Comanche Nation (CN) will build infrastructure for a comprehensive, coordinated behavioral health system of care for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children, youth and their families living in the Comanche Tribal Jurisdiction Area through the CN Indigenous Healing Project. CN will work with families, youth, and the partners that serve them to create and pilot a plan to addresses the current local need for changes to the behavioral health delivery system to support mental health and wellness of AI/AN youth.
The Comanche Nation is a federally recognized tribe located in Comanche County, Oklahoma. The cycle of addiction, poverty, crime, and intergenerational trauma have led to a breakdown of individual and family relationships that extend among generations within the local tribal community leading to higher than average rates of suicide, mental health issues, substance use, and high school drip out rates. With this funding, the Comanche Nation will incorporate programming that will identify and confront root causes exacerbating issues of youth mental health and wellness through the improvement and enhancement of clinical behavioral health services.
The purpose of this project is to bring the local American Indian community together to plan a system of care services that will improve mental health and wellness outcomes for Native American children and their families. This project will engage 75 youth per year and 225 over the life of the grant; 50 parents/caregivers/family members/elders/community members per year and 150 over the life of the grant; 6 service partners per year and 18 over the life of the grant.
The project goals are to: 1) Create a culturally relevant approach for gathering input into mental health and wellness services planning among AI/AN youth, with input from families, adults, respected elders, agencies, and providers in the Comanche Tribal Jurisdiction Area; 2) Develop a community-based Blueprint for how AI/AN children/youth mental health and wellness services and supports will be provided locally; 3) Build knowledge of trauma-informed care, system of care, family-driven and youth-guided care, and community-based participatory evaluation.
The measurable deliverables and outcomes for this program are: the development of a Community Needs and Strengths Report; creation of a community approved Blueprint for the provision of services that will promote and coordinate mental wellness services for Native youth and families; implementation of pilot services; development of Memorandum of Understanding with key partners in order to provide pilot services; and evaluation of those pilot services.