Yurok Juvenile Wellness Project to Address Underage Drinking

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) envisions a nation and tribal nations where our children are healthy, educated, and free from violence. If they come into contact with the family and juvenile justice system, the contact should be rare, fair and beneficial to them. To meet this vision, tribal juvenile, juvenile and family, or family Healing to Wellness Courts (referred to as Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts) provide comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, community-based, and culturally appropriate services for youth who come in contact with the tribal juvenile justice system due to alcohol or other drug use. This program supports efforts of such courts to develop or enhance their capacity to address issues related to youth younger than 21 years old who possess and consume alcohol.

The proposed "Yurok Youth Wellness Project" will develop effective strategies and responses to reduce the number of incidents of underage drinking. The target population will include Yurok juveniles under the age of 21 in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties; with emphasis on the Yurok Reservation. The approach will be in line with the philosophy of the Yurok people "to insure peace, harmony, and protection of individual human rights among our members and among others who may come within the jurisdiction of our tribal government", as stated in the Yurok Constitution.
CA/NCF