The ponca tribe of indians of oklahoma, headquartered in white eagle, oklahoma (five miles south of ponca city, oklahoma) with tribal jurisdiction extending to parts of KAY and noble counties, has a…

The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma received a $1,000,000 Project Grant award under the U.S. Department of Justice's Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (CFDA # 16.838). This 3-year grant will enable the tribe to provide a range of evidence-based treatment, recovery support services, court-based intervention programming, naloxone distribution, and controlled substance take-back initiatives for its members and surrounding tribal communities. The project aims to increase access to substance use disorder treatment, reduce recovery barriers, equip first responders with overdose reversal capabilities, and establish dedicated drug disposal opportunities. Key partners include the White Eagle Health Center, Ponca Tribal Court, and other tribal service providers. Data collection and reporting will be used to evaluate program outcomes and serve as a model for addressing substance use issues in tribal areas.

The ponca tribe of indians of oklahoma, headquartered in white eagle, oklahoma (five miles south of ponca city, oklahoma) with tribal jurisdiction extending to parts of KAY and noble counties, has a membership of 3,522. The tribe operates a small, ambulatory health clinic, white eagle health center with a user population approaching 5,000 consisting of infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elders. The white eagle health center service area encompasses four additional counties which are resident to four other rural tribes each with limited access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. The ponca tribe of indians of oklahoma is applying for funding in the amount of $1,000,000 for three (3) years under the comprehensive opioid, stimulant, and substance use site-based program (COSSUP), category 1: local applicants, subcategory 1C (rural or tribal area). The purpose of the project is to provide evidence-based treatment (30% of budget), recovery support services (40% of budget), tribal and county court-based intervention programming (20% of budget), naloxone distribution for law enforcement and first responders (5% of budget), and identifiable and accessible take back programming for unused controlled substances (5% of budget). The goals of the program are to: 1) increase the accessibility of ebps for american indian/alaskan native (AI/an) clients diagnosed with a substance use disorder 2) reduce recovery support barriers for clients diagnosed with a substance use disorder; 3) equip tribal law enforcement, other first responders and community members with the necessary education and equipment for administering naloxone for the purpose of reversing opioid overdose; and 4) establish reoccurring opportunities to facilitate the proper disposal of controlled substances by AI/an community members. The project includes partnerships between the white eagle health center, white eagle health center-behavioral health department, ponca tribal court, ponca tribal transit, ponca tribe domestic violence services, and ponca indian child welfare. Data collection protocols will be developed to effectively measure the success of the programs objectives. This information will assist the proposed COSSUP project in reporting required performance measures to the bureau of justice assistance. An annual report will be created to disseminate to stakeholders, community members, and other interested parties to increase investment in this program and provide a model for treating those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants, and other drugs of abuse.