The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is threatening the lives and the tribal life blood of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by denying the continued funding of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's suicide prevention program.
The Tribe's current federal funding ends in December. Without SAMHSA's approval of an extension to tap unused grant funds and modify the Tribe's current grant application, Pine Ridge residents will not have access to a vital local suicide prevention program in 2016.
Between 2004 and 2013, nearly 1,000 suicide attempts were recorded.103 Indian Youth attempted suicide between last December to March, and at least, 20 people have committed suicide this year. This is an epidemic - to ignore it due to grant application technicalities is a shameful act.