Resources for Youth

Caring Messages: Sometimes all it takes is a thoughtful text to brighten your day and shift your perspective. To receive two texts per week with messages designed to improve your mood and remind you how awesome you are, simply text:

  • “CARING’’ to 65664 (youth 13-24), or
  • “COLLEGE” to 65664  (for college students)

The Caring Messages were developed and administered by THRIVE, the suicide prevention project at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.

In crisis? It’s okay to reach out for help. Text the word “NATIVE” to 741-741 and you’ll be connected with a trained crisis counselor. From stress or anxiety to trauma or grief – they’re trained to listen. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Websites for Youth

Resources for Two Spirit and LGBTQ Youth

  • Celebrating Our Magic Toolkit is a culturally-specific resource for AI/AN communities and aims to provide resources for transgender and Two-Spirit youth, their relatives, and their healthcare providers. Check out the Youth Section of the guide.
  • The NPAIHB has a Two Spirit and LGBTQ Health page that contains resources for youth, clinic providers, and allies.
  • Text LGBTQ2S to 94449 to receive resources via text message.
  • Sassy Sassafrass: A Two Spirit ebook in English or in Spanish
  • Sassy Sassafrass: A Two Spirit Coloring Book
  • Zine: “Stewarding Relationships: An Exploration Rooted in Gender Fluid Ancestral Knowledge Systems
  • Order Indigenizing Love by the Western States Center.
  • Video 1 | Identity – Dr. Itai Jeffries (Occaneechi) of the Paths Remembered Two Spirit Project, digs into sexual and gender identity.
  • Video 2 | Internal & External Identity – Dr. Itai Jeffries (Occaneechi) of the Paths Remembered Two Spirit Project, talks about the important role that our internal and external identities play into how we are perceived and what happens when those identities do not match.
  • Video 3 | Terms for Sexual and Gender Identity – Dr. Itai Jeffries (Occaneechi) of the Paths Remembered Two Spirit Project, explains the terminology used for sexual and gender identity.
  • Video 4 | Ways to Support People’s Identities – Dr. Itai Jeffries (Occaneechi) of the Paths Remembered Two Spirit Project, shares ways you can support people’s identities, including their sexual and gender identity.
  • Gender-Pronouns 101
  • 2SLGBTQ Resource Sheet
  • 2SLGBTQ Community Readiness Survey A tool to successfully integrate the voice, expertise, and resources from all community members to improve the health and well-being of our 2SLGBTQ youth.

Websites for Educators

Journal Publications on AI/AN Adolescent Health

The Healthy Native Youth collective has numerous publications demonstrating evidence of effectiveness for curricula, interventions and social marketing campaigns. These publications may be useful as background, scientific review or as citations as you develop youth programs.

  1. Barriers, frameworks, and mitigating strategies influencing the dissemination and implementation of health promotion interventions in indigenous communities: a scoping review. Implementation Sci 17, 18 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-022-01190-y
  2. Assessment of the Reach, Usability, and Perceived Impact of “Talking Is Power”: A Parental Sexual Health Text-Messaging Service and Web-Based Resource to Empower Sensitive Conversations with American Indian and Alaska Native Teens. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9126. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179126
  3. Use of Media Technologies by Native American Teens and Young Adults in the Pacific Northwest: Exploring Their Utility for Designing Culturally Appropriate Technology-Based Health Interventions: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-011-0242-z
  4. Tribal recommendations for designing culturally appropriate technology-based sexual health interventions targeting Native youth in the Pacific Northwest.  American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 19(1), 76-101. doi: 10.5820/aian.1901.2012.76
  5. People Care: Recommendations from Native Youth to Address Concerning Mental Health Displays on Social Media. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.10.128
  6. Comprehensive Approaches to Using Technology to Address Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69638-6_19
  7. Texting 4 Sexual Health: Improving Attitudes, Intention, and Behavior Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth. doi: 10.1177/1524839918761872
  8. We R Native: Harnessing Technology to Improve Health Outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth, DOI: 1016/j.jadohealth.2017.11.168
  9. Healthy Native Youth: Improving Access to Effective, Culturally-Relevant Sexual Health Curricula. Frontiers in Public Health doi: 3389/fpubh.2018.00225
  10. Assessing the Usability, Appeal, and Impact of a Web-Based Training for Adults Responding to Concerning Posts on Social Media: Pilot Suicide Prevention Study. JMIR Ment Health 2020;7(1):e14949; DOI: 10.2196/14949
  11. Recruiting and Engaging American Indian and Alaska Native Teens and Young Adults in a SMS Help-Seeking Intervention: Lessons Learned from the BRAVE Study. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249437
  12. Surfing and Texting for Health: Media Use and Health Promotion Targeting NW Native Youth http://archive.northwestpublichealth.org/archives/s2011/surfing-and-texting-for-health-project-red-talon-targets-native-youth

Resources for Adults: Text Messaging Series

Join Talking is Power: a Text Messaging Service for parents and caring adults, that shares “How to Talk to Youth About Sexual Health.”

Join Veterans Caring Messages: a Text Messaging Service for Native Vets. Veterans who sign up will receive 1-2 messages a week. The messages were designed by fellow Veterans and include messages of hope and caring with a mix of resources, videos, and songs.

Caring Messages is an evidence-based suicide-prevention intervention. The Veterans Caring Messages were developed and administered by THRIVE, the suicide prevention project at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.

Virtual Adaptation Guide

Find support adapting your in-person programming to virtual delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Check out our adaptation guide and workbook to get tools and resources to help support your transition from in-person to virtual programming.

Tips and Tools for Educators

Videos and Webinars

Social Marketing Campaigns

To develop health promotion messages that resonate with AI/AN youth, the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board uses social marketing, an evidence-based planning process that improves the impact of health promotion messages. The model uses formative research to identify priority populations, segment the community into distinct audiences, pretest materials with the audience, and then monitors the campaign to assess its effectiveness.

We’ve used this community-driven process to design social marketing campaigns addressing health topics important to AI/AN communities, including:

  • New! Native Health Resources is a one-stop-shop for Native health education materials.
  • Native. Tested. Proud: Encourages routine HIV testing for everyone 13-64 years old.
  • Native. LGBT. Proud: Is designed to reduce stigma and promote HIV testing among AI/AN Two Spirit and LGBTQ community members.
  • I Strengthen My Nation: Empowers Native youth to resist drugs and alcohol.
  • We Are Connected. We Need You Here: Provides hope to those thinking about suicide and shows there are people around them who can help. Rack Card, Poster
  • Community is the Healer that Breaks the Silence: Encourages families to identify suicide warning signs.
  • Stand Up, Stand Strong: Empowers communities to stand up against bullying.
  • My Body, Mind, and Spirit are Sacred: Is designed to address and prevent sexual assault.
  • What is Done to One is Felt by All: Is designed to prevention family maltreatment, including child abuse, elder abuse, and intimate partner violence.
  • Washington Youth Sexual Health Project has downloadable culturally relevant sexual health messaging for social media channels.
  • Loved Here, Safe Here: The Safe Spaces and Get Yourself Tested (GYT) campaign has materials for tribal clinics and those who engage with Native youth to support and provide an affirming environment for the 2SLGBTQ community. Flyer

The Center for Native American Youth, the Native Wellness Institute, We R Native, and the Tribal Health Reaching Out Involves Everyone (THRIVE) project launched the Native Youth Are Medicine Campaign to spark conversations around mental health, self-love, and to create youth-centered spaces to share practices that promote healing, wellness, and tools to live in balance. Download Resources.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center developed a video series on strategic communication planning for suicide prevention. This series includes five-minute webinar clips that feature expert advice on developing a communication plan, understanding your audience, and evaluating your efforts. Speakers include Stephanie Craig Rushing, Project Director at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, on how We R Native engages tribal youth to develop suicide prevention messaging. Visit: http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/strategic-communication-planning.

Scan the QR Code using your phone for Native Youth Support Resources