Pueblo of Tesuque's Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court

The Justice Department's grant-making components have created a streamlined approach for federally recognized Tribes, Tribal consortia, Alaska Native villages and corporations, as well as authorized tribal designees to apply for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 funding opportunities. The Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) serves as a single solicitation for existing tribal government-specific grant programs administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The CTAS solicitation is designed to assist tribes with addressing crime and public safety issues in a comprehensive manner. The CTAS grant-application process was inspired by and developed after consultation with tribal leaders, including sessions at the Justice Department's Tribal Nations Listening Session in 2009, and has been updated based on continued tribal consultations and listening sessions. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides awards under CTAS Purpose Area 8--Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts. The overall goal of this program is to enhance the capacity of tribal courts to respond to the alcohol-related issues of youth under the age of 21. This can include the development of a new juvenile healing to wellness court or enhancements to an existing tribal healing to wellness court.

The Pueblo of Tesuque Tribal Court will implement a diversionary Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court (JHWC) to address the issues of substance abuse and juvenile delinquency with culturally appropriate services to focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution. The JHWC will be based on the 10 key components and will serve youth under the age of 21, who have entered the judicial system through delinquency or truancy. The program will provide culturally appropriate services to youth in the Pueblo of Tesuque who suffer from substance abuse and criminal activity, due to underlying issues such as substance use, domestic abuse, and mental health needs. CA/NCF