Native Youth Rising: Trauma-Informed Youth and Family Services for Sub
stance Abuse Prevention and Intervention

The University of Montana, in collaboration with its partners, proposes to implement the Native Youth Rising: Trauma-Informed Youth and Family Services for Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention (NYR): an innovative and trauma-informed approach to substance abuse treatment for American Indian youth. Partners will include the Montana Center for Childhood Trauma (MCCT) for the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes, Tribal Youth Services (TYS) department, the Spotted Bull Treatment Center, the Fort Peck Juvenile Probations Center, the public schools, and tribal elders. Working with the hypothesis that untreated trauma is an underlying causal factor leading to increased levels of substance abuse and dependence amongst Fort Peck Native youth, the NYR project will create a comprehensive, trauma-informed substance abuse youth services system that will: 1) decrease the percent of children involved in the juvenile justice system for substance abuse issues by providing evidence-based trauma treatment concurrent with substance abuse treatment; 2) reduce the percent of program youth who offend, or re-offend by providing evidence based trauma treatment for youth involved in the juvenile justice system; 3) reduce the percent of youth who offend, or re-offend by strengthening their family's ability to cope with their own, and their children's trauma; and 4) increase the number of families served by creating public awareness of the impact of loss and violence on well-being. NYR will implement extensive and sustained, research-based, and culturally appropriate trauma education, screening, and therapy to the youth and their families and will develop a collaboration of culturally competent Tribal Youth Services (TYS), corrections officers, trained educators, mental health providers, and law enforcement agents who can meet the needs of Fort Peck adjudicated youth with trauma and substance abuse problems (FPC). CA/NCF