Kenaitze Indian Tribe (Kenaitze, “the Tribe”) is a federally recognized tribal government
reorganized in 1971 under the statutes of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, as amended for
Alaska in 1936. The Tribe’s service area comprises the communities of Kenai, Soldotna,
Sterling, Nikiski, Ridgeway, Kalifornsky, Cooper Landing, and Kasilof—a geographical area
that spreads across more than 15,000 square miles of rural Alaska. Kenaitze serves 1,809 Tribal
Members and approximately 4,410 Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) residents of the
central Kenai Peninsula. The purpose of Kenaitze’s proposal to the SAMHSA Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Grants Program (TI-22-06) is to enhance the availability of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) case management services to support Tribal/AN/AI un’ina diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions in the Kenaitze service area. Substance use is a perennial problem for the region, especially among AN/AI populations, with opioids becoming a more frequent cause for concern and minimal access to substantive, coordinated coordination for those seeking assistance with OUD. Since 2017 Kenaitze has served un’ina diagnosed with OUD and/or seeking treatment for opioid-related concerns, with many more afflicted with SUD for whom opioids may not be the primary diagnosis. Initially funded via an FY19 TOR award, the DWC currently offers MAT to participating Tribal/AN/AI un’ina diagnosed with OUD who would benefit from such approaches; non-Native un’ina must be referred to other local/regional providers who are outside the Tribal health system. Kenaitze will provide MAT and required complementary case management, counseling, and related supports to at least fifteen (15) eligible un’ina during each year of program implementation; by the end of the 2-year grant-funded performance period, Kenaitze will have provided these services to thirty (30) unduplicated un’ina. Un’ina MAT cohorts consist of five (5) individuals over a period of four (4) months. In support of ongoing and enhanced MAT services, Kenaitze will use evidence-based practices (EPBs) including the Matrix Model, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, strengths-based case management, and traditional approaches to:
• Continue to implement a service delivery model that balances MAT with evidence-based chemical dependency counseling approaches, with an emphasis on case management, supplemental referrals, and additional resources to support un’ina in long-term recovery.
• Strengthen and refine linkages with effective prevention programs and engagement strategies offered by the Tribe.
To support full operation of this service delivery model, Kenaitze will solicit qualified candidates for a 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) MAT Case Manager position specifically funded by this SAMHSA opportunity to enhance our integrated service delivery model and guide un’ina through barriers to long-term recovery that arise throughout the OUD treatment process. This includes development of goals, objectives, and treatment interventions; community referrals, connections to community resources, and skills development; data collection, maintenance of case records, appointments, and required paperwork; and coordination of local transportation where applicable based on individual need. Ancillary support for MAT-specific services and requirements is available, each participating un’ina will have access to additional, substantial case management services that provide individually relevant referrals to parallel Tribal programs and resources.