Eagle Raven Youth Circle Court to address Tribal Juvenile Healing to Wellness

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.

Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) proposes the implementation of a Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court for tribal youth ages 14-21. Alaska Native youth are over-represented within the juvenile justice system and few of the programs available for substance abuse education and treatment have cultural components incorporated into their approaches. CCTHITA will coordinate more closely with state partners, families, cultural leaders, schools, employers, and substance abuse service providers to work cooperatively to provide a Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court. The long-term priority of the program is to serve as a lasting investment in at risk tribal members. The juvenile court will holistically support tribal members through culturally relevant referral, screening, and incentive/sanction tools. CCTHITA Tribal Court Magistrate will have primary project oversight and will work with the youth wellness coordinator, state prosecutor and defender to develop a case plan and timeline specific to each youth's needs for sobriety and stability. The youth wellness court will serve youth through therapeutic sentencing and culturally responsive substance abuse services as well as holistic wrap-around services. Tlingit and Haida traditions will serve as the foundation for youth who have been exposed to intergenerational trauma and youth that are involved in criminal activity or substance abuse. Participants will have mentors to guide them through employment and educational goals, work with a case manager and support team, and participate in regular drug testing. The program coordinator and CCTHITA case manager will encourage family and cultural relationships, implement culturally-specific incentives and sanctions, provide advocacy and collaborate with other systems, and share information on the program and make improvements and sustainability plans. The result of this 12 week-minimum program will be to increase the coordination of therapeutic youth services, provide culturally responsive sobriety and healing services, cultural community connectedness, and measurable educational and employment outcomes. CA/NCF