Moi-Yukh Rubio expressed gratitude as he graduated from the Tule River Tribe of California’s Juvenile Healing and Wellness Center (JHWC) program last December, telling the center’s staff that he had been successful in the program “because of you”—underscoring the impact of consistent support from positive, caring adults in a young person’s life.

In recent years, youth on the Tule River Reservation have struggled amid rising rates of methamphetamine and marijuana use. With OJJDP funding, the Tribe opened the JHWC in 2022, taking a collaborative approach to mental health and substance use treatment, offering wraparound services, educational supports, and programming that emphasizes healing from trauma. Each of the program’s four phases lasts 90 days, and the JHWC aftercare program ensures that participants can continue receiving services and support after graduation.

Mr. Rubio was the program’s first graduate. He went on to receive his high school diploma in May, “an achievement that speaks volumes about his determination and hard work,” said JHWC Manager Roxanne Burtt, praising Mr. Rubio’s resilience in pursuing both personal and academic goals. In its first two years, the JHWC program has graduated two young people. Currently, eight youth are enrolled in the program.