Two Feathers BCOR project expands and enhances long-term recovery support for American Indian (AI) youth in Humboldt County, California, who have substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring mental disorders (COD). The project will prevent substance use and overdose, strengthen the behavioral workforce, and integrate a broad array of physical and behavioral support services through its Work Pods program for AI youth 14-25 years old.
Two Feathers (TF) is a Recovery Oriented System of Care led by individuals in recovery from substance abuse. The organization prioritizes youth engagement and intervention, with its core mission to is to promote recovery and harm reduction while providing linkages to SUD and COD treatment. The Work Pod program is designed to intervene with vulnerable youth at a crucial time in their development and is central to achieving the project goals.
The goals of the Two Feathers BCOR project are to create a broader approach to providing and maintaining recovery support in the community by mobilizing and connecting community-based resources, increasing the availability and quality of long-term recovery support for persons with substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. TF will build upon its existing programming to expand and enhance prevention of substance use and overdose, strengthen the behavioral health workforce, and integrate behavioral and physical healthcare. These goals will improve long-term recovery for people with SUD/COD through individualized recovery support and recovery-focused community efforts.
Two Feathers will expand its Work Pods program for youth ages 14-18 increasing the reach of its Native Youth Ambassador (NYA) program and implementing a new Sr. Native Youth Ambassador program for youth 18-25. Work Pods engage youth in health promotion activities, SUD/COD education, addressing stigma, implementing harm reduction activities, and facilitating connections to cultural programming and more intensive levels of care, if needed. This work is based off evidence and community defined practices: Peer Recovery Support Services (PRSS), the Transition in Independence Model, Native Youth Ambassadors, and the ACORN Youth Wellness Intervention, a program grounded in local traditional American Indian cultural practices. The Work Pod program also links youth to more intensive individualized services TF offers and provides referral and service integration support from other local community resources.
The impact of this program will be measured by 1) the number of Native Youth Ambassadors (NYA) participating in work pods, 2) the number and percent of NYA youth engaging in additional supportive services, 3) the number and percent of youth retained as NYA Work Pod employees, 4) the number of staff trained as PRSS, 5) the number of NYA trained as PRSS, 6) the development of a clear internal pathway for Sr. NYA to become full TF staff, 7) decreases in substance use, 8) improvements in living conditions, legal situation, education/employment, and mental/physical health problems.