Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
September 19, 2005, Vol. 05-121

SAMHSA Awards $6.7 Million for Circles of Care Infrastructure Grants

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W., today announced seven grant awards totaling $6.7 million over three years to provide tribal and urban Indian communities with tools and resources to design systems of care to support mental health services for children, youth, and families in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.

The grants provide support to AI/AN community members in their efforts to assess service system needs, gaps, potential resources, and plan infrastructure development strategies that meet identified needs. The first year total is .2 million.

"The participation of consumers, family members, tribal leaders, and spiritual advisors in the planning process is critical to the design and development of services that are based on values and principles of the American Indian and Alaska Native community," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. "These grants help ensure participation of key community members and place a special emphasis on co-occurring issues of mental health and substance abuse, suicide and other problems endemic to American Indian and Alaska Native communities."

"These important grants from SAMHSA demonstrate the growing partnership between American Indian and Alaska Native communities and the HHS agencies," Dr. Charles Grim, Director of the Indian Health Service said. "Native communities will be strengthened for the future through the help of these grants."

Grant Awards include:

Denver Indian Family Resource Center, Lakewood, Colo.--$319,714 per year for up to three years. The Denver Indian Family Resource Center will help the American Indian and Alaska Native population of the urban community to improve the system of mental health care for their children, youth, and families. The project title is "Keeping the Circle Whole."

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska--$319,714 per year for up to three years to assist the Native children, youth and families of the villages of the Cook Inlet Region to develop the infrastructure to transform the mental health system of care. The project title is "Cherish the Children."

Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, Inc, Tulsa, Okla.--$319,714 per year for up to three years that will forge a system of care to improve services available to American Indian youth who live within the urban community served by the Center. The project title is "Strengthening Our Children."

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Okmulgee, Okla.-$319,714 per year for up to three years to the Muscogee Creek Nation Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services plans to develop systems of care to expand services for their children and families living in 10 counties in the State of Oklahoma. The project title is "Momen Ayeckvtes To Carry On".

Native American Rehabilitation Association of Portland Ore.--$319,714 per year for up to three years to convene a planning process to facilitate the development of an integrated, holistic, and culturally relevant system of care for American Indian/Alaska Native children and youth in the urban community, with or at risk of serious emotional disturbances. The project title is "Strengthening the Family Circle."

Sinte Gleska University, Mission, SD--$319,714 per year for up to three years that will build the infrastructure for a culturally relevant and appropriate behavioral health service model for students, families of students, and the extended reservation community. The project will also enhance the master's level counseling degree program offered by the university. The project title is "Circle of Care."

Quileute Tribe, La Push, Wash.--$319,714 per year for up to three years to develop a plan to transform their behavioral health service and support systems for their youth and families. The project title is "Quileute Circles of Care Program."
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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.