Creating Partnerships in Identifying Health Needs of Foster Care Indian Youth

描述(申请人提供)：美洲原住民(印第安人)社区的一个主要问题是缺乏适当的心理和身体健康以及其他过渡性支持计划和服务，这些支持计划和服务是美国原住民青年从寄养环境中“老化”出来的。造成这种差距的部分原因是：a)印度社区的领导人对公共卫生和科学工作持怀疑和恐惧态度，因而往往回避参与研究或获得必要的公共卫生服务；b)非印度社会服务机构不愿承认和了解印度青年及其家庭所需的文化差异和独特服务。该项目的最终目标是收集和传播信息，鼓励印度和非印度社区和服务机构共同努力，制定战略，减轻脱离寄养家庭的印度青年经常经历的身心健康负担。通过与美国原住民社区领导人、医疗保健和服务提供者以及寄养青年的焦点小组数据收集方法，该项目的具体目标包括：1)收集关于加利福尼亚州少数几个方案的信息，这些方案对寄养系统之外的美洲原住民青年老龄化的关切做出了有计划的回应，并找出当前或以前的方案努力没有解决的护理障碍；2)提高印第安人社区和非印第安人社会服务机构社区对寄养青年需求的可见度和紧迫性；3)召集能够发挥作用的部落和其他组织，讨论相关问题和通过该项目查明的“最佳做法”和差距。这些努力将有助于加强美洲原住民社区与印第安人和非印第安人医疗保健和服务提供者之间的关系，并提供关键证据，支持和鼓励美洲原住民社区进行进一步的科学探索。此外，预计这项形成性研究的结果以及该项目所产生的合作和关系将导致在县和州一级制定和实施符合文化需要的服务、方案和政策宣传战略，以满足美洲原住民寄养儿童的需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A major concern in Native American (Indian) communities is the lack of access to appropriate mental and physical health and other transitional support programs and services for Native American youth who are "aging out" of the foster care setting. This gap is due in part to a) leaders in the Indian communities having suspicion and fear of public health and scientific efforts, thereby often avoiding participating in research or accessing needed public health services; and b) non-Indian social service agencies' resistance to acknowledging and understanding the cultural differences and unique services needed for Indian youth and their families. The ultimate goal of this project is to gather and disseminate information that will encourage the Indian and non-Indian communities and service agencies to work together to develop strategies to reduce the mental and physical health burden often experienced by Indian youth transitioning out of foster care. Through focus group data collection methods with Native American community leaders, healthcare and service providers, and foster care youth, the specific aims of this project include the following: 1) to collect information about the few programs in California that have responded programmatically to the concern about Native American youth aging out of the foster care system, and to identify barriers to care that have not been addressed by current or previous programmatic efforts; 2) to increase the visibility of and urgency concerning the needs of foster youth among the Indian community and non-Indian social services agencies community; 3) to convene tribes and other organizations that can make a difference to discuss the associated problems and "best practices" and gaps that have been identified through this project. These efforts will serve to enhance relations between the Native American community and both Indian and non-Indian healthcare and service providers, as well as provide key evidence that should support and encourage further scientific explorations among the Native American community. Further, it is expected that the findings from this formative research and the collaborations and relations resulting from this project will lead to the development and implementation of culturally appropriate services, programs and policy advocacy strategies at the county and state levels that will address the needs of native American foster children.