Project Grant H79TI085928

ASHLAND WELLNESS & RECOVERY COURT ENHANCEMENT AND BAD RIVER TRIBAL JUDICIAL PARTNERSHIP - THE ASHLAND WELLNESS & RECOVERY COURT (WRC) ENHANCEMENT AND BAD RIVER TRIBAL JUDICIAL PARTNERSHIP IN RURAL ASHLAND WI PROPOSES TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND EXISTING TREATMENT COURT SERVICES. THE PROPOSED ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE ADDRESSING HISTORICAL DISPARITIES IN NATIVE AMERICAN ACCESS TO TREATMENT (GOAL #1), EXPANDING ACCESS TO OPIOID HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES (GOAL #2), AND EXPANDING PROGRAM SERVICES (GOAL #3). THESE GOALS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ADDING A BAD RIVER OJIBWE TRIBAL JUDGE TO OUR TEAM, EMBEDDING PROGRAM-SPECIFIC PEER SPECIALISTS, EXPANDING ACCESS TO OPIOID OVERDOSE REVERSAL TRAINING, AND EXPANDED EVIDENCE-BASED RESILIENCE-BASED TREATMENT APPROACHES. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM-LEVEL, PROGRAM-LEVEL, AND CLIENT-LEVEL GOALS ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH BOTH WISCONSIN AND FEDERAL HARM REDUCTION, OPIOID TREATMENT, PEER SUPPORT, AND DISPARITY REDUCTION STRATEGIES, AS WELL AS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR LOCAL NEEDS. THE WRC HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, TRANSITIONING TO A HYBRID HEALING TO WELLNESS COURT APPROACH DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BAD RIVER TRIBE. NATIVE AMERICANS CONSISTENTLY COMPRISE TWO-THIRDS OF CURRENT WRC PROGRAM ADMISSIONS. WRC PARTICIPANTS DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN 40% FEMALE, 48% WITH CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS, 65% OPIOID OR METHAMPHETAMINE DEPENDENT, AND 46% HAVE BEEN CHARGED/CONVICTED OF DRUG POSSESSION. NEARLY ONE-HALF (48%) ACCESSED MAT DURING THEIR WRC PARTICIPATION AND 50% GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM. FALL 2022 SIX-MONTH GPRA DATA INDICATED THAT 90% OF WRC PARTICIPANTS WERE ABSTINENT FROM ALCOHOL, 78% WERE ABSTINENT FROM ILLEGAL DRUGS, AND ONLY ONE PERSON REPORTED IV DRUG INJECTION; THREE-QUARTERS OF PARTICIPANTS HAD STABLE HOUSING AND 100% OF GRADUATES HAD A PERMANENT PLACE TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY. WE PROPOSE TO ADMIT 100 NEW PARTICIPANTS OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD (20 PER YEAR) TO WRC SERVICES THAT ARE MORE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE WITH A TRIBAL JUDGE CO-PRESIDING DURING COURT HEARINGS, OFFER OPIOID OVERDOSE REVERSAL TRAINING/NARCAN, FOCUS ON MAT TO SUPPORT RECOVERY AND WORK WITH THE ASHLAND JAIL TO ALLOW IN-CUSTODY MAT, PROVIDE IN-HOUSE MORAL RECONATION THERAPY (MRT), AND ADD NICOTINE CESSATION SERVICES TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT STRATEGY. IN ADDITION, WRC WILL EXPEND SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO MAKE THE SYSTEM-LEVEL AND PROGRAM-LEVEL IMPROVEMENTS DETAILED IN OUR OBJECTIVES AND WILL SPONSOR/CO-SPONSOR AT LEAST EIGHT CULTURAL AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY EACH YEAR TO SUPPORT PARTICIPANT RECOVERY.