---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 1667b"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "1667b"
heading: "Indian youth telemental health demonstration project"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/1667b"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Indian Health Care"
  - "Subchapter V–A — Behavioral Health Programs"
  - "Part B — Indian Youth Suicide Prevention"
---

# §1667b. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project

- (a) **Authorization—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), is authorized to carry out a [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) to award grants for the provision of [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth who—
    - (A) have expressed suicidal ideas;
    - (B) have attempted suicide; or
    - (C) have [behavioral health](/usc/25/1603.md?p=2-A) conditions that increase or could increase the risk of suicide.
  - (2) **Eligibility for grants—** Grants under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) shall be awarded to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) that operate 1 or more facilities—
    - (A) located in an area with documented disproportionately high rates of suicide;
    - (B) reporting active clinical [telehealth](/usc/25/1603.md?p=22) capabilities; or
    - (C) offering school-based [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth.
  - (3) **Grant period—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall award grants under this section for a period of up to 4 years.
  - (4) **Maximum number of grants—** Not more than 5 grants shall be provided under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), with priority consideration given to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) that—
    - (A) serve a particular community or geographic area in which there is a demonstrated need to address [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth suicide;
    - (B) enter into collaborative partnerships with [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) or other [tribal health programs](/usc/25/1603.md?p=25) or facilities to provide [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) under this [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2);
    - (C) serve an isolated community or geographic area that has limited or no access to [behavioral health](/usc/25/1603.md?p=2-A) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18); or
    - (D) operate a detention facility at which [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth are detained.
  - (5) **Consultation with Administration—** In developing and carrying out the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) under this subsection, the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall consult with the [Administration](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=1) as the Federal agency focused on mental health issues, including suicide.
- (b) **Use of funds—**
  - (1) **In general—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) shall use a grant received under [subsection (a)](#a) for the following purposes:
    - (A) To provide [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth, including the provision of—
      - (i) psychotherapy;
      - (ii) psychiatric [assessments](/usc/25/1665.md?p=2) and diagnostic interviews, therapies for mental health conditions predisposing to suicide, and treatment; and
      - (iii) alcohol and [substance abuse](/usc/25/1603.md?p=21) treatment.
    - (B) To provide clinician-interactive medical advice, guidance and training, assistance in diagnosis and interpretation, crisis counseling and intervention, and related assistance to [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) or tribal clinicians and health [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) providers working with youth being served under the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2).
    - (C) To assist, educate, and train community leaders, health education professionals and paraprofessionals, tribal outreach workers, and family members who work with the youth receiving [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) under the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2), including with identification of suicidal tendencies, crisis intervention and suicide prevention, emergency skill development, and building and expanding networks among those individuals and with State and local health [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) providers.
    - (D) To develop and distribute culturally appropriate community educational materials regarding—
      - (i) suicide prevention;
      - (ii) suicide education;
      - (iii) suicide screening;
      - (iv) suicide intervention; and
      - (v) ways to mobilize communities with respect to the identification of risk factors for suicide.
    - (E) To conduct data collection and reporting relating to [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth suicide prevention efforts.
  - (2) **Traditional health care practices—** In carrying out the purposes described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1), an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) may use and promote the traditional health care practices of the [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) of the youth to be served.
- (c) **Applications—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to [paragraph (2)](#c-2), to be eligible to receive a grant under [subsection (a)](#a), an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) shall prepare and submit to the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) an application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) may require, including—
    - (A) a description of the project that the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organization](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) will carry out using the funds provided under the grant;
    - (B) a description of the manner in which the project funded under the grant would—
      - (i) meet the [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) care needs of the [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth population to be served by the project; or
      - (ii) improve the access of the [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth population to be served to suicide prevention and treatment [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18);
    - (C) evidence of support for the project from the local community to be served by the project;
    - (D) a description of how the families and leadership of the communities or populations to be served by the project would be involved in the development and ongoing operations of the project;
    - (E) a plan to involve the tribal community of the youth who are provided [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) by the project in planning and evaluating the [behavioral health](/usc/25/1603.md?p=2-A) care and suicide prevention efforts provided, in order to ensure the integration of community, clinical, environmental, and cultural components of the treatment; and
    - (F) a plan for sustaining the project after Federal assistance for the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) has terminated.
  - (2) **Efficiency of grant application process—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall carry out such measures as the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) determines to be necessary to maximize the time and workload efficiency of the process by which [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) apply for grants under [paragraph (1)](#c-1).
- (d) **Collaboration—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), shall encourage [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) receiving grants under this section to collaborate to enable comparisons regarding best practices across projects.
- (e) **Annual report—** Each grant recipient shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) an annual report that—
  - (1) describes the number of [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) provided; and
  - (2) includes any other information that the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) may require.
- (f) **Reports to Congress—**
  - (1) **Initial report—**
    - (A) **In general—** Not later than 2 years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall submit to the Committee on [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that—
      - (i) describes each project funded by a grant under this section during the preceding 2-year period, including a description of the level of success achieved by the project; and
      - (ii) evaluates whether the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) should be continued during the period beginning on the date of termination of funding for the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) under [subsection (g)](#g) and ending on the date on which the final report is submitted under [paragraph (2)](#f-2).
    - (B) **Continuation of demonstration project—** On a determination by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) under [clause (ii)](#f-1-A-ii) of subparagraph (A) that the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) should be continued, the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) may carry out the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) during the period described in that clause using such sums otherwise made available to the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) as the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) determines to be appropriate.
  - (2) **Final report—** Not later than 270 days after the date of termination of funding for the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) under [subsection (g)](#g), the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall submit to the Committee on [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a final report that—
    - (A) describes the results of the projects funded by grants awarded under this section, including any data available that indicate the number of attempted suicides;
    - (B) evaluates the impact of the [telemental health](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=3) [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) funded by the grants in reducing the number of completed suicides among [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) youth;
    - (C) evaluates whether the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) should be—
      - (i) expanded to provide more than 5 grants; and
      - (ii) designated as a permanent program; and
    - (D) evaluates the benefits of expanding the [demonstration project](/usc/25/1667a.md?p=2) to include [urban Indian organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=29).
- (g) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–437, title VII, § 723, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section 723 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 181 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.