Eastern Shoshone Recovery Center Native Connections

Empowerment compared to crisis. This was a discussion that we had for many months. As the evaluation team providing support for a suicide prevention grant, we wanted to move away from crisis and think upstream, yes that is right, upstream. We know crisis protocols are important and even outlining what will happen post-vention, who to call, what to do, what to watch for, and what next… but these empowerment plans change the game because they encourage the community to begin thinking about what is happening in the community, self-regulation practices, safe places in the community to go when in need, and people and programs available before a crisis exist. A foundation of this empowerment approach is moving from an individual crisis plan to a community empowerment plan. Our partnership with ESR, OUSHC, and SPRC made all of this possible.