2017 Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Program

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) 2017 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 9--Tribal Youth Program (TYP) to federally recognized tribes to develop and implement programs that support and enhance Tribal efforts to prevent and control juvenile delinquency and strengthen juvenile justice systems for American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

Using OJJDP funds, the Cherokee Nation will implement the Tribal Youth Delinquency Reduction Program (TYDRP). The TYDRP's intention is to address risk factors and guide youth away from engaging in delinquent behaviors. The overall goals are to keep the youth in school, prevent them from entering into the juvenile justice system and to intervene with offenders as early as possible in order to hold not just the juvenile, but also the parents, accountable. Cherokee Nation will hire one staff member to work with families in Cherokee and Adair counties in Oklahoma to develop an individualized plan and goals to address issues identified in their assessment as needing resolution. TYDRP will utilize the evidence-based Coping And Support Training (CAST) curriculum. CAST goals include improved moods, decreased drug use, alcohol use reduction, increased personal control and family support and increased problem-solving skills. By providing skill building and support (in the home when needed), case management, pro-social activities for youth, community awareness activities, and parenting education services to the families of those who are most at risk for delinquency and moving on to more serious offense, the Cherokee Nation hopes to keep the youth and their families in their home community as productive, contributing citizens. CA/NCF