Nooksack Indian Tribe is seeking Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant funds to support the Tribe's efforts to prevent, treat, and reduce the social and health impacts of substance abuse disorders, in particular involving opioids (including the highly dangerous and growing problem of Fentanyl) and stimulants, including cocaine and methamphetamine.
The Nooksack community is geographically located close to the US/Canada international border (within 10 miles), that has been designated by the state as a "high intensity drug trafficking area". The Nooksack Indian Tribal council established a Nooksack Way of Life Program as a strategy to help prevent addiction in the Nooksack community. This program is built on collaborative partnerships and service delivery between the Nooksack Genesis II chemical dependency program, the health center, behavioral health services, the education department, tribal Court, and Probation services, to identify at-risk populations and their families. Our goal is that through providing an array of educational opportunities, cultural events, and interventions, we can prevent the Tribe's young people from becoming addicted. We also intend to provide treatment and addiction services to those who are already involved with opioids and other drugs. Our response includes emergency intervention, Naxalone, as appropriate for opioid overdoses, and/hor individual treatment care assessment and services needs.
Activities included in this Opioid Response project include the Tribe's cultural, traditional, and customary teachings as prevention strategies, and increase protection factors. Finally, the rise in the use of Fentanyl in our community is demanding a vigorous response to the problem of opioid addiction. We will work to prevent drug use amoung our younger Tribal members, and continue to provide education and recovery services through our partnerships. The Tribe will be employing Evidence Based Practices Healing of the Canoe, and Gathering of Native Americans Curricula with these funds.