An opioid and substance use disorder needs assessment study for American Indian and Alaska Native youth in California.

Objective: American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth demonstrate significant substance use and mental health disparities and represent a highly underserved population with regard to effective services. A community-based needs assessment study of urban and rural AIAN youth throughout California was conducted to inform the development of community-based, culturally relevant opioid and substance use services. This study examined AIAN youth experiences with opioid and other substance use disorders (OUD/SUD) in their communities, utilization of existing programs, and service system recommendations. Method: Fifteen focus groups were conducted in partnership with urban and rural/reservation health programs, and AIAN serving community-based organizations throughout California with youth ranging from 13 to 18 years of age. Focus groups were recorded and professionally transcribed, then coded using NVivo qualitative data analysis software. An a priori coding structure was refined through a data-informed, iterative process until a final coding structure was agreed upon to characterize data. Results: Findings demonstrate the need for OUD/SUD services that integrate cultural beliefs and practices, incorporate attention to family and community risk and resiliency factors, provide effective outreach and education, and focus on the development of holistic wellness and positive development for AIAN youth. This study also provides a model for conducting a needs assessment using community-based participatory methods to inform effective service development that more directly responds to community-identified needs. Conclusion: Findings indicate that future services and interventions should incorporate a focus on promoting overall wellness and positive youth development in order to prevent or promote recovery from opioid or other substance abuse. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Statewide collaborative partnerships among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in California to target the opioid epidemic: Preliminary results of the Tribal Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) key informant needs assessment.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have disproportionately been impacted by the opioid epidemic with the second highest opioid-related overdose death rates compared to other ethnic groups. The diversity among California AI/AN tribes, including regional differences in economic opportunities, tribal affiliation and organization, resources and infrastructure, requires a strong community-based partnership approach to assess global statewide patterns in service availability, acceptability, and utilization, as well as capturing the unique challenges and service needs within each region. This article describes a statewide community-based needs assessment of strengths and weakness among key informants in CA to identify facilitators and barriers to treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and opioid use disorders (OUD). We conducted structured interviews of 21 healthcare professionals from Urban Indian Health Programs, Tribal clinics and community-based organizations throughout California. The interview assessed (1) barriers to accessing services; (2) risk factors; (3) protective factors; (4) community substance use description; (5) SUD and OUD services available; and (6) service system needs. Findings indicate an overall increase in SUD and OUD in AI/AN communities. Key informants discussed the importance of comprehensive and culturally centered care, wrap-around services, such as treatment of mental health issues alongside substance abuse, and the need for AI/AN-specific treatment facilities that integrate traditional and cultural activities into western health services.