Using Indigenous strengths to reduce overdoses and support mental wellness in Coast Salish communities
Official title: Indigenous Strengths as Solutions in a Public Health Crisis (Project ISH)
Funded at Northwest Indian College · NIH-11363821 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project partners with Coast Salish communities to create community-led data tools and Indigenous knowledge-based programs to lower substance use and overdoses and strengthen mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwest Indian College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bellingham, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $592,925 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2DA061143-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363821 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are members, patients, or leaders of Coast Salish and partner tribal communities in northwest Washington who are affected by or working to prevent substance use, overdose, or mental health concerns.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the targeted tribal communities or who need immediate individual medical treatment for unrelated conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this planning-phase project.
What this research studies
You and your community would help guide the planning and development of culturally based programs that draw on Coast Salish strengths and protective practices. The team will build local research and data-management capacity and create an Intertribal Healthy Data Dashboard to track needs and outcomes. They will co-develop Indigenous knowledge–centered interventions aimed at preventing substance use, reducing overdose risk, and promoting holistic well-being. Activities focus on community leadership, data-driven planning, and creating tools that tribal organizations can use across the full continuum of care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to culturally grounded programs and data tools that reduce overdoses, lower substance use risk, and improve mental wellness in the participating tribal communities.
How similar studies have gone: Community-led and culturally grounded prevention programs for Indigenous communities have shown promising results in improving wellbeing, though rigorous, large-scale trials remain limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwest Indian College
Bellingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alexander, Charene — Northwest Indian College
- Study coordinator: Alexander, Charene
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.