Thursday, May 2, 2024
5/2/2024
Native American Connections (NAC) was founded in 1972 (as Indian Rehabilitation) to provide alcohol recovery services and a safe place to live for homeless Indian people living on the streets of Phoenix. In 1976, Indian Rehabilitation opened a sober living home for men that operated at the same central Phoenix location for over 40 years, and in 1989 the organization opened its Guiding Star Lodge residential substance abuse/recovery program for women. Both programs were originally funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to provide substance abuse and recovery services. In 1999, Indian Rehabilitation formally changed its name to Native American Connections (NAC). In May 2018, NAC received formal approval from Indian Health Service (IHS) and obtained status as an Urban Indian Organization (UIO) as defined at 25 U.S.C § 1603(29). In 2022, NAC is celebrating 50 years serving the Greater Phoenix Area. NAC’s mission is “Improving the lives of individuals and families through Native American culturally appropriate behavioral health, affordable housing and community development services.” NAC owns/operates 25 sites in the greater Phoenix area, offering services to more than 10,000 individuals/families residing in Maricopa County and the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the state of Arizona. Urban AI/AN individuals experiencing distress from a substance use disorder with/without co-occurring disorders, including those diagnosed with a serious mental illness and/or are experiencing homelessness are NAC’s target population. NAC’s client engagement philosophy is to meet the client “where they are at”. NAC intends to continue to take this client-centered approach with the 4-in-1 Program designed to support the grant program goals and ensure that comprehensive culturally acceptable personal and public health services are accessible to the Urban AI/AN population. This will be accomplished by NAC’s Integrated Health Program’s ability to sustain and improve access to integrated primary care services while a client is enrolled in substance use treatment and/or mental health services that continues as the client steps down to lower levels of care. The purpose of NAC’s Integrated Health Program is to decrease the physical barriers clients encounter when attempting to access substance use, mental health, and primary care services. NAC’s Integrated Health Program consists of two residential treatment facilitates, an outpatient treatment program, sober living housing, and the integrated clinic. NAC proposes to sustain/expand the scope of the 4-in-1 Program in the following ways: HP/DP: Sustain current HP/DP education, screening and internal referral of outpatient clients to the 4-in-1 Program’s Integrated Clinic. Implement HP/DP services within the residential treatment programs, including developing educational materials for the residential treatment programs that complement the educational materials utilized in outpatient treatment Immunization: Sustain the immunization and COVID vaccination and testing services for all NAC staff, clients and residents provided by the 4-in-1 Program’s Integrated Clinic. Expand initial health screening and access to primary care services for clients admitted to residential treatment. Alcohol/Substance Use: Improve the current relapse prevention plan process from a static document to a fluid process that evolves with the client and is integrated into residential, outpatient and the integrated clinic screening and intervention processes. Mental Health: Identify and implement a culturally acceptable suicidal ideation screening tool and intervention process for the integrated health programs throughout the duration of care. NAC will take an interdisciplinary approach when identifying screening methods and interventions when a positive screening score is received for clients served within the full spectrum of services offered by NAC.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
