State's Native American crisis hotline is first in the nation
EVERETT — Washington is now the only state with a mental health crisis hotline dedicated to American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
Many tear-soaked eyes watched and listened as tribal leaders, state and federal officials, and crisis hotline staff celebrated the launch of the Native and Strong Lifeline on Thursday in Everett.
“It’s a really historic day,” said Loni Greninger, vice-chair of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, and co-chair of the Governor’s Tribal Leaders Social Services Council. Tribal nations have been working on this for decades, she said. “We don’t want this to go by quietly – it’s time to celebrate.”
In Washington state, American Indian and Alaska Native people have had a higher suicide rate than all other racial/ethnic groups in nine of the past ten years.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/states-native-american-crisis-hotline-is-first-in-the-nation/