Summary of Federal Project Grant Award

The California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB), operating as the California Dental Support Center (CADSC), received a $430,000 Project Grant from the Indian Health Service (IHS) under the Health Management Development Program (CFDA 93.228) awarded December 1, 2025, with a completion date of November 30, 2030. The grant supports a five-year initiative to enhance oral health outcomes for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations across California by providing comprehensive training, technical assistance, education, and support services to tribal and urban Indian dental professionals and early childhood care centers. These deliverables include state-mandated training courses, hands-on clinical education, and the facilitation of an annual continuing dental education conference serving over 400 dental practitioners and support staff across California's 34 tribal/urban Indian dental clinics operating 67 clinic sites.

The grant funds community and clinic-based oral health initiatives targeting pregnant women, children, youth, and adults throughout California, leveraging CRIHB's 15-year history of partnership with tribal dental clinics to expand knowledge and preventive care capabilities. By strengthening the capacity of dental clinical staff and early childhood programs to deliver culturally competent oral health services, the award addresses critical dental disease disparities and improves access to preventive and clinical care in remote and rural tribal communities across California, which is home to the largest AI/AN population in the United States.