Project Grant H79FG001439

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Foundation $1,500,000 on September 30, 2026, under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs (CFDA 93.00R) to strengthen 988 crisis response services for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals throughout Oklahoma.

The recipient will strengthen formal partnerships with Oklahoma's 988 crisis centers, tribal behavioral health programs, tribal-focused nonprofits, schools, first responders, and community partners; expand culturally responsive crisis response training; improve tribal caller identification and referral processes; support peer recovery support specialists providing post-crisis follow-up; enhance data collection and SPARS reporting; develop a tribal 988 communication strategy; and strengthen the statewide TR988 workgroup. The project addresses elevated suicide risk, behavioral health workforce shortages, transportation barriers, and limited access to culturally responsive crisis services in tribal jurisdictions across Oklahoma, where American Indian and Alaska Native individuals represent approximately 14% of the state's population and experience gaps in tribal caller identification, standardized referral pathways, warm handoff protocols, and timely access to culturally appropriate follow-up care. The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Foundation, a tribally designated organization representing 43 federally recognized tribes across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, will perform work from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The period of performance runs through September 29, 2029.