Project Grant H79SM090777

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Cherokee Nation one million dollars on September 30, 2026, under the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) program (CFDA 93.104). The project grant runs through September 29, 2030.

Cherokee Nation will expand a coordinated, family-driven behavioral health system of care for Native American children, youth, and young adults ages 0–21 with or at risk for serious emotional disturbance across the Cherokee Nation Reservation in Oklahoma. The four-year project will serve approximately 800 individuals with mental health services and 675 with care coordination through a centralized point of access and expanding satellite sites. The project implements wraparound care coordination, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and strengths-based planning while strengthening governance, cross-system partnerships, and culturally responsive services. Expected outcomes include improved access to coordinated behavioral health care, individualized service planning, enhanced family and youth engagement, and a sustainable system of care infrastructure.

Performance takes place in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation, the award recipient, is a federally recognized tribal government and the largest Native American tribe in the United States, delivering tribal self-governance services, healthcare, workforce development, and community services to over 400,000 registered citizens across 14 counties in northeastern Oklahoma.