Td. Lefromboise et B. Howardpitney, THE ZUNI LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM - A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CURRICULUM-DEVELOPMENT, American Indian and Alaska native mental health research, 4, 1994, pp. 98-121
This article describes the development, implementation, and pilot eval
uation of a skills-based suicide prevention curriculum for the Zuni Pu
eblo. The Zuni Life Skills Development curriculum takes a skills train
ing approach to reduce the risks factors for suicide among Zuni adoles
cents. This article presents some background information about skills
training and its applicability to Indian culures and suicide preventio
n. The process by which curriculum development was initiated and maint
ained is described, with an emphasis on the collaborative efforts betw
een the Zuni community and Stanford researchers and the challenges fac
ed by each to develop a culturally sensitive, effective curriculum. Re
sults of the process and outcome evaluation of a pilot test are descri
bed in detail as background for the reasoning behind modifications mad
e in a revised curriculum and evaluation design that met the needs and
concerns of the community, school, and researchers. An overview of ad
ditional efforts in the community to develop a more comprehensive appr
oach for suicide prevention that moves beyond a curriculum-only interv
ention is presented.