Culturally tailored family peer support for Native adults in specialty mental health care

Integration of a Culturally Responsive Family Peer Delivered Engagement Strategy in Coordinated Specialty Care

NIH-funded research Washington State University · NIH-11252326

This project offers culturally responsive family peer support to help Native American adults connect with specialty mental health services and reduce suicide risk.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWashington State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Pullman, United States)
Project IDNIH-11252326 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If I join, trained family peers from my community would work with my care team to help my family stay involved and support my treatment. The project builds on the White Mountain Apache Celebrating Life program and partners with Navajo Nation to find better ways to spot who is at risk and match people to the right local services. The team will test a family peer engagement strategy inside coordinated specialty care programs and run pilots in participating tribal communities. The goal is to make follow-up, safety planning, and getting the right treatment easier and more culturally respectful.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are Native American adults (including members of the White Mountain Apache and Navajo communities) who are identified as at risk for suicide or are receiving specialty mental health services in participating programs.

Not a fit: People who are not Native American, are under age 21, or who do not receive services through the participating tribal or specialty care programs are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for Native American adults at risk of suicide to get timely, culturally appropriate care and reduce attempts and deaths.

How similar studies have performed: Community programs like the Celebrating Life surveillance and case management system have helped reduce suicide attempts and deaths in tribal settings, but integrating family peer engagement into coordinated specialty care is a newer approach being piloted.

Where this research is happening

Pullman, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.