Behavioral Health Initiative Funding Update

Timeline of NTAC and Behavioral Health Initiative recommendations May-August 2018 Consult and Confer period NTAC discussed at meetings in Oct 2018, Dec 2018 and March 2019 March 14, 2019 NTAC sends letter with recommendations to RADM Weahkee June 17, 2019 Face-to-Face meeting with NTAC and IHS senior leadership

Current status of NTAC Recommendations At June meeting RADM Weahkee verbally requested broader input on the NTAC recommendations https://www.ihs.gov/sites/dbh/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/ntaclettertoRADMWeahkee031319.pdf IHS is preparing a letter to announce additional opportunity for Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer

New IHS Opioid Grant Program

IHS Opioid Grant Pilot Program In FY 2019 The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6), provided a $10 million increase in the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program budget line to better combat the opioid epidemic by creating a Special Behavioral Health Pilot Program (SBHPP), modeled after the Special Diabetes Program for Indians.

IHS Opioid Grant Pilot Program The explanatory statement further instructs the IHS that this Special Behavioral Health Pilot Program shall be developed in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)… IHS has met with SAMHSA staff to review their Tribal Opioid Response grant in order to avoid duplication and gather lessons learned

IHS Opioid Grant Pilot Program …Grants for supporting the development, documentation, and sharing of locally designed and culturally appropriate prevention, treatment, recovery, and aftercare services for mental health and substance use disorders in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and Providing services and technical assistance to grantees to collect and evaluate performance of the program.

Open Tribal Consultation & Urban Confer period Dear Tribal Leader letter issued June 19 www.ihs.gov/sites/newsroom/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/2019_Letters/DTLL_Opioid_Grand_Funds_061919.pdf Virtual Tribal Consultation held June 25 and July 9. Virtual Urban Confer held June 27. Recordings of Virtual Sessions available here: www.ihs.gov/dbh/consultationandconfer/ Face-to-Face Consultation scheduled July 31 at the Direct Services Tribes National Meeting in Albuquerque

Open Comments  Which priorities need to be considered in developing grant program objectives and goals to address opioid prevention, treatment and recovery? What are the associated national outcomes with each of the priorities identified? How can the IHS demonstrate effectiveness using data and evaluation methods? What distribution formula or methodology should be utilized in the selection and award process?

Written Comments Encouraged Written comments will be accepted through the duration of the Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer comment period. The deadline to provide comments is Thursday, August 1, 2019. Send comments by e-mail to: consultation@ihs.gov or urbanconfer@ihs.gov Subject Line: IHS FY 2019 Opioid Grant Funds

Written Comments Encouraged Written comments will be accepted through the duration of the Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer comment period. The deadline to provide comments is Thursday, August 1, 2019. Send comments by postal mail to: RADM Michael D. Weahkee Principal Deputy Director Indian Health Service 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 08E86 Rockville, MD 20857 Attention: IHS FY 2019 Opioid Grant Funds