Morongo Tribal 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) 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 8--Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts. The overall purpose of this grant program is to support tribes seeking to develop a new Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court to respond to the alcohol and substance use issues of juveniles and young adults under the age of 21.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians will plan and implement a Healing to Wellness Court program for youth under the age of 21 who have had alcohol and/or substance related offenses. The program will be offered as an alternative to paying fines and incarceration and will offer culturally appropriate programming to promote sobriety. The tribe will form a Steering Committee consisting of Tribal Council members, tribal elders and youth, Riverside County Court and Sheriff's Department representatives and other community members to help shape the program. The tribe will participate in strategic planning, develop policies and procedures, develop court bench documents, recruit participants, and manage participants in the program. The tribe plans to help 12-15 youth per year.

CA/NCF