Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse
About OIASA
OIASA is charged with, among other things, aligning, leveraging, and coordinating federal agencies and departments in carrying out SAMHSA’s responsibilities delineated in the TLOA.
The office supports a holistic framework reinforcing the beliefs that the mind, body, and spirit are all connected to health and that Tribes know best how to solve their own problems through prevention activities and community partnerships.
Access contact information for OIASA.
History and Purpose of the TLOA
President Barack Obama signed the TLOA into law on July 29, 2010. The TLOA, which reauthorized and amended the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, focuses on public safety and prevention.
The purpose of the TLOA is to ensure that justice, safety, education, youth, and alcohol and substance misuse prevention and treatment issues relevant to Indian Country remain the subject of consistent focus for the federal government. The TLOA meets this goal by institutionalizing federal reforms to focus on these key issues. The law requires a significant amount of interagency coordination and collaboration between the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The TLOA Obligations on SAMHSA
TLOA engages new federal partners to build upon previous efforts in addressing alcohol and substance use disorders in Indian Country, Chapter 26 of the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act – 2011 (PDF | 2.1 MB).
On July 21, 2011, the Secretaries of HHS and DOI and the Attorney General entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to carry out the provisions of the TLOA. The memorandum of agreement (PDF | 810 KB) commits HHS, DOI, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to aligning, leveraging, and coordinating federal efforts and resources to support American Indian and Alaska Native communities in achieving their goals in prevention, intervention, and treatment of alcohol and substance use disorder.
Additional information on the IASA Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee can be found in the charter (PDF | 627 KB).