
1. Where is the money for the WWHHC coming from?
2. For what purpose is the money going to be used?
3. Which tribe is going to receive the funds?
Questions for Discussion and Reflection:
1. What are some of the the causes for youth suicide?
2. In your country, is there a high suicide rate among children and youths? If so, what are some of the problems facing the youth in your culture?
3. Discuss some of the solutions the people in your country apply to help with this problem.
Writing Assignments
1. Have students read about one of the organizations mentioned, and write an essay about the functions of the programs.
2. Have each group choose an organization, write a brief summary and share the results with the rest of the class.
3. Have students write about the problem of youth suicide in their country, including the reasons why this problem exists (or not). Also have them discuss some solutions.
