Ponca Tribe COSSUP

The Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, headquartered in White Eagle,
Oklahoma (five miles south of Ponca City, Oklahoma) with Tribal jurisdiction extending to parts
of Kay and Noble counties, has a membership of 3,522. The Tribe operates a small, ambulatory
health clinic, White Eagle Health Center with a user population approaching 5,000 consisting of
infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elders. The White Eagle Health Center service area
encompasses four additional counties which are resident to four other rural tribes each with
limited access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. The Ponca Tribe
of Indians of Oklahoma is applying for funding in the amount of $1,000,000 for three (3) years
under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-based Program (COSSUP),
Category 1: Local Applicants, Subcategory 1c (Rural or Tribal Area). The purpose of the project
is to provide evidence-based treatment (30% of budget), recovery support services (40% of
budget), tribal and county court-based intervention programming (20% of budget), naloxone
distribution for law enforcement and first responders (5% of budget), and identifiable and
accessible take back programming for unused controlled substances (5% of budget). The goals of
the program are to: 1) Increase the accessibility of EBPs for American Indian/Alaskan Native
(AI/AN) clients diagnosed with a substance use disorder 2) Reduce recovery support barriers for
clients diagnosed with a substance use disorder; 3) Equip tribal law enforcement, other first
responders and community members with the necessary education and equipment for
administering Naloxone for the purpose of reversing opioid overdose; and 4) Establish
reoccurring opportunities to facilitate the proper disposal of controlled substances by AI/AN
community members. The project includes partnerships between the White Eagle Health Center,
White Eagle Health Center-Behavioral Health Department, Ponca Tribal Court, Ponca Tribal
Transit, Ponca Tribe Domestic Violence Services, and Ponca Indian Child Welfare. Data
collection protocols will be developed to effectively measure the success of the program’s
objectives. This information will assist the proposed COSSUP Project in reporting required
performance measures to the Bureau of Justice Assistance. An annual report will be created to
disseminate to stakeholders, community members, and other interested parties to increase
investment in this program and provide a model for treating those impacted by illicit opioids,
stimulants, and other drugs of abuse.