Chickasaw Nation

The Chickasaw Nation (CN) is a federally recognized First American tribe located in south-central Oklahoma, encompassing 7,648 square miles, with an estimated population of 36,166 First Americans residing within the treaty territory. The CN Department of Family Services is seeking $891,680 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Adult Treatment Court Discretionary Grant, Category 1, to fund the CN District Court’s post-adjudication, Masali (“Beginning to Heal”): Healing to Wellness Court, Adult Drug Court (ADC) program. The CN’s District Court is located within treaty territory at 821 N. Mississippi Ave., Ada, Oklahoma. Through this funding opportunity, the CN is seeking to engage the Office of Tribal Justice Administration and local community organizations in the development and operation of the proposed Masali ADC project. Furthermore, the CN plans to fund a specialty services director and an adult specialty services coordinator to ensure all project goals and deliverables are fulfilled and the needs of program participants are met. The Masali ADC will screen 160 First American criminal defendants using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) screening tool and will accept 96 of those individuals into the ADC with a projected total of 58 graduating from the program, ultimately reaching the lives ofapproximately 256 adult First Americans over the project’s 48-month award period. The estimated minimum length of the program for participants shall be 15 months with the estimated maximum length of the program being 25 months. Participants selected for inclusion in the Masali ADC will be First Americans facing non-violent, drug-related criminal charges, who have been identified as high-risk and high-need individuals based upon results of the GAIN screening tool. Masali ADC participants will have access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) services provided by the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health located in Ada, Oklahoma. If awarded, the CN will also use the Masali ADC project funds to build upon its existing knowledge of the 10 Key Components put forth by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and will weave all 10 Key Components throughout the ADC program.