TCC wins $735,000 to close youth suicide referral gap in 15 villages

Of 122 youth referred to Tanana Chiefs Conference behavioral health services in 2025, only 76 were admitted to treatment. To close that gap, the federal government awarded TCC $735,000 to build suicide prevention systems in 15 rural Alaska Native communities across the Interior.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the grant to Dena Nena Henash, the corporate name of Tanana Chiefs Conference, under award H79SM091117. The application requests $735,000 annually and $3,675,000 over the full project period, which runs from Sept. 30, 2026, through Sept. 29, 2031. SAMHSA also awarded $250,000 to Ninilchik Village for Roots of Resilience, a five-year youth suicide prevention program serving Ninilchik and the surrounding Alaska Native Village Statistical Area.

TCC stated in its application that the suicide rate in its catchment area is 37.5 per 100,000, nearly three times the national rate of 13.7 and above the Alaska statewide rate of 29.9. The consortium serves 39 communities across 235,000 square miles, with no road access between most villages and regional hub cities.

The program, called Strength in the Circle, will work intensively with three communities per year. A project director and three prevention coordinators will make monthly community visits. Planned activities include suicide risk screening in schools, TCC behavioral health programs, primary and pediatric care, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) gatekeeper training, Youth Mental Health First Aid, lethal means safety counseling, the STOPit anonymous reporting platform and 72-hour warm handoff protocols for youth ages 10 to 24.

That screening-and-referral model is not the only approach researchers point to. A 2020 article, "Arctic Suicide, Social Medicine, and the Purview of Care in Rural Alaska," found that only 8% of people who died by suicide in the study region had ever accessed mental health care. Its authors argue prevention should draw on traditional healers, families and community networks rather than clinic referrals alone.

TCC has been directing people toward existing services in the meantime. "If you are struggling through this spring season, help is available to you simply by texting 988 or by calling TCC Behavioral Health at 907-451-6682, extension 3800," Sonja Huntington said on the TCC Weekly broadcast of May 25, 2026.