Fort Peck Tribes will implement the Community Health Aide Program TPI by strengthening the Tribal healthcare workforce, expanding community-based care, and building long-term implementation. - The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes (FPT) propose to implement the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) Tribal Planning and Implementation (TPI) project to strengthen access to culturally responsive, community-based healthcare services across the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana. Building upon the successful completion of the Tribe’s CHAP Tribal Assessment and Planning (TAP) project, this three-year initiative will transition FPT from planning into active implementation of a sustainable CHAP model designed to address healthcare workforce shortages, behavioral health service gaps, transportation barriers, and limited access to community-based care. The Fort Peck Indian Reservation spans approximately 2.1 million acres and includes geographically dispersed rural communities where access to healthcare services is often limited by distance, provider shortages, and transportation challenges. The proposed project will focus on strengthening the capacity of the local healthcare workforce capacity through the development of Behavioral Health Aide pathways while building the systems, partnerships, and infrastructure necessary for long-term CHAP success. Key project activities include hiring and supporting CHAP implementation staff; engaging CHAP technical consultants and an External Evaluator; recruiting and supporting two students through the Northwest Indian College Behavioral Health Aide Program; strengthening clinical supervision, referral coordination, certification readiness, and healthcare integration systems; participating in Billings Area certification readiness activities; conducting community outreach, stakeholder engagement, and CHAP education activities; and implementing structured evaluation, data collection, and continuous quality improvement processes. The project will also strengthen collaborative partnerships with Tribal healthcare programs, Indian Health Service, Fort Peck Community College, Northwest Indian College, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, and other strategic partners to support workforce development, certification readiness, and long-term sustainability planning. Sustainability activities will include exploration of long-term financing opportunities, third-party billing strategies, and integration of CHAP into the Fort Peck Tribal health system. Expected outcomes include strengthened CHAP implementation infrastructure; recruitment, support, and graduation of two (2) Behavioral Health Aide trainees; increased community engagement and awareness of CHAP services; stronger healthcare coordination and referral systems; enhanced workforce development pathways; improved readiness for CHAP certification and service expansion; and development of a sustainable, scalable Tribal healthcare workforce model designed to improve access to care for Fort Peck Tribal members over time.
