Overview
The Oregon Health Authority provides the Nine Federally Recognized Tribes and the Urban Indian Health Program specific funding to strengthen tribal mental health programs and expand service delivery based on community need.
This ensures that services and supports are culturally responsive and tailored to each community's needs, with the goal of promoting increased access and early interventions to support mental health care.
In addition to funding to support Tribal well-being, OHA provides funding to ensure the following services are available to Tribal members:
- Mental health promotion and prevention: Early interventions to prevent mental health issues.
- Jail diversion: Keeps individuals with mental illness from unnecessary incarceration. It also creates partnerships to help individuals through complex systems.
- Supportive housing and peer delivered services: Increases supports for individuals with severe mental health needs.
- Wraparound: Increases ability to provide intensive care coordination for children (individuals) with emotional and behavior challenges.
- School-based mental health services: Brings qualified mental health professionals into schools. These professionals provide therapeutic psychosocial crisis intervention and counseling services.
- Crisis services: Improves mental health response, assessments and brief interventions. These help individuals avoid hospitalization and incarceration. They also provide connection to community resources.
Tribes can use these funds to:
- Take part in cultural conferences and workshops that build resilience.
- Integrate tribal best practices and evidence-based practices that improve emotional well-being; this is a successful combination in Tribal communities.
- Provide resources for psychiatric services for young children on the reservation.
- Coordinate activities that promote community involvement. This leads to the reduced behavioral health issues and increases emotional well-being. Activities include canoe journey, sweat lodge, round dance, drumming, regalia classes, language classes, naming ceremonies, harvest activities and family nights.
- Train culturally responsive individuals to conduct Question, Persuade Refer and Mental Health First Aid.