Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Behavioral Health Native Connections Project - The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is pleased to submit a request for $250,000 to the DHHS-SAMHSA for the Tribal Behavioral Health Native Connections funding opportunity. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Native Connections (PTN-Native Connections) project will improve outcomes for Tribal youth up to and including age 24 with prevention, intervention, and postvention training, resources, and programming, including evidence-based intervention services integrated health care, mental health and substance use screening, and therapy services within the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's fifteen-county service delivery area. Reestablished as a federally recognized tribe in 1990, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has approximately 4,200 members and its service delivery area (SDA) covers thirteen (13) counties in Eastern Nebraska, two (2) in Iowa, and one (1) in South Dakota. The PTN Native Connections project will focus on the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth (aged 0-24) population residing in this SDA. The PTN’s health care entity, Ponca Health Services (PHS), will implement this project in coordination with PTN Social Services Department and PTN’s Youth Council. PHS aims to support healthy Tribal members’ children, adolescents, and young adults throughout its SDA. Integrating the foundational elements, priorities, and strategies of the National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda, PHS’s mission is to provide holistic, caring, family-centered, and culturally-sensitive services through a quality clinical and educational approach. PHS offers integrated medical, dental, behavioral health care, and wrap-around services throughout the lifespan for Ponca tribal and other tribal members. PTN-Native Connections project goals include: 1) identify existing resources and programs for suicide prevention and substance misuse as well as gaps in current policies, systems, and environmental change strategies related to suicide prevention, metal health promotion, and substance misuse for AI/AN youth; 2) Identify and implement effective strategies for addressing suicide and substance misuse prevention and intervention; 3) Develop postvention protocols that reflect the traditions and culture of the community while also addressing coordination of care and intervention for both immediate and follow-up care for AI/AN youth; 4) Increase availability of behavioral health services aimed at expanding youth social networks and reducing stigma of mental health and substance misuse; 5) Work with key Tribal community members across the lifespan to provide guidance and feedback regarding project activities. Key PTN-Native Connections project objectives include: 1) complete a community needs and readiness assessment; 2) develop a Tribal Strategic Action Plan (TSAP) addressing the three tiers of prevention and intervention; 3) implement strategies identified in the TSAP, including marketing the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; 4) utilize the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model to provide screening, brief intervention, and referrals to treatment; 5) engage at-risk youth in outpatient therapy and/or substance use programming; and 6) launch successful evidence based, culturally relevant youth program, family events, and annual GONA events. The PTN-Native Connections projects aims to provide impactful mental health and substance misuse prevention, early intervention, treatment intervention, and postvention to 325 Tribal children, adolescents, and young adults, train 2/3rds of the PHS Staff in postvention protocols, and train 75 community members in appropriate prevention and postvention.
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).