Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

Vision

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) will enjoy a high-quality, self-directed, satisfying life integrated in a community that includes:

Health – Overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way;

Home – A stable and safe place to live that supports recovery;

Purpose – Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, as well as the independence, income, and resources to participate in society; and

Community – Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

Mission

To develop, coordinate, and communicate SAMHSA’s policies and resources to improve behavioral health in Tribal/Village communities.

About SAMHSA’s Tribal Affairs

SAMHSA’s Tribal Affairs agenda includes opportunities for informed communication with Tribal Leaders on SAMHSA policies and programs. Specifically, SAMHSA’s Tribal Affairs has a special focus on AI/AN youth suicide and substance abuse prevention. In addition, Tribal Affairs strives to engage Federal agencies, national and regional AI/AN organizations, States, and behavioral health providers to collaborate on mitigating the social and economic factors that impede positive behavioral health outcomes.

Work with the SAMHSA Tribal Technical Advisory Committee (STTAC)

To acknowledge and support the Federal government to Tribal government relationship, SAMHSA established the STTAC in February 2008. The committee is comprised of elected/appointed Tribal leaders. The committee is charged with providing information on the public health needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives, especially identifying urgent substance abuse and mental health needs, and discussing collaborative approaches to meeting those needs. The SAMHSA TTAC meets at least two times per year.

Tribal Consultation Activity – SAMHSA participates in:

• HHS Annual Tribal Budget Consultation - every March
• HHS Regional Consultation: January – May
• SAMHSA-Specific Tribal Consultation – Throughout the year, as needed
• SAMHSA Tribal Consultation Policy – adopted in 2008 and currently under revision

For more information on the HHS Tribal Consultation Policy & Process access the Intergovernmental External Affairs website at: http://www.hhs.gov/intergovernmental/tribal/index.html

SAMHSA Tribal Portfolio

(Does not reflect additional Contracts/Sub-contracts or Inter-agency Agreements)

FY 2010 = 104 Grant Awards to Tribes/ Tribal Organizations = $68,120,563

FY 2011 = 103 Grant Awards to Tribes/ Tribal Organizations = $71, 065,895

Circles of Care Program

Overview

COC is a three-year discretionary infrastructure grant program for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, and tribal organizations (including Urban Indian programs and Tribal Colleges). COC is housed in SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services’ Child, Adolescent and Family Branch. The program’s primary goals include a) planning for the development of a community-based system of care model for children with mental health challenges and their families; b) developing local capacity and infrastructure to assist tribal communities to obtain funding and resources to implement their model system of care. The grant program allows tribes and tribal organizations to apply without competing for funding with states, counties, or cities. In the current cohort, grantees are allowed to use up to 30% of their funds to pilot a service that is designed to implement the infrastructure changes they develop in their model system of care.

Future Circles of Care grant opportunities will depend on the availability of funds. All SAMHSA grant opportunities, including Circles of Care, are announced via www.samhsa.gov/grants

For more information on Circles of Care:

• Circles of Care Grant Program Summary (PDF - 87kb): This document provides a brief introduction to the Circles of Care Grant program by describing the program’s history, impact, and successes.
• Circles of Care Evaluation Technical Assistance Center : The Circles of Care Evaluation Technical Assistance Center (CoCETAC) provides evaluation technical assistance to the American Indian and Alaska Native communities who are funded through the Circles of Care Initiative.
• Circles of Care: Creating Models of Care for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth: SAMHSA Newsletter’s feature on the Circles of Care program. (November/December 2010, Volume 18, Number 6)

SAMHSA Mental Health and Substance Abuse Data and Educational Resources

• Native American Center of Excellence (NACE): The Native American Center for Excellence (NACE) was established by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) as a national resource to address issues related to substance abuse prevention and behavioral health in Native American communities.
• The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH): Provides national and state-level data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs (including non-medical use of prescription drugs) and mental health in the United States. The following NSDUH reports have a specific focus on American Indian or Alaska Native populations:
  • NSDUH- Substance Use Among American Indian or Alaska Native Adolescents
  • NSDUH- Substance Use Among American Indian or Alaska Native Adults
• American Indian and Alaska Native Culture Cards (PDF - 1.4mb): Intended to enhance cultural competence when serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Covers regional differences; cultural customs; spirituality; communications styles; the role of veterans and the elderly, and health disparities, such as suicide.
• Preventing Suicide by American Indian and Alaska Native Youth and Young Adults: Lays the groundwork for community-based suicide prevention and mental health promotion plans for American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults. Addresses risks, protective factors, and awareness, and describes prevention models for action.
• American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Resource Kit: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Gives statistics on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations. Includes education, prevention, and outreach strategies, tips for collaboration among agencies and organizations, two posters, and a CD.
• Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use among American Indian or Alaska Native Youths: Presents statistics on risk and protective factors (individual, peer, family, and school) for substance use among American Indian or Alaska Native teens. Compares findings with those for adolescents among all other racial or ethnic groups combined.
• SAMHSA Substance Abuse Facility Locator: This searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs shows the location of facilities around the country that treat alcoholism, alcohol abuse and drug abuse problems.
• National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practice (NREPP): A searchable online registry of more than 220 interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. We connect members of the public to intervention developers so they can learn how to implement these approaches in their communities.
• SAMHSA Funding Opportunities
• Uniform Block Grant Application

Federal Initiatives and Resources

United States’ Department of Health & Human Services: SAMHSA Tribal Affairs Behavioral Health Areas of Focus
Office of the Secretary	Federal Partners
Interdepartmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) Office of Intergovernmental External Affairs/Tribal Affairs Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee	Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs & Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Tribal Justice, Safety and Wellness Sessions Tribal Law and Order Act- Interagency Coordinating Committee
Public/Private Partners
SAMHSA Tribal Technical Advisory Committee (SAMHSA TTAC) National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention AI/AN Task Force	Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Behavioral Health Suicide Prevention Committee Action Summit for Suicide Prevention

• White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities leads the implementation of Executive Order 13270, ensuring that the nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) are more fully recognized and have full access to Federal programs benefiting other higher education institutions. Read Executive Order 13592.
• Mental Health and American Indians/Alaska Natives is an Office of Minority Health webpage that highlights fast facts related to mental health and American Indian/Alaska Natives.
• Other Funding Opportunities: Grants.gov is your source to FIND and APPLY for Federal grants.

More Behavioral Health Resources