OTAP News and Events

The purpose of this program is to assist in addressing the opioid overdose crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD), and supporting the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring substance use disorders. Eligibility and program requirements are detailed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Applications are due Monday, July 1, 2024.

SAMHSA issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for five-year projects of up to $735,000 per year to address Tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention needs. The program supports states and Tribes with implementing youth suicide and early intervention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance use and mental health programs, foster care systems, pediatric health programs, and other child- and youth-serving organizations. Applications are due June 3.

Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET

Register now!

This session will provide an overview of the history of military service among American Indian and Alaska Native people. It will emphasize the importance of practicing cultural humility and trauma-informed care.

Presenters:

• Gregorio Kishketon, D.Ph. (Tribal Elder with the Water Clan – Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma), Program Analyst, Center for Minority Veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Scott Barton (Mashantucket Pequot/Mohawk), Director of Tribal Initiatives, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, University of Oklahoma

Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET

Register now!

This session will provide an overview of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda and will describe resources available to promote the mental health and well-being of Tribal communities.

Presenters:

• Captain Karen Hearod, M.S.W., LCSW (Choctaw Nation), Director, Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy, SAMHSA
• Sienna Hunter-Cuyjet, LMSW, LCSW, LICSW, ACSW (Shinnecock Nation), Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner, SAMHSA Tribal Training & Technical Assistance (TTA) Center, Three Star Government Solutions, LLC

Time: 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET

Register now!

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

This listening session seeks input from American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Service Members, Veterans and their Families (SMVF), and community leaders serving this population.

Listening Session Goals:

• Better understand the views and concerns of tribal communities and find ways to build a strong tribal program for suicide prevention
• Ensure representation and elevate indigenous knowledge throughout all aspects of program planning and implementation

Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET

Register now!

This session will illustrate the power of traditions and cultural practices in healing. For example, many communities hold ceremonies when service members leave for their service and again when they return. Practices like sweat lodges, talking circles, honor songs, and drumming all work to heal the mind, body, and soul.

Presenters:

• Barbara Aragon (Laguna Pueblo, Crow), Technical Assistant, SAMHSA TTA
• Raymond Daw (Navajo Nation), Behavioral Health Consultant, National Association of Behavioral Health Consultants
• Ivan Sam (Navajo Nation), Cultural Ambassador, The Veterans Art Project

Time: 4 - 5:30 p.m. ET

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing a webinar and conference call (PDF | 93 KB) for prospective applicants interested in applying for fiscal year 2024 Tribal Opioid Response Grants (Short Title: TOR), TI-24-009. The webinar and conference call will be led by SAMHSA Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy staff.

Listening Session Dates:

• Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 3 - 4 p.m. ET

SAMHSA is committed to reducing burden related to grant performance data collection and reporting. To achieve this goal, SAMHSA is working to significantly redesign client-level performance management tools currently in use. SAMHSA specifically plans to develop a single, brief, client-level tool for use in all client-level grant programs. SAMHSA is also committed to incorporating partner input as much as possible and recognizes that some changes might take longer to implement.

SAMHSA therefore sought to hear from Tribes, Tribal organizations, and evaluators to better understand areas for burden reduction while ensuring equity and accuracy in the final tool.

Some questions to consider were shared to help those preparing for the listening sessions:

• What should SAMHSA consider as we prioritize decreased burden and high-quality data?
  • How can collecting and reporting client-level data be streamlined to enhance efficiency?
• Which questions are most valuable for meeting your data collection requirements?
• In what ways are you leveraging the data acquired from your SAMHSA grants to enhance and evaluate your programs? If not, what are the constraints preventing its utilization?

Written responses and questions: Respondents were encouraged to submit written comments or questions to the SAMHSA Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy (OTAP) email mailbox through March 15, 2024 at [email protected].

Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET

Information about the SAMHSA TTAC and the agenda for this meeting can be found on the SAMHSA website. During the meeting, SAMHSA TTAC delegates and SAMHSA leadership will discuss SAMHSA programs/initiatives and tribal behavioral health priorities.

Review the TTAC Charter for more information on TTAC function, activities, and structure.

Dear Tribal Leader Letter - TTAC Meeting (PDF | 185 KB)