Circles of Care

The Circles of Care Initiative represents the collective vision of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribal members, service providers, advocates, and Federal agency representatives who met over a period of 4 years, to craft the concept of the Circles of Care planning grants for Federally recognized tribes and urban Indian programs as defined by the Indian Self Determination Act, and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The grants provide funds and technical assistance for AI/AN communities to support the development of culturally appropriate systems of care models achieve their selected emotional, behavioral, educational, vocational, and spiritual outcomes for their children. The grants seek to increase the capacity for tribal programs to reduce the disparity between the disproportionate levels of suicide, substance abuse and behavioral disorders and the availability and appropriateness of prevention and treatment resources.

A third set of grants were awarded in 2005. Through partnerships with Indian Health Service and National Institute for Mental Health, technical assistance for program development, process evaluation, needs assessment, and publication is provided by the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, University of Colorado.

Circles of Care Grantees, 2005-2008

• Alaska
  • Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.
• Colorado
  • Denver Indian Family Resource Center
• Oklahoma
  • Indian Health Care Resource Center, Tulsa
  • Muscogee (Creek) Nation
• Oregon
  • Native American Rehabilitation Association of North West, Inc.
• South Dakota
  • Sinte Gleska University, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
• Washington
  • Quileute Tribe
• Center for Mental Health Services
• IHS Headquarters East Behavioral Health Program
• NICWA
• The Circles of Care Evaluation Technical Assistance Center (CoCETAC)

Circles of Care Grantees, 2001-2004

• South East Alaska Native Mental Health Services Initiative, Alaska
• Sewa Uusim: Flower Children - Our Hope, Our Light, Our Future, Arizona
• Toward a Healthy Himdak/Huudoishxish, Arizona
• UUAII Circles of Care, California
• Blackfeet Circles of Care, Montana
• Peechenum Project (Love, Value and Cheirish), Utah
• Helping Hands Project, Washington
• Circles of care Evaluation Technical Assistance Center, Colorado
• National Indian Child Welfare Association, Oregon

Circles of Care Grantees, 1998-2001

• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, South Dakota
• Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma
• Fairbanks Native Association, Alaska
• Feather River Tribal Health, California
• First Nations Community Health Source, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• In Care Network, Montana
• Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
• Ogalla Lakota Nation, South Dakota
• Urban Indian Health Board, Oakland, California