Nebraska Circles of Care - The Nebraska Circles of Care Initiative is an inter-tribal effort to provide comprehensive mental health and wellness services to Native American children and adolescents, and their families, in reservation, rural/frontier, and urban communities throughout Nebraska. The Initiative will be guided by a community-based system of care approach that emphasizes collaboration, coordination, and cultural competence. The Initiative will address the significant mental health and wellness needs of Native American children and adolescents in Nebraska. According to the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS), there are 36,992 American Indian-Alone (or in combination) residents in Nebraska. Thirty-two percent are children and adolescents between the ages of 0-24 (n = 11,993). Native American children in Nebraska are more likely to live in poverty, have less access to healthcare, higher absenteeism rates and lower graduation rates, and experience higher rates of trauma than other children in the state all of which negatively impact mental well-being The Initiative will be implemented in partnership with a variety of community-based organizations, including tribal governments, schools, mental health clinics, and substance abuse treatment centers. The Initiative will also work closely with Native American families and youth to ensure that the services are culturally appropriate and responsive to their needs. A total of 150 Nebraska Native American children and their families will be served annually, 450 throughout the lifetime of the project. The Initiative will implement a number of strategies and interventions, such as: Developing and implementing a plan for a community-based system of care approach; conducting network development and collaboration activities; providing orientation and ongoing training on the SAMHSA Systems of Care framework; developing policies, corresponding funding streams, and other strategies. Some key goals and objectives include: Goal 1: Develop and implement a community-based system of care approach. Objective 1.1: Develop and implement a plan for a community-based system of care approach for children and youth mental health and wellness services, prevention and treatment of substance use, and supports to be provided in the community, using a variety of ongoing consensus-building activities with continuous feedback from the community. Goal 2: Conduct network development and collaboration activities with stakeholders, including formalized interagency commitments, technical assistance and training for coordination of services. Objective 2.1: Throughout the life of the grant, develop formal agreements, such as memoranda of understanding or agreement, that establish interagency commitments for coordinating services and sharing resources.
