Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The Yurok Tribe proposes to implement the Safety Net Responders project, the overall goal of which is to reduce opioid-related overdose (OD) risks and avoidable deaths, disease, and other negative effects on health and social wellbeing among Yurok tribal community members. With strategic assistance from our project partners (see letters) and guided by the Yurok Tribal Wellness Coalition serving as our project advisory council, we will implement lifesaving activities in our California geographic catchment area of the Yurok Indian Reservation and Humboldt and Del Norte (HM-DN) counties not located in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Together these counties span over 5,282 square miles in this mountainous region and are referred to as the "Emerald Triangle," so named because, since the 1960s, it has been the largest cannabis-producing region in the US. Its thick cover of trees, seemingly endless rural terrain, and washed-out single lane dirt roads, often inaccessible in the winter, provide cover for covert activities including underground cannabis cultivation and human, sex, and drug trafficking (including opioids, methamphetamine, and cannabis) (1,2). COVID and other factors have limited opioid-related data collection, reporting and consistency. However, available data over the last few years is nonetheless alarming: 1,356 drug-related OD emergency dept. visits (HM and DN) in 2019 (CA Overdose Dashboard), 33 fentanyl deaths in HM County alone in 2021 (9), and more. Native Americans in HM County have the highest prevalence of opioid-related encounters throughout the state and within Indian Health Programs (10). Our population of focus, the Yurok tribal members who live on the Reservation or in other parts of HM and DN counties, experience many social and health disparities layered upon the existing unhealed historical trauma from generations of oppression and colonial pain they and their ancestors have suffered and are still affected by today. These and other stressors contribute to disproportionately high rates of substance use, including opioid use, suicide, domestic violence, child maltreatment, and more (6,7). Further stress is caused by a severe behavioral health workforce shortage in our target geographic area which makes providing access to care in remote areas extremely challenging (15), especially in terms of relevant treatment, recovery support, harm reduction, and reconnection to tribal culture and traditions for healing. Project activities over the 4-year award period include: creating and implementing culturally specific OD reversal and response training to at least 876 first responders and members of other key community sectors including family members from HM and DN counties; dispensing thousands of Narcan/other approved opioid OD devices and fentanyl test strip kits; improving local data collection; standardization, and reporting, and leveraging, a harm reduction partner's low threshold buprenorphine access. Our project will be housed under the Yurok Tribal Court to enhance tribal wellness services and referrals to outside community assistance such as shelter, housing, and domestic violence and behavioral health services.
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).
