Tribal Youth Healing to Wellness Courts

The Troubling Reality of Substance Use

In Trajectories of Substance Use among Young American Indian Adolescents: Patterns and Predictors, Nancy Whitesell notes that “substance use often begins earlier among American Indians compared to the rest of the United States, a troubling reality that puts Native youth at risk for escalating and problematic use.” Beyond early and problematic use, a recent survey comparing drug use among Native American youth living on or near reservations to a national sample of American youth found that Native youth report substantially higher use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and other illicit drugs. (NIDA, 2018)

The National Institutes of Drug Abuse research into the origins of substance use problems increasingly points to early adolescence as a critical period, as close to one third of adolescents begin drinking by age 13. (Whitesell, et al., 2014)  As addiction and long-term substance abuse are directly connected to chronic illness, shortened lifespans, and suicide the need for culturally appropriate and community-based intervention is critical.

Community-Based Intervention

Tribal Youth Healing to Wellness Court (YHWC) is a responsive strategy to support tribal youth on a path toward wellness and recovery by addressing and responding to their substance misuse. Rather than trying to adapt to the constraints of non-Native systems, there is a growing recognition that interventions guided by Native strengths, cultural values, and beliefs reduce harm associated with high-risk behaviors such as substance use. Communities can refer youth to appropriate treatment, while promoting safety, accountability, and restorative approaches that promote individual healing and increase resilience. This collaborative and culturally grounded approach also includes opportunities for youth to build their skills and set individualized goals. Teams provide mentorship and support through ongoing case management that promotes positive and healthy outcomes for youth, families, and their communities.

In order to support the development of new Tribal Youth Healing to Wellness Courts and strengthen existing ones, the Tribal Youth Resource Center offers training and technical assistance to:

For more information on these components, visit: http://wellnesscourts.org/tribal-key-components/index.cfm

Are you interested in starting a Tribal Youth Healing to Wellness Court in your community or do you want to learn more about these innovative courts?

Join us at the Annual Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Implementation and Enhancement Training. The Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Implementation and Enhancement Training is a tribal-specific national training for tribal problem-solving courts. The training features Wellness Court best practices and innovative strategies. For the last six years, the Tribal Youth Resource Center has collaborated with the Tribal Law and Policy Institute’s Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts Project to provide a youth-specific track. This training is freely available to tribal communities and interested federal and state partners who want to learn more about how to develop, implement, or enhance Tribal Healing to Wellness Court services within their community. 2024 Training Materials from the Juvenile Implementation and Enhancement Training are available on TribalYouth.org.

Grantee Directory

Each pin represents a currently funded, OJJDP Tribal Youth Healing to Wellness Court (YHWC) Grantee. The color of the pin is determined by the year that the YHWC was funded, as shown in the map key. To expand the key, click on the icon in the upper left corner of the map, just to the left of the map title, “YHWC Grantee Map.” Or, click on each individual pin to view the grantee.