The chickasaw nation (CN) is a federally recognized tribe located in south central oklahoma

This federal Project Grant award of $899,999.00, provided by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Tribal Justice Assistance Program (CFDA 16.596), will enable the Chickasaw Nation (CN) to expand its Tingba' Ona (The First to Get There) program. The project aims to develop additional diversionary services for criminal defendants facing incarceration and establish a more comprehensive, recovery-oriented system of care for Chickasaw citizens and other First Americans involved in the tribal justice system. Key objectives include: 1) Developing an integrated, recovery-oriented system of care among justice-serving programs; 2) Providing comprehensive screening, assessment, and treatment services for at-risk defendants; 3) Reducing incarceration rates for Chickasaw citizens and First Americans; and 4) Building the CN's capacity to sustain Tingba' Ona services and plan future expansions. The 5-year project period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2029.

With this funding, the tribe will expand the tingba' ONA (the first to get there) program to develop additional diversionary services for criminal defendants facing incarceration as a means to develop a more comprehensive, recovery-oriented system of care for chickasaw citizens and first americans involved in the tribal justice system. The project will engage tribal law enforcement, mental health, substance use, probation and parole, detention administration and other justice-serving programs through enhanced planning, training, screening and assessment, leveled intervention services, and program evaluation. The goals of the project are to: develop an integrated, recovery-oriented system of care amongst justice serving programs; provide comprehensive screening, assessment and treatment services for criminal defendants along the low to moderate risk levels experiencing low, moderate or high needs; reduce incarceration rates for chickasaw citizens and first americans; and build the CN's capacity to sustain tingba' ONA services and strategically plan future service expansion. Tingba' ONA will interface with at least two jails within the CN's jurisdiction and include a partnership with east central university's brandon whitten institute for addiction and recovery through provision of mental health first aid training for approximately 100 to 150 employees working in the areas of criminal justice. Tingba' ONA services will provide support for NAN-aiya aboa (peace house), a 24-hour, 5,760 square foot mental health urgent care clinic scheduled to open in ADA, oklahoma in 2027, while also providing needed data and overall momentum for establishing future services that may include mobile crisis intervention, short-term stabilization services for adults and children, and/or a mental health court. Following a 12-month planning period, this project intends to divert 57 individuals from incarceration over the remaining four years of the project period through wraparound service delivery. This project will provide funding for a contractor to guide a project advisory committee and other stakeholders in developing the necessary strategic plan, policies and procedures and conducting ongoing program evaluation to guide continuous quality improvement strategies. Funding will also be used to directly support the biopsychosocial wellness needs of participants through psychological evaluations, inpatient treatment admissions and financial assistance for safe and stable housing, utility payments, sober living stays and other critical basic needs of participants to sustain their overall mental health, wellness and recovery.