OJJDP Defending Childhood 2016 AI/AN Policy Initiative

This American Indian/Alaska Native Policy Initiative (Policy Initiative) is designed to increase the capacity of tribes to enhance their juvenile justice and related child serving systems, such as child welfare and education, and to improve the lives of tribal youth exposed to violence. This program is authorized pursuant to paragraph (3)(A) under the Juvenile Justice heading and paragraph (11) under the State and Local Law Enforcement heading in the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2016 Pub. L. No. 114-113, 129 Stat. 2242, 2307, 2309.

The Wind River Family and Community Health System (WRFCHCS), Northern Arapaho Tribe proposes the Prevention through Intervention Center (PIC) Family Court Diversion Initiative (FCDI). This is a multi-systemic initiative designed to prevent initial and recurring trauma, address the results of trauma, and divert these children, youth and families from the civil and criminal justice systems. Trauma-informed and trauma specific services will be delivered at the PIC campus through a model of integrated health/behavioral health services as promoted by the Affordable Care Act. This intervention is committed to the development and coordination of the full array of services designed to improve population health and promote inter-generational wellness, by delivering culturally-relevant services with respect, compassion, and dignity. More specifically, the FCDI will conduct: a) intake and assessment of those with pre-court filed petitions for truancy, delinquency, minors in need of care (neglected, abused, child in need of supervision services, children in need of court-paid treatment services for mental health /substance abuse), b) safe child assessments of children in or pending out of home placements and integrated developmental care examination of all minors taken into custody by police, child protection or Indian Child Welfare Act officers, c) expedited integrated care examination of suspected child victims of abuse/neglect and forensic interviews of child victim/witnesses of violence crime, and d) trauma-informed care plan management that reflects medical/mental health/substance abuse and social supports coordinated in conjunction with pediatric medical home plans.
CA/NCF