Monday, May 19, 2025
5/19/2025
Ponca Tribe Opioid Response Program - The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, headquartered in White Eagle, Oklahoma, an unincorporated town not found on maps, located in rural north central Oklahoma just twenty-five miles south of the Kansas border. The tribal jurisdiction is 1,651 square miles of land that sits eight (8) miles North of Ponca City, Oklahoma in Kay and Noble counties. The service area consists of 4,265. The targeted population for this project is youth up to age 17 (prevention activities) and adults ages 18+ for treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. The primary language spoken is English, and no data exists on gender identity or sexual orientation for the population of focus. The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma Statistical Area (OTSA-A Census Bureau designation) is 163.6 square miles. The OTSA consists of 57% white, 27% Native American, 11% of two or more races, and 8% Hispanic. Additionally, according to the Ponca OTSA conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau between 2018-2022, 27.4% of residents in the White Eagle community were in poverty. In contrast, Ponca City, Oklahoma, the community nearest neighboring urban cluster is reported to have a poverty rate of only 17.1% during this same period. Such disparities may be explained by the White Eagle community’s rural location and disproportionate rates of alcohol and other drug abuse. The proposed project seeks to strengthen the treatment options, increase recovery services, initiate prevention activities, implement harm reduction services, and capacity building by strengthening partnerships in the community with non-native organizations. The goals for the project include: 1) Lay groundwork for linking established Ponca Tribal services (health clinic, behavioral health, and residential rehabilitation) with three (3) area tribes into an integrated approach to MOUD and SUD treatment with an increased reach to neighboring communities., 2)Reduce relapse and increase sustained recovery for individuals and families, 3)Facilitate quarterly prevention events to educate, decrease substance use and overdoses, 4)Provide on-demand overdose reversal, Fentanyl and Xylazine test kits to reduce overdose deaths, and 5)Improve relationships between local systems and clients to increase client engagement in non-Native resources.
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).