Craig tribal association requests federal funds to create a pre-adjudication tribal healing to wellness court

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the Craig Tribal Association a $785,334 Project Grant under the Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program (CFDA 16.585) to create a pre-adjudication Tribal Healing to Wellness Court. The program aims to provide a culturally appropriate pathway to healing and sobriety for Alaska Natives/American Indians experiencing substance use disorders. By offering access to evidence-based treatment and recovery support services, the Tribal Healing to Wellness Court seeks to reduce arrest volume for drug and alcohol-related offenses and ensure more individuals receive the treatment they need. The 4-year grant period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2028.

The current response of the courts to cases involving substance use disorders is to defer them to therapeutic court. However, this approach can be ineffective when IT comes to alaska natives/american indians as the state therapeutic court does not incorporate cultural treatment modalities that are evidence-based treatments for this population. To address this issue, we propose the tribal healing to wellness court. This program aims to offer a culturally appropriate pathway to healing and sobriety for those experiencing substance use disorders. By providing access to appropriate treatment, the program seeks to reduce the current arrest volume for drug and alcohol related offenses or crimes where drugs or alcohol were an underlying factor. Additionally, the program will allow more people to receive the treatment they need. The craig tribal association, being a small community, expects to be able to meet the need for treatment slots referrals in the healing to wellness court program.