LTBB Spring Program's Evidence-Based Practice, Vertical Tribal ID Program In Consideration For National Registry Of Evidence-Based Programs And practices
The LTBB SPRING Program submitted information regarding LTBB’s evidence-based practice, vertical tribal ID program to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for consideration in its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
NREPP is a searchable online registry of more than 220 interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention and mental health and substance abuse treatment. It connects members of the public to intervention developers so they can learn how to implement these approaches in their communities.
In February 2012, SPRING Program Coordinator Angie Woodin received a letter inviting her and the SPRING Program’s grant evaluator to attend the conference of the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices and the Native American Center for Excellence, which they attended April 11-12, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.
The evidence-based practice, vertical tribal ID program involves LTBB issuing vertical tribal IDs to all tribal citizens 20 and under. Approximately 20 tribes have vertical tribal IDs, but none are evidence-based practice.
According to Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, evidence-based practice (EBP) is an interdisciplinary approach gaining ground after 1992. It started in medicine as evidence-based medicine (EBM) and spread to other fields such as nursing, psychology, education, library and information science and other fields. Its basic principles are all practical decisions made should be based on research studies, and these research studies are selected and interpreted according to some specific norms characteristic for EBP. Typically, such norms disregard theoretical studies and qualitative studies and consider quantitative studies according to a narrow set of criteria of what counts as evidence.
“I’m extremely proud of Angie and the team for achieving this,” Substance Abuse Director/SPRING Program Director Dr. Cheryl Samuels said of developing the program and being invited to the conference. “Being invited to the conference is the next level of consideration (for being in NREPP). The idea of vertical tribal IDs could be successful in conjunction with our other evidence-based practices to help reduce underage drinking in our community. If it becomes listed in NREPP, it could be replicated in other communities on a broad scale.”
A vertical tribal ID would immediately alert a store clerk at LTBB-owned Biindigen Gas Station and Convenience Store in Petoskey, MI, the individual is not old enough to purchase alcohol or tobacco and alert a security guard at LTBB-owned Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey, MI, the individual is not old enough to gamble there. It is illegal to sell alcohol to individuals under 21 and illegal in Michigan to sell tobacco to individuals under 18. The gambling age at Odawa Casino Resort is 19.
“Doing this makes us stand out from the other tribes who have vertical IDs because we’re facilitating an evidence-based practice with our vertical IDs,” Woodin said. “It directly relates to the SPRING Program’s primary goal of reducing underage substance abuse in the LTBB service area.”
The SPRING Program staff includes Director Dr. Cheryl Samuels, Coordinator Angie Woodin, Health Educator Arlene Naganashe, Outreach Workers Deleta Smith and Yvonne Goudreau and Clerical Assistant Ronda Ellis. The Community Organizer position is currently vacant, but it looks to be filled soon. Woodin started in October 2011, Naganashe in December 2011, Smith in February 2012, Goudreau in November 2009 and Ellis in April 2010.
SPRING stands for Significant Prevention Resulting in New Generations, and the SPRING Program is funded by a federal grant which started in July 2009 and ends in July 2014.
The SPRING Program is under the umbrella of the Substance Abuse/Mental Health Department, which is a part of the Health Department, and the SPRING Program is located at the LTBB Health Park in Petoskey, MI.
For anyone who is interested in supporting the program, in joining the Advisory Council or wanting further information about the SPRING Program, please contact Clerical Assistant Ronda Ellis at 231-242-1641.
 |
 |
Pictured from left to right in the photo are SPRING Outreach Worker Yvonne Goudreau, SPRING Coordinator Angie Woodin, SPRING Outreach Worker Deleta Smith, Pellston Public Schools Title VII Indian Education Coordinator Laura Chaney and SPRING Health Educator Arlene Naganashe. |
|
|
